Sexism in Japan?

[Sakurahime]

Having lived and worked in Japan, I can say from experience that it's very different to the Western situation. Some of it is innocuous or even kind of fun - I certainly quite enjoyed the obligatory greetings to the whole office, as it made me feel like a proper member of the group. However, there are other things that can really throw you, as they are based on completely different values and it's a vastly different status quo that Japanese people don't seem to bat an eyelid at, let alone question.
One of the things that I noticed was a type of sexism. While there is a huge awareness of concepts like sexual harassment and how that's wrong, there are some rather unequal power dynamics at work. Many women are still expected to get married and become a housewife, so they get less important jobs in the workplace. Some get the "job title" of "Office Lady" or OL, which seems to basically be a sort of secretary. Some workplaces have a tea lady, whose main function is indeed to make tea and other hot drinks. I believe OLs do this, too. Their work is not particularly challenging and in some ways they are quite looked down upon, expected to do tasks for men in the office. And almost needless to say, an OL is never male.
I realize that women don't only do jobs like this, and there is some representation in politics (but like many countries, still relatively little). From my point of view, it seems far more unequal and sexist than many Western countries, but is it? Many women do want to get married, and enjoy the freedom of a job that doesn't have overtime and other commitments.
Any thoughts?

[tsubaki nakajima]

I think Japan is still far more patriarchal than the western countries. I'm not sure if I should call it sexist but I think its more of they do stick to what they know and what their past are. I'm not sure of where you're staying during the time that you worked there but this "sexism" (although there always is) is more popular on rural areas but that's because these places were not that easily influenced of other cultures. It isn't always like that though.

"Japan was a fairly equitable matriarchal society until Confucian ideas immigrated from China. These ideas defined Japanese society up until the end of World War II. The integration of Confucian hierarchical structures where men were dominate shifted gender roles into a patriarchal system. Both men and women shared expectations under the Confucian system: loyalty and courage. Men were expected to be loyal to their lords; women were to be loyal to their family and husband. Interestingly, women could own and inherit property and family position in feudal Japan. They were expected to control the household budget and household decisions to allow men to serve their lord. During the feudal era, men were expected to be well rounded. Unlike their “macho” European counterparts, samurai were expected to be learned in literature and the arts ( Sugihara and Katusarada, 2002)."

Now there have these basic ideas of how they should function:

• Men should work outside the home
• Genders should be brought up differently
• Women are more suited to household work and child rearing than men.
• Full time housewives are valuable to society because of their family raising role.

They don't call it sexism and it was called "gender-expectations" instead.
read it more here:http://www.japanpowered.com/japan-cu...panese-society

[Yuriyuri]

Having lived in Japan for more than 20 years I can say Japan is a pretty sexist country. It may not seem so from time to time but I think Japanese society, both Japanese men and women are sexist. Take Shiori Ito who spread #metoo movement as an example. She was raped by a man with a high profile and couldn't get justice right away. She was accused of seducing Yamaguchi ( a high profile journalist) just so she can get a job or money out of it. Not only men but also women called her names, mocked and shamed her. Although, she didn't do anything wrong, she was the one who was supposed to be quiet or not have met Yamaguchi for a job interview. The sad part is her story was been heard in the UK, in the US around all over the world but remained a taboo in Japan. In her documentary (Japan's Secret Shame), a few college professors and veteran journalists talk about how women are seen as "objects" in Japan till this day. Because women are seen as objects, no means yes (the concept is that if a woman says no when someone is trying to be intimate with her, she is just trying to play hard and she doesn't actually mean no because objects don't have sayings). So if a woman is harrased in Japan, most of the time is because they are perceived that way from men and most women do not dare to open their mouth otherwise they will be shamed and blamed without justice or protection whatsoever.
Women can be traded as objects at workplaces as well. When Japanese join a company after college when they are done with job hunting, Japanese can choose career tracks as they start working. There are studies done and it is pretty clear that men choose the career track to grow in the company with more working hours, better salary and better chances for promotions whereas most women "choose" a career track with less commitment to the company with less working hours, less money and no chances of promotion. Because women are going to have to take maternal leave one day, companies already make women choose their career path from the begging without providing them the chance for management positions. So, women are expected to lay low in a company and they are not supposed to be in a higher status compared to men. And women are set up not to grow in a company in most cases. Not to mention that women account for most of part time jobs or low-paid jobs in Japan. Although, Prime minister Shinzo Abe has introduced womenomics (a program to support women at work), it has not worked to make women's life quality better but rather has only contributed to temporary business growth. In fact he claimed a few years ago that by 2020 he would raise women's management position up to 20% but it is now 12%.
Sure there is the history factor as to why Japan is sexist like this however, Japan is now facing aging society and huge lack of manpower, without proper women protection and women support, it will be difficult for Japan to cope with it. If you ask me, it is time Japanese men and women reconsider women are not objects. And it is also about time to treat women properly for a better brighter future for Japan.