Sexuality, Gender and Social Scripting in Japan and China

The other day on Marketplace, a nationally-syndicated program on WNYC Radio, there was a segment called Debunking the Myths About Japan anchored by the journalist Y Kan. My ears perked up when Kan announced in her no-nonsense way, There is one myth about Japan that I take pleasure in debunking: there is the common belief that in Japan, women are subservient and second-class citizens. Not true. In Japan, women wield tremendous power. They control household pursestrings ... . Every feminist fiber in me went on full alert. She continued, While it is true that many women in the workplace are considered \u27office flowers,\u27 women now make up 40% of the workforce .... So, things are changing in Japan for women. A myth about women may have been debunked, but I question the reality or the desirability of the new myths