Womenomics for Japan: is the Abe policy for gendered employment viable in an era of precarity?

Womenomics is a theory that advocates the empowerment of women, arguing that enabling women to have access to equal participation in an economy and society will result in economic benefits and social progress. The need for Japan to implement womenomics was first advocated by Kathy Matsui in 1999, and since 2013 Prime Minister Abe’s government has pledged to promote womenomics as policy. In theory, womenomics is a viable policy for Japan. I argue, however, that gendered norms and practices in Japanese society act as a strong impediment to its realization. In addition, the approach being taken by the Abe government is flawed by underlying gender bias. This article outlines the historical context of current womenomics policy, provides a critical analysis of implementation strategies discussing progress and socio-structural obstacles, and concludes with an assessment of the viability of womenomics for Japan

From ‘Post-war’ to ‘Post-Bubble’: Contemporary Issues for Japanese Working Women

In Japan, mass consumerism in the 1960s and feminist movements in the 1970s expanded women’s expectations of personal freedom and purportedly served to free them from the domestic sphere. At the same time, an expansion in economic opportunities in the 1980s fuelled a growing demand for female labour. A culmination of these peaking trends, calls for greater equality, and the economic downturn in the 1990s, have prompted renewed attention on the roles women are to play both in society and in the economy in contemporary Japan. This chapter seeks to bring together some of these recent trends and to highlight key issues surrounding the employment of women in Japanese society today. Over three sections,this chapter will first outline the major trends in women’s employment that have taken place during the post-war decades, and then discuss the key issues facing women workers during the last 15 years in Japan.It ends with a discussion of implications and challenges for the future socio-economic roles of Japanese women

The Oriental Witches: Women, Volleyball and the 1964 Tokyo Olympics

At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, the Japanese women’s volleyball won the gold medal, which in many ways can be viewed as an epoch-making event in Japanese post-war sporting history. I explore the background to that victory, revealing a corporate history of the sport with a prominent role played by Japanese cotton textile companies. I argue that gold medal success at the 1964 Olympics is the result of a history of corporate investment in women’s volleyball, in particular by one company, Nichibō Corporation, and I tell the Olympic story with a focus on the personal recollections of the women’s volleyball team captain, Kasai Masae. Finally, I evaluate the impact that Olympic victory had on the popularity and strength of women’s volleyball in Japan in the decades after 1964

Abe's Womenomics needs to include men too

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged to enable more women to participate in the Japanese workforce. But his policy has largely amounted to rhetoric and there has been no discussion of the impact of these policies for male employment. In this article I argue that in order to realistically increase opportunities for women, the current system of male-focused employment needs to be reconfigured

An interview with Kasai Masae, captain of the Japanese women's volleyball team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics

This feature reflects on the gold medal victory for the Japanese women’s volleyball team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, through the recollections of the team captain Kasai Masae. An interview with Kasai records the impact that victory had on her own life, as well as on the popularity of women’s volleyball in Japan

From the Witches of the Orient to the Blossoming Sevens: Volleyball and Rugby at the Tokyo Olympics

At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics the Japanese women’s volleyball team, nicknamed the ‘Witches of the Orient’, defeated the Soviet Union to win the gold medal. This article charts the story of the Witches journey to the Olympic final and draws parallels with the post-war growth of men’s rugby in Japan and the performance of the national team the ‘Brave Blossoms’ at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. As in 1964, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will showcase Japanese technology, creativity, culture and hospitality, but will also highlight the necessity for greater acceptance of diversity in Japanese society through the power of sport

The Life and Legacy of Kasai Masae: the Mother of Japanese Volleyball

Nakamura (nee: Kasai) Masae (July 14, 1933 – October 3, 2013) was Captain of the Japanese women’s volleyball team, popularly nicknamed the “Oriental Witches” (Tōyō no Majo) that won the Gold Medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. This victory propelled Kasai into the Japanese media spotlight and she spent the remainder of her life actively promoting the sport. Kasai was an instrumental figure in the emergence of volleyball as a popular sport for women of all age groups across Japan. Following an interview I did with her in May 2012, Kasai sadly and unexpectedly passed away in October 2013. This article reflects on her remarkable life, her commitment to the sport of volleyball, and her legacy as one of Japan’s most famous sporting personalities to date