Day 22 : Women Only

This is an example of how Japanese society, for all its modernization is still quite traditional when it comes to gender relations. This is no surprising as we are in Asia, and this is a common trend across all of Asia really. However here in Japan it seems a bit out of place. I think that the end of WWII forced a lot of "Modern" traditions and values on Japan by the United States. This imposition of a Western mindset on a centuries old Japanese mindset has led to a strange set of values here that don't seem to fit correctly in the moral landscape of Japan. In all aspects of the law women are equal and have the same rights as men, which is the way it should be. However in practice it doesn't seem to work out that way. Out of all the top Japanese corporations only one (Sanyo) is run by a female executive. In the office environment it seems that all the secretarial positions and other such careers. It seems that there is a very definite glass ceiling here in Japan and its a combination of an old mindset and also by the fact it seems lots of women look at jobs as a thing to do till you find a husband and then settle down for a life of homemaker. I don't think that there is anything wrong with this at all of course, but it seems like to me that Japan for all its modernity is still quite traditional in terms of gender issues, and therefore you find things like womens only trains on the subways.

Or I could be wrong and they have womens only trains not for traditional reasons but because Japanese men love to play Grab-Ass on the trains and this is the only "Honorable" way to keep it under wraps