Japan is a country that is undoubtedly famous for its harmony. It is an unusual place where customs and a high regard for tradition meet modern technology. A country with highly developed status should move with the times, not only in the fields of science, electronics or the economy, but also in terms of gender equality. What kind of life does a woman lead in Japan? Is a Japanese woman’s day very different from a Polish woman’s day? The internal need to live up to society’s expectations, the lack of equality and widespread discrimination – this is what women in Japan face on a daily basis.

Table of Contents:

What does a woman in Japan do on a daily basis- work, responsibilities and private life

A woman in Japan works every day, takes care of her children, takes care of the house, and tries to be a support for her husbands. This is the traditional model of the Japanese family. A man’s job is to ensure the well-being of his partner and offspring, and to have a job in a prosperous company. A woman in Japanese culture obeys her husband – he is the head of the family, he always has the final say. Whether it’s a metropolis like Tokyo or a small province-this is still the most common pattern. In Japanese, there is a phrase Danjo-Byodo, which means equality between men and women. A major influence on the current perception of the family and the function of women was the Edo or Samurai era and their extraordinary cult – they were strong and fearless warriors, ready to sacrifice their own lives in the name of the ideals of the time, such as honor, loyalty to the ruler and brotherhood. Thus, in Japanese culture, the belief that the man is more important and stronger has been ingrained for centuries. Both men and women work a minimum of 8 hours a day-overtime as a full-time job is very common. It still happens that women are paid less than men. There is also a belief that one should work all one’s life in one company – for loyalty is the most desirable, even required trait in the Japanese job market. The high position is most often taken by men. Why does it look like this? Well, when a woman in Japan decides to take maternity leave, she drops from her position one step down in the employment hierarchy. For this reason, companies rarely choose to hire married women. Work is still considered an overriding value in the lives of almost everyone in Japan.

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What Japanese women are currently facing-the dark side of the Land of the Cherry Blossom

According to a survey of employed Japanese women, as many as 30% of them admitted that they had experienced workplace harassment. This shocking figure is proof of just how huge the harassment problem is in Japan. Millions of Japanese commute to work every day. For the most part, they choose to opt for public transportation. A woman in Japan often experiences a nightmare while traveling. The enormity of this phenomenon led to the term Chikan – term for harassment on subways, trains. A very large proportion of victims do not admit what they experienced, because women are ashamed of what happened to them-and yet the perpetrator is to blame. One of the solutions the Japanese government came up with was a law to create carriages and separate sections in transportation exclusively for women and children-so they can feel safe commuting to work or school.

Woman in Japanese culture - the hardships of everyday life.
Photo: Woman in Japanese culture

A woman in Japan should be very slim, have well-groomed, skin and be able to enhance her beauty with makeup. A desirable feature among Japanese women is snow-white skin. Even apps have been developed that “bleach” the skin of the person taking the photo. Television and the Internet constantly portray unrealistic canons of beauty, while promoting unhealthy, restrictive diets, among other things. The streets of Tokyo are full of advertisements containing sexual overtones. This adversely affects young girls in particular, who unfortunately very quickly fall into complexes. Naomi Watanabe is a Japanese celebrity who promotes the bodypositivity (bodypositivity). She was the first to create a collection of plus-size clothing in a variety of patterns and bright colors. He repeatedly stresses that people with a larger size should not be discriminated against and should be treated with the respect due to everyone. The premise of her brand is that regardless of size, women should wear what they feel like wearing. With her colorful personality and captivating sense of humor, the star has garnered the affection of millions of people, and has gained activist status through her influence on the perception of plus-size people in Japan and initiative-filled action.

Free time- a moment of respite after a hard day. Ways to de-stress and relax

A woman in Japan lives a life on the run, despite this, in the evenings and on weekends she allows herself to relax and take a break. After all, all women deserve a rest! Among other things, they often use Onsen-these are public baths built on ancient hot springs. They go there with their girlfriends to have a nice time. They are also happy to go to cafes. Japan has a full range of themed cafes-from ones with robots as waiters, where you can play with cats, pet hedgehogs, to so-called “coffee shops. Butler Cafe, where waiters in suits hang out over coffee with guests chatting. For ladies who love music, Karaoke bars are a great option. There are several rooms in each of them, which you enter with a group of friends. This room is provided with a comfortable sofa, a table, as well as a TV and a set of microphones. There are many ways to relax, and every Gentlewoman has her own methods for doing so, both in Poland and Japan.

Is there a remedy for the disadvantage of women in Japan and the achievement of gender equality? Hope for change

With each generation, the situation for women improves-it is still not ideal, however. A woman in Japan of the younger generation, brought up in the spirit of modern technology, is struggling with issues such as the desire to pursue unrealistic canons of beauty and heathenism. Gradual changes implemented thoughtfully are the key to success. Femininity is self-confidence, self-awareness and acceptance of one’s inner self and appearance. Women are rebelling against a system that does not give them the opportunity for free choice-and yet it is independent and autonomous decision-making that is the main element of freedom. The hope for change is the feminist movements and a number of positive social phenomena like the pursuit of work-life balance, gender equality and…. simple female solidarity. It is the one that is most important in every latitude, because together, we can do more. You can also read about Japanese culture in the article Asian Masters of Ceremony “Geishas.”

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