business

Nomura names woman to head banking arm in first for Japan

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Watch for more as it becomes fashionable to have a woman CEO of your Japanese company, it will be like the cross dressers on TV soon, every show now has one.

-8 ( +5 / -13 )

I definitely prefer more of this than of the TV cross dressers. Though, I've never had anything against either.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Good on her. Hopefully she'll be a role model for more Japanese women to realise they can do something other than have children. Looking really good for 48 too.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Good news - but I'm pretty sure she got there through merit, not because of anything the current prime-minister has "called for".

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Congrats to her!

I look forward to the day when a female head is no longer news.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Watch for more as it becomes fashionable to have a woman CEO of your Japanese company, it will be like the cross dressers on TV soon, every show now has one.

What a fatuous comment. Women make up approximately half the population. Your comment suggests that women in business are little more than gimmiks or fashion statements, rather than of any intrinsic value.

Surely you should be saying something like, "watch for more as Japan wakes up to the huge talent and potential in female workers that it has largely ignored".

11 ( +12 / -1 )

Brilliant she seems to be a very clever lady. Yes, it's a shame that so much talent gets wasted when women "retire".

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

But, my question is, will she be paid the same salary as a male CEO?

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Ah_so my comment was said in sarcasm maybe you have never heard of that, I am all for employing people on merit not on some fashion or political will.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Sexy and smart, good for her :)

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

That is a peculiar last name. Sounds like a PR campaign.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Another 'The Onion' worthy headline.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I hope this is real and not some image move. Sorry, I just don't trust Japanese companies along these lines yet. Good luck, Ms. Chie Chimpo, may you be one of the first in a long line of Japanese female CEOs and presidents of large firms. Hoping soon that applies to Prime Minister, too!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@B.B.Q.Demon: Her last name is Shimon. Check Japanese English Dictionary to see what is the way you spelled. BTW, Abe already appointed a Japanese lady who have more qualification than other 5 aides. Amazon sells her books written in English for American specialists.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Most Japanese working women quit after having their first child

They don't quit. They simply move on to a more important job.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

@Toshiko: Shimon? The article days Shimpo. I speak Japanese, thank you.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Avigator: Shimpo is not peculiar last name.

@Disillusioned. She is not Nomura CEO. She is She is the Pres of the Nomura Trust & Banking. So, she will get the pay for her position, not same pay as Nomura CEO, that is for sure.

Rainbow is right, Many resign and move on better position. There are many smaller corporations that hire women executives to increase their financial situation, etc.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Woah...that was certainly sexist. You think women can't hold jobs men can? It is like women's rights never happened. What next? They can't vote?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

They don't quit. They simply move on to a more important job.

Many do indeed quit the job they were working at before they had their child. Perhaps moving onto something more important but they do quit their job. If you would like to call parenting a "job", by all means feel free to do so but the simple fact is that 70% of women here stop working for money - as in, they quit their job.

Rainbow is right, Many resign and move on better position. There are many smaller corporations that hire women executives to increase their financial situation, etc.

That is not true and the research and articles out there prove that. Many quit to stay at home and raise their kids and once their kids are in ele school, they rejoin the workforce in marginalized PT roles where they get paid peanuts (no more than 1.03 million a year) and have no chance of promotion. If you have articles that state otherwise, please post them.

While certainly no business of mine, I can't help but think this woman is single with no kids. There is nothing wrong with that but I do wonder if this is what she was thinking of when she said “from the viewpoint of my junior female colleagues… I might not have been a role model”. Very few women can "have it all" in Japan. A shame when men can.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Very few women can "have it all" in Japan. A shame when men can.

You think men 'have it all'?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Cleo, when it comes to being able to have both a family and a career? Yes. Though I certainly don't think they have a good work/life balance here. Weekend dads and all that jazz. But they still have both which is more than most women are afforded here.

Not in the debate mood today Cleo. Enjoy.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Married women can hire a nany or housekeepe. Not necessary they quit.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Toshiko, while I agree with your notion that they can hire someone to help them, do you have any idea how difficult it is in this country to find, let alone hire, a nanny? Japan doesn't have a visa for domestic workers like most Asian countries. The cost to have a live in nanny who cooks, cleans and the like would be faaaaaar beyod what most families here could afford. Japan needs to get with the program and allow for visas for domestic workers so Japanese women can work and to help out those domestic workers who come from developing nations. China and HK is booming for women because of how easy it is to find such help. I don't know any working female in HK who doesn't have at least a cleaner.

Yes, silver service is fine for a once a week clean but housekeeper? Not happening here. Same reasons as above.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Japan needs to get with the program and allow for visas for domestic workers so Japanese women can work

Those domestic workers would still be working and living in Japan and so need a Japanese-level living wage. How is your average OL going to afford that? The vast majority of working women, and the women Abe-kun wants to get working, are not CEOs or presidents of huge financial institutions with money to throw at nannies and domestic workers.

Or would you be happy to have an underclass of less-than-living-wage foreign female workers underpinning your own lifestyle by working for peanuts and a visa? Hardly the most feminist of thoughts....

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Yes Cleo, because that is EXACTLY what I suggested I would be happy with.

I also guess you missed my above comment so I shall repeat it again. Not in the debate mood today Cleo. Enjoy.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

There are Japanese older women who work as nanny and/or maid. Not necessarily importing domestic workers from out of Japan. Traditional Japanese custom of families who fave children, often both parents have business/jobs. Uba and Otsuki-no-hito.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

I agree that it is custom but as I said, do you have any idea how difficult it is to find someone who is willing to do the work? Silver service and the like is casual work. Being a nanny or a maid is not. Very few older women want to work as a FT nanny or maid. I've had numerous friends try and find nannies/a helper for their kids. I have had friends try and get au pairs in (visa issues). Unless you have family close by or are able to get your kid into daycare here, you're pretty much stuck. Afterschool care a few days a week isn't so much an issue. It day to day care, all day, that is the issue. Japan needs more daycares. It also needs a better work/life balance for both men and women. Until that happens, women will continue to be margenalized and men will continue to slave away at work.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

I guess it must be difficult to have a nanny because a nanny and after school care means they help home works of masters' children. Masters are not necessarily model parents. Older women who want to have extra money are employed to Uba (nanny) or jochu (maid). Because their duties include helping childrn's home works, masters usually find Japanese old ladies. You can check high income couple who have home servants in their mini-mansions. If msters are business owners, an older lady who is a relative of an employee vilunteer to become a nanny or maid to supplement her income,

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Masters?? Mini mansions and high income families? Toshiko, not sure where you live but folks in my area don't have such things.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

@tmarie; Masters?? Mini mansions and high income families? Toshiko, not sure where you live but folks in my area don't have such things.

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How about Tokyo where these high income female executives with their also high income hisband live comfortably? Not mansions like Mitsubishi's Iwasaki family live or Mitsui family live though. Maters (Goshujin-sama and Oku-sama).

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Are there all that many high income women married to high income men? My understanding is that most high income women are single. Regardless, we aren't talking about just high income earners. I am certainly not a high income earner but both my husband and i make a decent living and certainly could not afford what you are suggesting.

Yes, I understand what you meant by "master" but I suggest you don't use it in English as it is very sexist.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

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