Women in the workplace in Japan: profiles of professionals.

In Japan, the 'concrete ceiling' as it's commonly known, is still a major stumbling block in the career trajectories of many women. Still a predominantly male-dominated society, it's not surprising that Japan, which rates seventh in the United Nations Human Development Index, only made it to 69th in the same report's Gender-related Development Index, and 42nd in the Gender Empowerment Index for 2006.

Slow as it may be, change is on the way. Feeling the squeeze from all sides, including low birth rates and an ageing population, Japan's severe under-utilization of women in the workforce no longer makes any good economic sense. What's more, many are realizing that the type of management that women can provide could well be the key to once more unlocking Japan's economic might.

J@pan Inc spoke to four women who have enjoyed success in fields as diverse as government bureaucracy, business and non-profit organizations. They discuss their own experiences as professionals, and offer some interesting ideas on the future of women in the workplace in Japan.

Hiroko Tatebe

Hiroko Tatebe may well have her ranking in her family to thank for her independence. "I wanted to try what it's like being 'Hiroko,' rather than being the '6th daughter of the Tatabe family'," she says. Her plans met a lot of resistance from her very traditional parents. That is, until her father passed away when she was 16.

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"He was president of a small savings and loan company at the time he passed away," explains Tatebe. "My mother actually became director, which was very unusual at that time, because she was already 52 years old--and that was 40 years ago!"

Inadvertently, Ms Tatebe benefited from her mother's new career, as she began to understand why her daughter wanted to study abroad. After being accepted to Whittier College, she moved to California, the state she is still based in today. She went on to complete a diploma from the Graduate School of Banking at the Bank Administration Institute and University of Wisconsin, and became a Certified Financial Planner through the College of Financial Planning in Denver, Colorado.

Her professional career took off when she was hired by the Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank of California (currently Mizuho Corporate Bank of California). It was here that she fatefully began to develop her skills as a bridge between the cultures and went on to become Director, Executive Vice President and Treasurer for the bank.

Six years ago, during the process of a bank merger, the culture began to change within the organization. Ms Tatebe saw another opportunity for growth. "I always felt when I get to 50 years old then I should do something new, and that was the time, so I decided to move forward with a new career."

After some time searching, she came full circle, when she realized her skills as a bridge between US and Japanese cultures could also benefit women. "In terms of women and diversity initiatives, the US is more advanced, but at the same time, the US is still struggling, 40 years after the civil rights movement, there are still things the US needs to learn."

Tatebe became a founding member of GEWEL (Global Enhancement of Women's Executive Leadership) in Japan, and in 2003 they held an inaugural event in Los Angeles. "We brought 10 business women to LA and I organised workshops, which was very successful."

In 2006, she expanded her idea by founding the US-based Global Organization for Leadership and Diversity (GOLD). While the eventual goal is to widen its focus to include both professional men and women, and expand its geographic service area, for now it is primarily focused on the development of professional women leaders and their networks.

"The GOLD goal for women in the States and in Japan is to create a community, learn models from each other, then really exchange the best practices to the extent that we don't have to say 'this is Japan' or 'this is the US.' Of course, we cannot do everything the same because the cultures are different, but the underlying concept should be the same."

Tatebe views the development of global leaders as vital to Japan's future, but despite Japan's many years in international business experience, there is still little consideration given to the benefits of diversity.

"Japan needs to understand what global means--how to be a global leader and how to utilize a global workforce--that doesn't mean only from all different countries. In Japan, the older generation that are still working now have to deal with the younger generation. Especially in IT, the younger generation becomes your boss, and how do you deal with it? That's diversity."

"Here in the US, when we talk about diversity, we talk about race and ethnicity. Japan is more homogeneous, but at the same time, there are so many different types of diversity--gender diversity is the first thing, so how can we start?"

GOLD's start has been promising. The 2007 symposium, held in March in Los Angeles, had a diverse array of speakers, including Tracey Doi, Group Vice President and CFO, Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc, and Yuko Kaifu, Former Consul, Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles. In addition, GOLD also hosts 5-day study tours to the US for Japanese MBA students.

Tatebe warns against a policy that hires women for numbers alone. "Numbers are important--you have to start with something. But we need to remember if women without any talent are hired, that won't do any good. First, let Japanese women become aware that it's very important to have self-esteem."

Training programs will be the key to bringing out the best in Japanese women, and organizations such as GOLD can put women in touch with one another, particularly beneficial for women who would like to enter a mentoring program. GOLD's plan, in Tatebe's words, is not just to do something because it's good but also to develop financial goals, which in turn supports economic exchange, networking and training. "Then I know little by little we can make a difference."

Jane Best

Jane Best is of the opinion that it is an exciting time in Japan right now for non-governmental organizations--and she would know. After 22 years of living in Japan, and a history in voluntary work that saw her awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 2001, she is now President and CEO of Refugees International Japan (RIJ).

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Ms Best agrees that there are special challenges and opportunities for NPOs and NGOs in Japan today. "The challenge is in understanding what charity is about. Why should anybody be concerned about anything beyond the shore? However, if you talk to people and create discussion about the issues, they become more and more interested, particularly young people."

On the other hand, she adds, NPOs have an opportunity here in Japan that they may not have in other parts of the world. "The advantage of being here is that Corporate Social Responsibility is definitely catching on, although it's still in its infancy, so the market has not been saturated. You know if you go to New York or London, there's lots of organizations that are looking for support and so on--a bit of overkill sometimes. In Japan it's new and developing, so it's quite an exciting time."

RIJ is primarily an all-volunteer organization (Ms Best is the first paid employee) that "funds projects around the world that assist and empower displaced communities through the provision of shelter, food and education."

Given Japan's increasing role in global trade and development, RIJ looks set to take on a larger role in the future. As Ms Best puts it, "Japan has got to take an interest in international issues. From that point of view I think there's a lot of opportunity, but we really have to market it, we really have to explain it, we have to be transparent."

In Japan, Ms Best explains, the majority of employees in NPOs are women. "We can say it's because women can be more compassionate, but also because they are prepared to venture out, they are prepared to be more adventurous."

Although NPOs will never provide the kind of income that large corporations are capable of paying, they are hothouses of opportunity, offering better positions to women in terms of challenging and diverse roles.

Seizing the opportunity today to develop skills and become a highly trained and experienced professional is a good way to keep a step ahead of the competition. In this sense, NPOs can be major catalysts for change in Japan, but there is still a long way to go.

"I think the problem is that the NPO sector is very young, and of course lobbying and advocacy are not something that are well developed here, but they are working on it and I think it's incredibly positive," Best explains. "I would call them quite gutsy, the people who are prepared to do this, but there is opportunity, and people will listen. If you have your facts quite well planned out, they have to listen, because they haven't got any answers."

For her, "setting a good example is the most important way of moving forward."

Kumi Sato

Kumi Sato has been a pioneer in her field of strategic communications. As President of the COSMO Public Relations Corporation, a position she has held for the last 20 years, she has presided over a company that has helped numerous foreign companies enter the notoriously difficult Japanese market.

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