Thousands of people are calling on Japan to ban employers from requiring women to wear high heels in the workplace

More than 19,000 people have signed a petition that would ban Japanese employers from requiring women to wear high heels in the workplace.
The Diplomat

Will Japan’s First Woman Prime Minister Finally Tackle Violence Against Women?

How Takaichi’s government addresses the implementation gap for existing laws will define whether her historic appointment ...
Yahoo

Japanese women have long sacrificed their surnames in marriage − politics and demographics might change that

For centuries, women entering marriage in Japan have been bound by the Confucian notion of personal sacrifice for the good of the family – and that has extended to their names. Encouraged by a sexual ...
Time

What Japan’s First Female Prime Minister Could Mean for the Country’s Gender Politics

Liberal Democratic Party leader Sanae Takaichi celebrates after winning the party leadership election in Tokyo on Oct. 4, 2025. Reporter Sanae Takaichi just broke Japan’s highest glass ceiling. The ...
East Asia Forum

Japan’s UN funding cut leaves women’s rights in the lurch

Japan's January withdrawal of funding from the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women highlights its aversion to addressing gender equality issues at home. Despite externally ...
Reuters

Japan women see turning point on sexual harassment after scandal

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese women, long accustomed to enduring sexual harassment in silence, are speaking out after a high-profile scandal involving a top bureaucrat stirred debate and protests. In ...