Episode #174: Training Women In Japan

Why Is Gender Diversity Still a Challenge in Japanese Business?

Despite years of government campaigns, including Prime Minister Abe’s much-publicized “Womenomics,” progress toward female leadership in Japan remains slow. Targets for women in executive roles were lowered soon after being announced, signaling how deep-rooted the cultural and institutional resistance remains.

Even global organizations like Rotary International—founded to foster professional networks and community service—mirror this imbalance in Japan. About 94% of Rotary clubs still lack female members. My own club only began accepting women after years of debate since my joining in 2002. Today, we have reached just 5% female membership, compared to the global average of 21%.

Mini-Summary: Gender inclusion in Japan is improving slowly, but traditional networks and institutional inertia continue to limit women’s access to leadership.

Rotary members in Japan are typically senior executives and industry leaders — individuals whose attitudes often influence broader corporate culture. Historically, these male-dominated circles extended beyond business into education and social networks, creating exclusive, self-reinforcing systems.

Japan’s Rotary membership has fallen sharply since 2000, dropping to less than half the global average. Only after women were finally admitted did this decline begin to reverse. Yet even then, many resisted, hoping to preserve the status quo as long as possible.

Mini-Summary: The reluctance to include women in prestigious institutions like Rotary reflects Japan’s wider struggle with gender inclusion in business.

In Dale Carnegie Tokyo’s corporate training programs, 70% of participants are male and 30% are female. This disparity doesn’t stem from a lack of capable women, but from male-dominated middle management structures that determine who gets selected for development.

Japanese companies invest heavily in diversity training, but often focus only on women. Real progress requires training male leaders to lead inclusively—understanding how to empower, not just manage, female colleagues. Leadership means building people, not just supervising processes. And “people” includes women.

Mini-Summary: True DEI transformation in Japan must begin with training male middle managers to change the culture of leadership.

No law prohibits women from being promoted—but bias still blocks their advancement. Until male executives embrace the responsibility to mentor and recommend women, progress will stall.

The business world can learn from Rotary’s experience: exclusion leads to decline. Inclusion drives renewal. Japan’s global competitiveness depends on cultivating leadership that integrates women at every level.

Mini-Summary: Sustainable growth in Japanese business depends on male leaders driving, not resisting, gender inclusion.

• Gender inclusion in Japan remains limited by tradition and male-dominated networks.

• Rotary’s transformation symbolizes a slow but hopeful shift in attitudes.

• Effective DEI training must target male leadership behavior, not just women’s skills.

• Empowering women strengthens Japan’s competitiveness in a global economy.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and organizations worldwide in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office (est. 1963) continues to empower both Japanese and multinational companies to embrace inclusive leadership and drive business transformation across Japan’s evolving economy.