JAPAN Foward

On International Women’s Day, JAPAN Forward introduces some of the women who seek to overcome social barriers by speaking out, finding work-life balance, and embracing diversity.

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The resignation of former Tokyo Olympics Organizing Committee chief Yoshiro Mori brought a new focus on the challenges faced by Japanese women reaching for the top in public and private organizations. The strong reaction inside Japan also brought into focus some of the reasons more women in top jobs is good for both organizations and the country.

On International Women’s Day, which adopts the theme “Choose to Challenge” for 2021, JAPAN Forward reintroduces the trailblazing women we featured over the past year.

Leading the way for women in Japan is Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike — who heads a metropolitan region larger than many countries in terms of population (14 million) and pre-pandemic budget (over ¥104 trillion JPY (more than $960 billion USD) — is among the Japanese women who stand out in any global crowd. She is joined by Fumiko Hayashi, mayor of neighboring city Yokohama (3.75 million) with a pre-pandemic budget of ¥13.4 trillion JPY (around $123.6 billion USD).