ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses changes in the larger structural issues in the global economy, and how they affect Japan, and then focuses on issues of gender and the position of women in the workplace, ranging from both office ladies (OLs) to white-collar professionals. Career women are at the stage where they are forming a new identity for themselves and, ultimately, they are carving out a new social role. Identity is the product of personal styling, and being a professional career woman in Japan is not only about standing out but also about fitting in. The literature on Japanese women in various historical and social contexts is remarkably diverse compared to the literature on Japanese women in the workforce. Academic sources argue that the Japanese government enforces the dualistic employment system, which directs men into the long-term and women into the short-term employment track.
