NOBUKO KOBAYASHI is a partner at EY-Parthenon, a strategic consulting arm of EY. A Japanese and English bilingual professional based in Tokyo, she contributes opinions and columns regularly to Nikkei Asia, Japan Times and frequently appears on international media platforms such as the BBC. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an MS/BS from the University of Tokyo.

Prologue xi

1 Levity 1

Yuki Shingu Makes a Brilliant Comeback to IT Career After Nursing Care Leave 4

Japan-Almost Silent over #MeToo 14

Why Having Women at the Top Is Not Enough 18

2 Independence 23

Makiko Nakamori Approaches Corporate Governance with Resolve 26

Gender Diversity in Japan Inc. Must Blast Past Tokenism 34

Women Must Learn to Harness the Power of Networking 37

3 Purpose 43

Mami Kataoka Believes in the Power of Art to Change the World 46

Every Day Is International Men's Day in Japan 56

Companies Must Face Up to the Downsides of Workplace Diversity 59

4 Altruism 67

Ayako Sonoda Inherits Altruism and Entrepreneurism Passed from Her Mother 70

Let's Get Real About Female Equality in Corporate Japan 80

Rolling with the Punches Hurts Japanese Women 84

5 Conviction 91

Miyuki Suzuki Drives Change as Outsider from Within 94

Meetings with Women That "Take Too Long" Are a Good Thing 104

Kawaii Culture Hurts Japanese Women in Business 107

6 Leadership 111

Masami Katakura Realizes Her Leadership Potential with Help from a Mentor 114

Former Princess Mako's Marriage Holds a Mirror to Japan 123

Japan's Language Gender Divide Hurts Women at Work 126

7 Growth 131

Ryoko Nagata Stays Clear of Cigarettes in a Tobacco Company 134

Japan Must Break the Glass Fence Keeping Mothers at Home 143

Japanese Companies Must Capitalize on the Gender Gap Disclosure Rule 146

8 Curiosity 153

Noriko Osumi Normalizes Women in Science 156

Japan Needs More STEM Research, Not Tours, to Revive Innovation 167

Women Can Help Revive Innovation for Japan Inc. 171

9 Ambition 179

Yumi Narushima Returns to Benesse After Running a Girls' School 182

Japan Must Reform Its Antiquated Marriage Laws 195

Japan's Miss Contests Reflect Society's High Demands on Women 198

10 Competence 205

Masae Yamanaka Builds Career in Sales Traversing Four Companies 208

C-Suite: The Last Frontier for Foreigners Eyeing Japan Inc. 223

Can Japan Have Prosperity Without Growth? 226

11 Homecoming 233

Chikako Matsumoto, World Bank Alum, Thrives at Japanese Trust Bank 236

Japanese Companies Can No Longer Expect Lifetime Loyalty from Workers 250

Gender Equity Is Coming to Japan's Workplaces 253

12 Resilience 259

Yasuko Gotoh Breaks Ground for Women Career Bureaucrats 262

Japanese Businesswomen Need More Than a Place at the Table 277

Employers Should Encourage Risk- Taking to Beat Impostor Syndrome 281

Acknowledgments 287

Index 291