Politics
As New Era Dawns in Japan, Women Still Face Age-Old Challenges
- Much has changed over 30 years yet workplace bias persists
- Japan corporate boards and government are mostly boys’ clubs
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Kumi Fujisawa launched her finance career in Tokyo in 1989. It was a notable year: Emperor Akihito ascended the Chrysanthemum throne, the Nikkei average reached its giddy peak and the latest Sony Walkman was a hot-selling gadget.
Yet it wasn’t an easy time to be an ambitious young woman in Japan. Despite the skyrocketing economy and implementation of an Equal Employment Opportunity Act three years before, big Japanese firms often didn’t consider recruiting female college graduates. Those who made it through the door were expected to drop out soon to get married.