COMPLETION REPORT
Woman and Entrepreneurship in Japan and China
Dr. Jing Song
Assistant Professor
The Chinese University of Hong Kong

China and Japan has witnessed greater passion for entrepreneurial activities in the recent decades, given the marketoriented transformation of the post-socialist economy in China and the urge to revitalize the economy in the globalization
context in Japan. The rising entrepreneurial dynamics witnessed persisting gender gaps, however, in the two societiesthat are characterized by similar patriarchal norms and traditional values. This study examines the policy and institutional
backgrounds in the two countries that help to shape the labor force structures and gender gaps in economic activities,
which contribute to the different trends and patterns that women conduct entrepreneurial activities. The findings can beused to inform policies and future research agenda on how to deal with different opportunities and challenges under theglobal capitalism and entrepreneurial revolution that may affect men and women differently.

Based on archival research and case studies, this project finds similarities and differences between the twocountries regarding both economic structures and institutional backgrounds that have shaped the gendered patterns
in the entrepreneurial world. China has witnessed the rise of entrepreneurship that is closely related with theexpansion of private sectors. Many talented and educated women were attracted to the private sector driven by therising economic opportunities, particularly in manufacturing and retail trade sectors. But meanwhile, the gender gap in

economic participation has been enhanced greatly under the market reform. In Japan, the likelihood of becoming
female entrepreneurs is more spread out throughout different life stages, and the transformation of economic structures

has created opportunities for women in general service sectors. However, female entrepreneurs in Japan tend to run
small businesses and earn limited incomes, with a higher concentration in trade and service sectors rather thanmanufacturing sectors, and their disadvantage in handling deals with public sectors and big companies is salient. Suchpersisting gender gaps have been deeply rooted in the institutional barriers across economic sectors and thedominant corporate culture in the business sphere. Although both countries have issued policies and initiatedvarious measures to encourage entrepreneurship and women’s engagement in it, their impacts have to becontextualized, including the startup promotion policies and the establishment of business incubators in China, andthe “30% by 2020” goal and “Womenomics” approach in Japan. This study calls for more attention to be paid by
the academia and policy makers to the different gendered entrepreneurial dynamics that was shaped by both
institutional settings and economic structures in China and Japan.
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Publication of the Results of Research Project:Verbal Presentation (Date, Venue, Name of Conference, Title of Presentation, Presenter, etc.)
Jing Song, 2016, “Womanhood and Entrepreneurship in China,” the 11th annual Conference of Asian Studies
Association of Hong Kong, Kobe, Japan, April 2-3, 2016.
Jing Song and Kuniko Ishiguro, 2017, “Women’s Entrepreneurship in Japan and China,” Research Institute for
Women and Careers, Japan Women’s University, Tokyo, Japan, June 30, 2017.
Jing Song, 2017, “Migrant Women and Entrepreneurship in China,” the 10th International Convention of Asia
Scholars, Chiang Mai, July 20-23, 2017.

Thesis (Name of Journal and its Date, Title and Author of Thesis, etc.)
Kuniko Ishiguro and Jing Song, “Entrepreneurship and Women: Policies, Institutions and Developments in
China and Japan,” working paper.
Jing Song and Kuniko Ishiguro, “Motivation and Market: The Rise of Businesswomen in Japan and China,”
working paper.

Book (Publisher and Date of the Book, Title and Author of the Book, etc.)

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