Too Few Women at the Top: The Persistence of Inequality in Japan by Kumiko Nemoto

Abstract

Reviewed by: Too Few Women at the Top: The Persistence of Inequality in Japan by Kumiko Nemoto Kaye Broadbent (bio) Too Few Women at the Top: The Persistence of Inequality in Japan. By Kumiko Nemoto. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, 2016. viii, 282 pages. $49.95. In a glowing article on the independence and forthrightness of Japan’s first lady, Abe Akie, the Japan Times quoted her as saying in 2015 that “Japanese women are held back by pressure from men to be ‘cute’ rather than ‘capable and hardworking.’”1 This theme is covered in a substantial portion of Kumiko Nemoto’s book, Too Few Women at the Top: The Persistence of Inequality in Japan. Nemoto investigates why there are so few women managers (only 10 per cent of Japan’s managers are women [p. 3]) in five of Japan’s large corporations. Japan is a significant economy in the world market, but according to international reports on the global gender gap it ranks 105th of 136 countries (p. 3). Japanese women’s enrollment in higher education was 46 per cent in 2012, yet only 15 per cent of women were lower-level managers in 2011 (p. 3), indicating that a deficit in human capital is not the problem. And, as Nemoto notes, “it is likely that further growth in women’s education in Japan will not greatly affect the number of women managers” (p. 3). The book is extensively researched across an interesting mix of industries and companies: two cosmetic companies, two investment firms (one of which is U.S. owned), and a bank. By including a U.S.-owned company, Nemoto is able to examine management style as a factor affecting women’s rise to senior positions. Despite changes and shifts in the dominant “lifetime” employment system, Nemoto shows us life for Japanese workers in the large corporations [End Page 237] showcased has not improved greatly. The introduction of merit-based pay and family-leave policies, which mark an adjustment to the “lifetime” employment system, has made a difference for some workers, but overall there is little evidence these changes have yielded positive gains for employees in the corporations she examines. The 2015 suicide of 24-year-old Takahashi Matsuri from excessive work (karōshi) is a recent example of the culture of long working hours which exists in large Japanese organizations, and references to excessive work and overtime resonate throughout Nemoto’s interviews with employees in these five firms. In investigating the conditions for employees in Japan’s major corporations, including cosmetics firms which are considered “female friendly,” Nemoto deftly characterizes the daily work experiences of women and men trying to survive within the companies. It’s grim reading, with no silver lining that I could detect. The book makes two important contributions. The first is more workplace evidence through an analysis of employment conditions, promotion opportunities, and organizational culture in the five large workplaces. None of these features of these industries in Japan has been well researched in English. Nemoto’s study includes evidence of the impact of family leave policies and men’s attitudes toward and perceptions of women managers in particular in the context of the continuing economic downturn and growing employment insecurity. In this way, the book provides an update of employment conditions in Japan for both women and men. While the insights offered into the situation of white-collar women workers will be familiar to readers knowledgeable about gender and employment in Japan, the book does offer more evidence from different industries. There are interviews with women who have been promoted to management positions—often having to mimic the work behaviors of their male management colleagues—and become “Queen Bees.” They describe their success as a trade-off for a personal life, personal time, and a family. A number of women encountered by Nemoto had thrived in this work lifestyle, while others had clearly burnt out or opted for less-demanding career tracks. Opting out of the career track and taking what is viewed as a “lesser” path has meant forgoing promotion opportunities and financial rewards. In focusing on these themes, Nemoto’s book stands as a complement and an addition to the...