Gender inequality still surfaces as a prevalent condition to date, without the denial that the condition of women in society has improved over time. Many traditional practices—which gave birth to stereotypes, and at times absurdity—show men playing the bigger roles in society. The difference between Western and Asian thoughts, with the former debatably being more liberal and the latter more inclined to age-old traditions, may lead us to theorizing that progress towards gender equality and inclusivity is slower in Asian societies.
This paper looks at Japan, one of Asia’s leading countries over time. Despite its high rank in the Human Development Index and it being part of the top tier of Asian countries when ranked by GDP, Japan’s low rank in the Gender Gap Index (98/130) and in the Gender Equality Index (92/157) makes a statement that healthy economic conditions do not necessarily come with friendly environments for all gender (Lee and Park 2011). This paper aims to address whether Japanese women are still at a precarious position that disadvantages them in society while focusing on the educational
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But this ‘segregation’ still lingered even after passage of the new educational policies (see Art. III) because of widespread advocacies and demand to incorporate Japanese traditional virtues into the reforms set by the Americans. Conservatives promoted ideas of coeducation, or changing the curriculum for girls and aligning it with the boys’, ending up being wasted by girls because most girls will only be boxed inside their homes and continue to become the ‘Ryosai Kenbo’ (good wife, clever mother) that they were, in tradition (Allen 1958; Narumiya 1986). Inferring from that, it can be seen that such disapproval against coeducation meant that the Japanese weren’t fully ready to accommodate the concept of gender equality, at least in