For my research paper, I conducted an interview through Google Documents which had ten questions pertaining to the topic of my essay. She answered each question with a decent response, as I asked, but I did end up asking some follow-up questions because some sentences needed to be elaborated. In the end, ten main questions were asked along with four follow-up questions.
1. Why did you pursue a business degree and what attributed to your desire to further your education by earning a master’s?
I majored in linguistics in college, but I ended up getting a job at a bank. Struggling in my job due to the lack of knowledge in economics led me to want to study for a Master's in Business Administration.
Did you pursue a master’s while working at the bank?
No. I was in the foreign exchange department, so it was a job that was pressed for time. Because of that, I didn't have time to take graduate school classes. Moreover, a graduate degree was not required for the job at the bank, so I had no intention of taking any classes at all.
2. What was your knowledge about gender roles in Japan during the 2000s in the career field prior to earning your education?
I went to an all-girls school from middle school to university, where studying women's studies was a requirement.At that time, it was still mainstream thinking that women should quit their jobs once they got married, focus on giving birth to children, and raising them.It was believed that women could not demonstrate leadership.
What else were you required to study? Do you know if men had to study women’s studies or did they have different requirements? Did your school enforce that women were inferior to men; what ideas did they enforce about women’s role in society?
As a basic subject, I had to take Women's Studies and Introduction to Christianity. Women's Studies is a required subject at most women's universities. Although there are women's universities in Japan, there are no men's universities, so I don't think male students take Women's Studies. In the first place, there should be very few universities that offer Women's Studies. In the women's studies I learned, it is that women can thrive in the world equally to men. Graduates in managerial positions from various companies frequently came to give lectures. What I learned from them is to focus not on what cannot be done because one is a woman, but rather on what can be done as a person for the sake of others and the company. Also, it was about not using being a woman as an excuse.
3. How was your experience pursuing an undergrad and master’s in business? What were the difficulties? Were the professors mainly men? Were there any women?
Studying business was very enjoyable. I particularly found learning communication skills to be fascinating. At the time, I was taking online classes while raising my 7-year-old and 6-year-old children, which made it difficult to balance their transportation and extracurricular activities.
Were your professors men? How was school in Japan different than in the US?
Most of the university professors were women, and those female professors were graduates of the university. I remember that there were more male professors in graduate school. A significant difference between Japanese universities and American graduate schools is the amount of homework and the age of the students. In Japan, students enter university right after graduating from high school and graduate at 22 years old. For example, if someone fails the entrance exam and takes a gap year, they receive a negative evaluation from companies when looking for a job. Therefore, entering university as a current student is considered the first step toward future success.
4. How has being a woman affected your position in your leadership?
In rural areas of Japan, male dominance and female subordination still persist, and when a woman becomes a boss and gives instructions, many people purposely do not follow them. I vividly remember being told once, "You're a woman, so just stay quiet and smile." I still remember how humiliating that felt.
What was the context of that situation? Where were you and what happened before the statement “You’re a woman…?”
The driver acted on his own without listening to my instructions, and when I pointed this out, he said something to me. In rural Japan, the patriarchal philosophy of Confucianism is still deeply rooted, and there are people who don't appreciate women giving instructions to men. I feel this is especially common among the elderly. In this case, I believe he was upset because I, being a woman and younger in age, gave him instructions.
5. What was the female role in Japanese culture and how does it contrast to the United States?
When I obtained my degree, it was still the prevailing norm for women to get married, enter the household, not work, and devote themselves to their husbands. Expressing their own opinions was often not allowed, and in cases where a woman chose divorce against her husband's wishes, it was considered a family disgrace. I remember when studying women's studies in school, hearing that America was fifty years ahead in terms of women's social advancement.
6. How does your generational identity affect your position as a female in business?
I was born in 1980 and am considered part of the Millennial generation. The Millennial generation is known for valuing diversity and individuality, as well as holding unconventional values that do not necessarily conform to traditional norms and conventions. This generation also places an emphasis on balancing work and personal life. In particular, I had the opportunity to experience various cultures from a young age, so I pride myself on having values that are less conventional than those of the typical Japanese Millennial woman. However, this often led to me being perceived as arrogant and earning the disapproval of others.
7. Was there any backlash towards your desired career path from your parents? Did they approve or disapprove of your career path?
I believe my parents wanted to have a happy marriage as a woman and become an ordinary housewife, but they did not impose that on me and let me pursue the path I wanted to take.
8. How has pursuing this career route changed the way you perceive gender roles?
I believed that it is impossible for women to have a social position without support. This support is not only from the family but also from society, such as increasing the number of childcare facilities and extending childcare at schools. I am against children having to make sacrifices for their parents' careers, so if there is support for balancing home and work life, I believe that women's social advancement will progress further.
9. Did you have any setbacks from male authorities or setbacks in general because you are a woman and how did that affect your motivation?
Fortunately, I have never had an arrogant and domineering male boss; instead, I have always had supportive individuals around me. Occasionally, when work gets busy and I don't have time to cook dinner, people would remark on how sorry they feel for my children. However, since my children were old enough to understand the situation, I believe they were more supportive than anything. By demonstrating that women can succeed as leaders, I think we can show children hope for the future.
10. How can business routes be dangerous for women in Japan and the US and compare/contrast the two?
In present-day Japan, support for working women from the government and local authorities is well-developed, creating a more conducive work environment for women. Female leaders are becoming increasingly common not only in corporations but also in the political sphere.
For example,Tomoko Namba, who is the owner of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, graduated from Tsuda University, obtained a master's degree in business administration from Harvard University, joined McKinsey & Company, and then founded DeNA in 1999.When DeNA initially acquired the team for 9.5 billion yen from TBS in 2011, Mrs. Namba got bullied by other team owners in the typically male-dominated Japanese baseball sphere. Despite the team operating at a loss of 2.5 billion yen annually at the time of acquisition, she managed to turn it profitable within 5 years. They invested in financial engineering, statistical expertise, established a data analysis department, and introduced mental coaching, bringing a fresh perspective to the baseball industry.In 2024, after 26 years, DeNA won the championship in Japan, thanks to her outstanding management skills. Her success is making a difference, as more examples like her are emerging and gaining media attention, leading to a shift in people's fixed perceptions of female leaders. The achievements of female leaders are inspiring young women with courage and hope as they look towards the future.
(responce above was not used in Research Paper since no source was given)
(Extra information)
Every day at the bank started with me arriving earlier than anyone else and wiping down everyone's desks. Although the official start time was 8:00 AM, I began working at 7:20 AM every day. Of course, during that time, I was not paid. It was an unspoken agreement that the youngest female employee would wipe the desks. I felt it was unfair that the youngest male didn’t have to do this, but due to the culture of seniority and male dominance, I couldn’t voice my concerns.
When I started working, each company had job postings specifically for women in general positions. Both men and women could apply for core positions, but during an interview at one company, I was asked questions such as whether I would quit my job if I got married, if I could work overtime after having children, and if I would move with my husband if he was transferred. I was surprised to be asked such questions even though I was not yet married.
This was another new thing I got to learn during the clas which was the coded data sheet. It's basically summarizing the primary research done, in my case an interview, by grouping into different themes found from the survey/interview. This made it easier for me to look back at my data whenever I needed a refresher and gives the reader a great generalization of what was talked about in said primary research.
Appendix B - Coded Data
After the interview, ten questions with an addition of four follow-up questions were successfully answered with detailed responses. The questions regarding gender roles, education, societal standards, parents, leadership, and generational identity were answered with many personal experiences that others may not have had. The results of the responses were grouped into different categories such as socioeconomic, education, marriage and kids, and leadership.
The interviewee was born in Tokyo, Japan in the 1980s to an upper middle class family as an only child. Having money in Tokyo meant that the children would be put into good private schools, specifically, women's only institutions, where they would solely focus on education rather than any outside interference. So consequently, the interviewee entered the women's only school at St. Margaret's in Tokyo from middle school to high school, sixth through twelfth grade which allowed her to a path to Tokyo Woman's Christian University. St. Margaret's School is said to have a good reputation for students planning to enroll at the university by taking a one-time entrance exam. Through that, the interviewee successfully passed and enrolled in the Christian University.
Enrolled at the Tokyo Woman's Christian University, where most of the professors are women, they enrich women with knowledge of self-empowerment, and independence, and fight against gender stereotypes. Introduced in high school, women in the university go into depth about women's studies which is a required course. Although societal standards say otherwise, they teach that women have a purpose in the world and can contribute even with marriage and children. On the university's site, they incorporate their vision to empower and enrich women to make contributions to society and make changes to the world (Tokyo Woman's Christian University, 2024).
After graduating and obtaining their degree, they realized society's belief that women's primary role was to marry and bear children rather than provide for the family's economic status was still prevalent. Polar opposite to their learnings from university, people in Tokyo enforce the gender role of women as inferior to men as it is frowned upon to voice their opinion and divorce their partner. The interviewee added that their school explains how Japan is so far behind equality compared to the United States.
As women's position in society is lower than that of a man, the same concept applies in business. Based on the interview, the interviewee experienced sexism in the workplace as male dominance is prominent. In one instance in their job, the interviewee gave instructions to an older male who felt disrespected since they were a woman nonetheless a woman. As a result, they were humiliated as the worker told them to not voice their opinion because they were women.
Even with the negative experiences in their workplace, the interviewee believes that Japan's progress towards equality is progressing especially with the government's push. With their background in an all-girls school and experience growing up in Japan, they are optimistic about Japan's growing change for women.
References
He, L., & Montgomery, H. (2024, February 16). Japan just lost its Crown as the world’s third-largest economy | CNN business. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/14/economy/japan-economy-recession-hnk-intl/index.html
Kageyama, Y. (2024, June 10). Japan’s economy is shrinking, although slightly less than previously thought. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/japan-gdp-economy-imports-consumption-8d7fda7eee88c8a7b7e56ee65ca73087
placemedia. (n.d.). St. Margaret’s School. 立教女学院 – st.margaret’s school " PLACEMEDIA, Landscape Architects Collaborative. https://placemedia.net/works/457/?lang=en
TWCU’s grand vision: About twcu. Tokyo Woman’s Christian University. (n.d.). https://www.twcu.ac.jp/main/english/about/grandvision.html