Harbingers’ Magazine interviewed 18 young people in Hiroshima, revealing differences between men’s and women’s perspectives on workplace gender inequality and societal restrictions for women in Japan.

There was a noticeable divergence between male and female respondents. Nearly all nine male interviewees expressed the belief that gender inequality is not a pressing issue in contemporary Japan.

“We shouldn’t focus on gender, men and women are equal,” said Taisei, a 17-year-old student.

Tomoya Nagata, a 23-year-old worker, similarly dismissed concerns. “That’s irrelevant now,” he said, adding that he was not aware of any gender-based disparities.

Female respondents painted a different picture.

Mr Nagata’s female colleague, Mao Saito, 23, emphasized that gender still influences working opportunities, particularly in “career advancement and job transitions”.
She cited the example of her married female colleague who encountered resistance when seeking a new position, as potential employers assumed she would “soon require time off for childbirth or childcare.”

According to a 2024 report from Nikkei Asia, women in Japan earn approximately 74% of what men earn in similar positions, showing that gender-based discrimination is still prevalent in Japan and may discourage younger generations of females from pursuing careers.

Young people interviewed by Harbingers’ Magazine estimated that only 30% of the workforce at their companies is women.

Their estimates are supported by statistics. In 2024, Japan ranked 118 out of 148 countries in the Global Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index, the lowest result among G7 countries.

Furthermore, almost decade earlier, in 2015, Japan ranked 101 out of 145, which indicates that over time the economic position of women in Japan is deteriorating, relatively to the the rest of the world.

Among the 18 young interviewees, both men and women stated that they experience close to zero gender pay disparity in early career.

However, as women look towards the future, their concerns about gender pay inequality and limited job promotion opportunities begin to surface, with women expecting to face more limitations as they advance in their careers.

“I think it is difficult for women to become president or other leadership positions,” said 17-year-old Japanese student Mei, emphasizing the imbalance in female representation in the workforce hierarchy across many industries.

23-year-old Mao Saito voiced similar concerns about the lack of promotion opportunities. She said that “the wage gap becomes apparent between men and women when it comes to career advancement or changing jobs”.

A major factor contributing to the worsening of gender inequality was Japan’s “spousal tax deduction system,” which discouraged many married women from working full-time and made younger women hesitant to enter the workforce.

Until 2025, if one of the spouses earned more than ¥1.03 million (US $6,750) annually, the other would lose valuable tax benefits, and could lose access to company-provided health insurance.

As a part of Japan’s 2025 tax reform, the spousal tax deduction system was expanded to a maximum of ¥1.60 million (US $10,800). According to the government, the policy aim was to attract more women into the workforce and is a step toward narrowing Japan’s gender gap.

An average annual salary in Japan is ¥4.6 million (about US $32,000).