Japan's language gender divide hurts women at work

They are expected to use separate vocabulary and more demure tones

Avatar
20200512 Tokyo female office worker.jpg

Office workers head to their workplace in Tokyo: who says women cannot be both direct and attractive? © AP

Nobuko Kobayashi is Ernst & Young -- Japan -- transaction advisory services managing director and partner.

In Japanese, men and women eat differently. This is not a comment on table manners but on language: a man would ku-u, with connotations of devouring his food, while a woman may taberu or, even better, itadaku to humbly consume.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored ContentThis content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.