ABSTRACT
This chapter looks into two very different examples: the traditional industry of coal mining, and the newly developing white-collar occupations. It shows how gender-related work patterns were transformed under the impact of structural and ideological changes, and how this transformation was perceived, supported or challenged by various groups in Japanese society. One important factor is the role of legislation and state intervention in the labour market and their influence on this transformation process. The chapter explores briefly on the situation during the 1930's to show the impact of the rising nationalistic ideology on the redrawing of gender-related boundaries in the workforce. It draws on a broad variety of sources, from contemporary social surveys to archival materials and interview transcripts. The chapter integrates the results of different disciplinary approaches. Two of the four white-collar occupations analysed in the chapter, namely switchboard operator and typist, became completely feminised, while the other two occupations gradually integrated female employees.
