05Vol.

日本女性エグゼクティブ協会

2015.04.01

NEWS Letter

http: // www.jafe.jp /“An Evening with Our Female Cabinet Ministers” was held
“An Evening with Our Female Cabinet Ministers” was held at the Tokyo American Club onFebruary 18, 2015. Thanks to the kind efforts of Ms. Masako Mori, a member of theHouse of Councillors, we had three female Cabinet ministers as our guest speakers atthe seminar, which was also attended by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, U.S. Ambassador
to Japan Caroline Kennedy, Ms. Tomomi Indada, chairman of the Liberal Democratic
Party (LDP)’s Policy Research Council, Mr. Sadayuki Sakakibara, chairman of Keidanren(Japan Business Federation), and Mr. Yasuchika Hasegawa, chairman of Keizai Doyukai(Japan Association of Corporate Executives). They expressed their expectations for theJapan Association for Female Executives (JAFE) and gave us strong encouragement.

Address by Guest of Honor, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
One year has passed since I was invited to attend the new start of the Japan Association for
Female Executives (JAFE) where I delivered an address. In order to ensure the continuous
growth of the Japanese economy, it is essential that women demonstrate their full potential andplay an active role in the society. I have consistently been advocating this idea. Creating a“society in which women shine” is a top priority issue for my administration. We will further
accelerate our efforts to create an environment where women have an active role in all aspectsof society, for instance, by eliminating childcare waiting lists and reforming relevant systems
and services. Over the past two years, we have seen positive steps taken by private-sector
companies with the three major economic organizations taking the lead. Effective from April
2016, all major Japanese companies are to set their action plans for the promotion of women’s
participation. I believe that the waves of changes are now reaching each and every corner ofJapanese society. We have duly secured financial resources to achieve this. In this big pictureof reform, members of the JAFE can serve as excellent role models as all of you have richexperiences to share with those who follow in your footsteps. I count on you to play a leadingrole in fostering the next generation of female leaders. We must restore the glory of our country
as a central player in the world and we must create a society where women glow with brilliance so that they can serve as guiding light in theinternational community that continues to be plagued with confusion. In order to achieve those goals, now is the time for us to join forces andact together.

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Opening remarks by the Initiator of the Seminar,
Ms. Masako Mori, Member of the House of Councillors
Ms. Noriko Nakamura and I happened to sit next to each other on the Shinkansen bullet train
and we hit it off and said to each other: “Let’s make people see how hard and well female
Cabinet ministers are working and let the ministers give courage to Japanese women.” That
was how we initiated our plan to hold today’s seminar.
Under the leadership of Ms. Haruko Arimura, minister in charge of women’s empowerment, abill designed to promote active participation of women was submitted to the Diet. In April 2015,a new child-rearing support system will be launched. The number of women in management
positions in central government agencies is now increasing at a pace three times faster thanused to be. More than 30% of the new recruits employed by central government agencies thisyear were women. Since the launch of the Abe administration, the number of working motheraged between 25 and 40 has increased by more than 800,000. We want to accelerate thoseemerging trends. Within the LDP, Policy Research Council Chairman Inada is serving as thechairperson of the party’s Headquarters for the Promotion of Women in Society and I am her
deputy, whereas the Cabinet has four female ministers. All of us are working hard. We want people to see how we work, and we want them to join
us so that we can together change Japan with our female power.

Ms. Yuriko Koike, Member of the House of Representatives(Honorary Member of JAFE)

Women are very talented. They are just as talented as men. So, I have been saying repeatedlythat it is a waste to not take the full advantage of the power of women. At the same time, however, we, women, must continue to improve the quality of ourselves. We should listen to those
who have made continuous efforts and garnered experience to become what they are today, andwe must continue this initiative of sharing experiences in the future.
For that, I count on the JAFE to play an active role and become a driving force for Japanesewomen’s success. Let’s work together to bring out the full potential of Japan by activating thesleeping half of our ability.

Address by Guest of Honor, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Bouvier Kennedy
Since my arrival in Japan, I met so many dynamic, talented working women who are struggling
with their work-life balance; and young women who are looking for their role models to show
them their dreams can come true. Also, I met women who are local officials or Diet members,
describing the difficulties of being women in politics, but are yet determined to recruit the nextgeneration. And I met many young men who want to succeed in business but also succeed ashusbands and fathers. Those require solving a childcare crisis, which is a challenge in theUnited Stated as it is here in Japan.
I deeply admire Prime Minister Abe’s administrative policy speech in which he said, “we thenational government, private enterprises, and local governments will work together to create anenvironment where it is easy for women to be dynamically engaged, to press ahead with thereform of the consciousness of our entire society, to do the best we can to eliminate childcare
waiting lists, and to meet every need in raising our children.” President Obama is also committed to this issue. “It is time” he said, “we stop treating childcare as a side issue, and start
treating it like a national economic priority.”
Today’s event is important because the issue of women’s economic empowerment is closely connected to the issue of women’s political participation. And women’s political participation is critical in addressing the challenges of childcare and eldercare; which will determine the future of
our families, economy, and society. I know that the people gathered here today have the ideas, energy and commitment in addressing the issues.
I look forward to working with all of you in the months to come.

Tomomi Inada, Member of the House of Representatives, Chairman of the LDP’s Policy Research Council
Thirty years ago when I became a lawyer, not a single law firm offered to hire me, while myhusband, who also became a lawyer, received many offers. So frustrated, I gathered my courage
and asked someone I knew to hire me, and I was told: “We will hire you if you promise to remain
unmarried for five years.” It was such a time. Today, however, we are in an era where the prime
minister says that greater participation of women is the key to revive Japan. The other day, I had
an opportunity to deliver a speech in Washington D.C. and many people asked me how mucheffect the empowerment of Japanese women will have on Japan’s GDP. This made me realizethat the United States and many countries around the world are taking strong interest in theempowerment and participation of Japanese women. I would like to continue to work with you
to further accelerate those developments.

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Interview

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Minister of Justice Yoko Kamikawa
Among politicians in the world, whom do you
admire most?
John F. Kennedy
What is your ultimate goal as a politician?
Passing on to the next generation the goodtraditions of Japan inherited from our parents’generation along with something of value createdby our generation; Fostering tomorrow’s leaders
to whom we can trust our future
How do you spend your holidays?
Home-cooking with my mother and daughters
What is your message to women in management positions?
Don’t run away from hardships. Looking back at
the hardships I experienced in the past, what I
really feel now is that none of them have been invain. I would say that hardships you experience
before you become 50 years old will definitely
help you in the years ahead. As you go throughvarious hardships, there will be a moment atwhich you realize you have entered a new phaseor a moment at which you suddenly get a clear
view and see a new world right in front of you.
Those are the rewards you earned through thehardships and unmistakable evidence of yourgrowth. For that, it is important that you havewillingness and spirit to look for take on challenges to test your limits.
Excerpt from the speech by Minister of Justice
Yoko Kamikawa
Whatever hardships and obstacles you may
encounter will become your treasure when you
look back at them later in your life. When you are
faced with a challenge, you may feeloverwhelmed—or at least that was how I was.
However, when the time comes for you to lookback on the passage of your life years later, youwill find all of the hardships have turned intotreasures. I want all of you, young people, toalways remember that the hardship right in frontof you will be a great asset to enable you to makeyour dreams come true in the future, and work
hard where you are. As for myself, I will treasureeach and every day. And as the minister of justicewhose mission is to embody equality before thelaw and the rule of law, I take on the mantle oftraditions established through the long history ofthe Ministry of Justice. At the same time, I willkeep my senses sharp to always be aware of thechanges of the times and work on new roles andchallenges for the ministry. I would like to takethis opportunity to ask you to take interest in theMinistry of Justice and its work.

Eriko Yamatani, Chairperson of the National Public Safety Commission (NPSC)
Among politicians in the world whom do you
admire most?
Shinzo Abe

What is your message to women in management positions?
When in difficulty, endure with grace.

What is your ultimate goal as a politician?
Making laws that would relieve people from sufferingand grief; Revising or making laws to lay afoundation for society where people can live safely
with peace of mind and filled with happiness.

Excerpt from the speech by NPSC Chairperson
Eriko Yamatani
Our life span will become longer. We will be living
to 90 years or even 100 years. In the case ofwomen, as they go through different stages of lifeand changes in their personal environment, there
may be times when they can dedicate themselves
to work or times when they need to focus on
family tasks. When such times come, don’t beupset. I want you to accept the situation in which
you find yourself gratefully as a family person andalso as a good citizen, a good neighbor, and a

What is the greatest hardship you have experienced to date and how did you overcome it?
I experienced the loss of my husband and defeat
in election at the same time. I managed to go
through the difficult time with the help of myfamily and friends.

member of the local community, or as a memberof the workplace if you have a job. Be patient,endure with grace, and remember that endurance
makes you stronger. One day you will realize thatby making people around you happy, you havebeen making yourself happy. It would be wonderful if you could spend your days feeling thankful
for that.

Haruko Arimura, Minister in Charge of Women’s Empowerment
What is your ultimate goal as a politician?
I want Japanese people, who are the sovereign of ourcountry, and those who have been supporting me tofeel that it is good to have me as a member of theDiet. I want to make this happen as soon as possible.
What is the greatest hardship you have experienced to date and how did you overcome it?
I have experienced the “greatest hardship” several
times. I keep detailed records of how I felt in myworst and best times in the “notebook of my mind”
and recall them from time so as to maintain a steadylevel of my work performance and keep a peacefulstate of mind.
As a mother, what message are you conveying
or trying to convey to your children?
I say “I love you!” or “Hey, you are the rising star!”when I call out to small children. By doing so, I canoften pick up my pace.

What is your message to women in management positions?
By the strong will of Prime Minister Abe, the post ofminister in charge of women’s empowerment was
newly created with an eye to the future of Japan.
While keeping to the principle of placing the rightpeople in the right place for both men and women,
those of you, who have built up your credibility insociety, are now serving as role models for the next
generation to follow. And then, members of thatgeneration will strengthen their ability and lead
younger women. I would like to work together withyou to realize and expand such chains of credibility.
Excerpt from the speech by Haruko Arimura,
Minister in Charge of Women’s Empowerment
I have two children, one in elementary and the otherin nursery. As I wash their clothes in the middle ofthe night, I feel frustrated and often ask myself:“What on earth am I doing?” However, I have set

lofty goals for myself, and while setting goals high, I
also pursue realistic operations in my day-to-day life.
By so doing, I will make each and every day
meaningful by working with you in such a way that
we can live up to people’s expectations and contribute to the future of Japan. I would like to express myrespect for Ms. Nakamura who provided the starting
point for this seminar, Policy Research Council
Chairman Inada, and Ms. Masako Mori who has
worked more than anyone to realize this seminar.

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Address by Guest of Honor, Keidanren Chairman Sadayuki Sakakibara
Last year, we called on our member companies to make a voluntary action plan to promote theappointment of women to executive and management positions. So far, more than 400 companies have developed such a plan with very ambitious goals. We will further expand this initiative
to include all of our 1,300 member companies. Last week, we decided on the appointment of afemale executive for the first time in Keidanren’s 70-year history. I hope and expect that more
women will be appointed to executive and management positions in Japanese companies and I
am looking forward to the day when we will see a woman serve as the chairman and/or a vicechairman of Keidanren.

Address by Guest of Honor, Keizai Doyukai Chairman Yasuchika Hasegawa
According to The Second Machine Age, the invention of the steam engine in 1775 replaced
physical work, the oldest form of labor dating back to the dawn of humanity, with mechanicalpower and we are now entering an era where computers will take over mental work or the ability
to use our brains. When highly-skilled labor, which is a typical form of mental work, is replacedby artificial brains, we will have no choice but to rely on our intelligence, sensibility, and sixthsense. Needless to say, women excel men in these abilities. According to the author of the book,computers will surpass the human brain in capacity by around 2045. When this happens,
women will have an overwhelming advantage over men. I do sincerely hope that the advent ofthe era of brilliant women will make even more brilliant and glorious.

Photo (c) aki nakazonoh

visit uPlease join us atwwws at.jafe.

“Special JAFE Seminar with Night Viewing of Cherry Blossoms”

jpDate and time: Wednesday, April 1, 2015, 6 p.m.
Place: Tsunamachi Mitsui Club
Guests: Ms. Haruno Yoshida (President, BT Japan)
Ms. Mitsue Kurihara (Audit & Supervisory Board Member, Development Bank of Japan)
Ms. Asako Hoshino (Senior Vice President, Nissan Motor Corporation; Effective April 1)
Moderator: Ms. Yuriko Koike (Member of the House of Representatives)
Theme: Women’s Power will Change the Japanese Economy

JAFE Secretariat

Japan Association for Female Executives

Attn: NPO Poppins Secretariat c/o Poppins Corporation, Hiroo Plaza 5F, 5-6-6 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0012 Japan

Phone: 03-6450-4880 E-mail: info＠jafe.jp www.jafe.jp
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