Should Women in Japan Change How They Speak? — Uptalk, Bias, and the Real Barriers to Executive Communication

An article in the Financial Times highlighted research from the University of Bergen and Saïd Business School analyzing 2,993 U.S. earnings calls between 2010 and 2019. Their focus was a speech pattern known as “uptalk”—ending a sentence with a rising tone.

Uptalk can sound:

• Open

• Friendly

• Non-threatening

But to some listeners, it can also signal uncertainty or a lack of conviction. The research confirmed that when female CEOs used uptalk, male analysts issued fewer buy recommendations. Astonishingly, the effect did not apply when male executives used uptalk.

This reveals a painful truth:
Identical communication behaviors are judged differently depending on who uses them.

Mini-summary: Uptalk affects investor perception—but only for women—highlighting a structural communication bias.

As FT writer Anjli Raval points out, women are expected to navigate a contradictory checklist:

• Be vocal but not “shrill”

• Be confident but not “arrogant”

• Be empathetic but not “weak”

• Be enthusiastic but not “threatening”

• Avoid complaining—something rarely policed in men

The tightrope is exhausting and unfair. And yet, women in leadership are expected to walk it flawlessly.

Mini-summary: Female executives are judged through a narrower, harsher lens than men—even when using identical speech patterns.

Japan layers on additional cultural expectations.

On Japanese TV talk shows and panel programs, women are frequently positioned as charming assistants to male experts. Their job is to:

• Smile

• Listen

• Appear agreeable

• Avoid dominating the discussion

While uptalk exists in both genders as a sign of politeness, humility, and non-aggression—key traits in maintaining wa (和, social harmony)—women still face deeper pressure to be deferential.

High-profile leaders have reinforced these attitudes:

• Former PM Yoshiro Mori suggested women talk too much in meetings—creating public outrage

• Former PM Tarō Asō has a long record of demeaning comments about women, including remarks on childbirth, sexual harassment, and even insulting his own foreign minister’s appearance

This messaging reinforces a system where women are expected to speak less and speak softer.

Mini-summary: Japan values harmony, but cultural norms still pressure women to limit their voice, authority, and visibility.

Exceptional communicators certainly exist—foreign professionals like Helen Iwata, a graduate of Dale Carnegie’s High Impact Presentations Course, stand out. But the number of Japanese female executives consistently delivering high-level public speeches remains strikingly limited.

Part of the reason is structural:

• Fewer women are promoted to senior roles

• Fewer are given high-stakes speaking opportunities

• Fewer are included in corporate training quotas

• Trial-and-error learning takes years due to limited speaking frequency

In 39 years of observing the Japanese business landscape, the author admits struggling to identify a widely recognized Japanese female executive known for world-class public speaking.

Mini-summary: Opportunity—not talent—is the primary barrier limiting Japan’s pool of powerful female speakers.

Absolutely—because communication skill is a learnable advantage, not an inherited gift. Dale Carnegie’s training experience in 日本企業 and 外資系企業 shows:

• Women absorb techniques quickly

• Women excel at relational speaking

• With training, women eliminate ineffective habits (uptalk included)

• Skillful communication reduces bias traps and increases perceived authority

The real issue is not ability—it is access to the right environments.

Mini-summary: Female professionals thrive when given training and opportunities. Communication mastery is not gender-based—it is learned.

Communication training changes the trajectory by helping leaders:

• Eliminate patterns that signal uncertainty

• Build vocal strength and presence

• Use facial expressions and gestures with confidence

• Replace uptalk with intentional downward inflection

• Deliver messages with clarity, logic, and impact

• Project executive-level ki (気), energy, and gravitas

• Navigate cross-cultural expectations with strategy, not guesswork

When women acquire these tools, they no longer rely on trial and error—nor on the deeply limited number of speaking slots available each year.

Mini-summary: Training accelerates competence, reduces bias, and gives women control over their voice and leadership presence.

• Uptalk negatively impacts perceptions of female executives—but not male executives.

• Japanese cultural expectations amplify the pressure on women to speak softly and carefully.

• Few women in Japan receive the training or opportunities needed to develop strong public speaking skills.

• Communication mastery is gender-neutral and fully teachable with the right structure.

• Investing in presentation skills accelerates careers and reduces bias-driven misinterpretations.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, continues to empower both Japanese and multinational corporate clients through training that builds confidence, clarity, and leadership presence for professionals at every level.