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Asia | Japan | Activism

Only two female world leaders on stage at Osaka G20 event aimed at empowering women

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It was supposed to be an event showcasing Group of 20 leaders’ commitment to better empowering women in employment, economy and education. But only two of the world leaders on stage were women. Titled the Special Event on Women’s Empowerment, the only female world leaders in attendance were outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Still, G20 leaders on Saturday reiterated their shared recognition that “gender equality and women’s empowerment are essential for achieving inclusive and sustainable society and economic growth,” according to t
Asia | Japan | Culture

Women outperform men after Japan medical school stops rigging exam scores

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Women have outperformed their male counterparts in entrance examinations for a medical school in Japan that last year admitted rigging admission procedures to give men an unfair advantage. Juntendo University in Tokyo said that of the 1,679 women who took its medical school entrance exam earlier this year, 139, or 8.28%, had passed. The pass rate among 2,202 male candidates was 7.72%. It was the first time in seven years that the pass rate among women was higher than among men, the Asahi Shimbun reported. The university attributed the exam results to its decision to “abolish the u
Asia | Japan | Adventure

Marin Minamiya: The Japanese climber who scaled Everest at 19

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It was a dream that manifested for Marin Minamiya the first time she laid eyes on Mount Everest about six years ago. Minamiya was 13 and visiting Nepal on a school trip from Hong Kong. "I was trekking to the base camp of Annapurna and when I saw Mount Everest, it made me wonder what it would be like to climb this mountain? Who would I meet? What will I learn?" she said. When Minamiya returned home she could not stop thinking about one day conquering the tallest peak in the world.
Asia | Japan | Military

Answering the call: The women on the front lines of Japan’s defense

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Hirayama is one of 39 new recruits based at a women's boot camp at Yokosuka naval base on the outskirts of Tokyo. Clad in blue overalls, the women are up at the crack of dawn and their days are filled with lessons in everything from martial arts to cyber security. After saluting their unit leaders and the Japanese flag, they haul boats weighing 1.5 tons each from the docks of Yokosuka naval base and row them out to sea. "This can be a dangerous exercise if they don't pay attention so they have to concentrate really hard," Commander Hiroki Hasegawa, a pilot and navy spokesman, said from t
Asia | Japan | Security

Japan rolls out sleek, all-female police squad to protect Ivanka

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A squad of female police have smartened themselves up to guard U.S. presidential adviser Ivanka Trump, who arrives in Tokyo on Nov. 2. Gone is the bulky body armor used when facing rioters or dangerous criminals, to be replaced by smart black suits. It is the first time that Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department has formed a female-only security team.
Asia | Japan | Business

Honda Names First Female Operating Officer

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Japan is notorious for having few women in business: a recent studyfound that women hold just 3% of executive positions there. But on Tuesday, Japan-based Honda Motor Co. announced it will appoint its first female operating officer—a landmark appointment in a country where Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made the empowerment of female workers a main plank in his economic growth strategy. The newly appointed operating officer, Asako Suzuki, will take over the senior executive position in April. According to the Wall Street Journal, she’ll be Honda’s first female senior executive to be
Asia | Japan | Sports

Takanashi of Japan wins 6th straight women’s ski jump WCup

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Sara Takanashi of Japan won her sixth women's ski jumping World Cup in succession on Jan. 30. The 19-year-old Takanashi soared 104.0 meters for a new hill record at Obertsdorf, and then bettered it with the day's longest jump at 107.0 meters for 278.5 points to beat next-best Daniela Iraschko-Stolz of Austria. Iraschko-Stolz jumped 97.5 and 100.0 for 251.7 points, ahead of Slovenian teammates Ema Klinec and Maja Vtic. Another Austrian, Jacqueline Seifriedsberger, was fifth.
Asia | Japan | Business

Rolling Maki at Japan’s First All-Female Sushi Restaurant

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Women have been traditionally banned from sushi-making because of their warm hands and periods, but one Tokyo eatery is bucking convention. The first sushi restaurant with women-only chefs opened at a time when the cuisine was beginning to gain global recognition. It coincided with Wall Street Journal revelations that the three Michelin-starred restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro—the subject of 2011 documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi—does not hire female chefs because they menstruate. "To be a professional means to have a steady taste in your food," said Yoshikazu Ono, who works alongside
Asia | Japan | Economy

‘Womenomics’ Makes Small Chips in Japan’s Glass Ceiling

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Two years after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made women's advancement a top policy priority, statistics suggest Japan's male-dominated workplaces have evolved slightly, but they also highlight the deep-seated societal forces keeping the gender gap alive. The central government exceeded its 30 percent target for hiring of women for career-track positions, raising the rate to 34 percent this year from 24 percent last year, according to the latest Cabinet Office data. In the private sector, women make up a slightly higher percentage of managers and presidents than they did two years ago, though m
Asia | Japan | Politics

Ridiculous: Japan politician tells women to ‘contribute’ by having more babies

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Japan’s top government spokesman has sparked controversy after encouraging women to “contribute” to the nation by bearing lots of children. Yoshihide Suga, the chief cabinet secretary, immediately came under fire for his comments, which coincided with the government’s high-profile efforts to involve more women in the workforce. Critics compared Mr Suga’s comments to the stance taken by Japan’s wartime leaders, who encouraged women to reproduce in order to bolster the nation’s military ambitions. Speaking on a Fuji TV news show, Mr Suga expressed his
Asia | Japan | Health

The invention that aims to make periods less of a pain

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Even in 2015, menstruating females in Asia and Africa are shunned as unclean and have difficulty getting hold of sanitary products. A 2011 survey for the Indian government found that only 12% of women across India use sanitary pads. Others use old rags, and unhygienic substances such as sand, sawdust, leaves, mattress foam and even ash to stem their monthly bleeding, with implications for their health and education. Menstruating girls in both Asia and Africa are unable to go to school during their periods, or drop out of school altogether. Japanese design student Mariko Higaki Iwai hopes th
Asia | Japan | Arts

At 101 Years Old, Japan’s First Female Photojournalist Still Loves Taking Photos

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As a 25 year old, Tokyo born Tsuneko Sasamoto, made the decision to become a professional photographer. World War II was just getting underway and, in Japan, it was mostly unheard of for a woman to choose a career over a husband. That didn’t stop the young Sasamoto–she had been shooting since her early twenty’s, documenting pre-war life, and had become incredibly passionate about her work. Her determination helped her become on of Japan’s very first female photojournalists, documenting the turmoil of the World War II era. Now, decades later, Sasamoto is still doing what she loves at
Asia | Japan | Business

Corporate Japan takes on more female outside directors

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More listed companies in Japan are appointing women as outside directors in a bid to get female perspectives. The move comes partly in reaction to the government's new corporate governance code, which took effect in June and focuses on boardroom diversity. Of 100 major companies with large market capitalizations, roughly 40% said that as of July they had female outside directors. The directors are themselves business owners, scholars, lawyers, even an astronaut. Of the companies, 41 said they have female outside directors, eight more than said so the previous fiscal year. In the lates
Asia | Japan | Health

Japanese women lead planet again with average life span of 86.83 years

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Japanese women extended their average life expectancy to a record 86.83 years in 2014 to lead the world for the third straight year, a health ministry report showed July 30. The figure for Japanese men was 80.50 years, rising one notch to third place in the world. A decline in deaths from heart and cerebrovascular diseases added 0.22 year, or around 80 days, to the life span of Japanese women from the previous year, while fewer deaths from cancer and pneumonia raised the number for Japanese men by 0.29 year, or about 106 days, the report said.

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