TheJapanonshowinthe2019RugbyWorldCupwasanadmirablysafe,stable,resilient,andefficientsociety.However,thatappearancedisguisescrucialvulnerabilitiesandsocialailments,includinganageingandshrinkingpopulation,slowproductivitygrowth,anewlow-wage,insecureworkforce,decliningmarriageandfertilityrates,andanextremelevelofgenderinequality.Withinthisgendergapliesthekeybothtotheailmentsandthecure.Adeteriorationintheuseofhumancapitalandadeclineinfamilyformationhavebecomeentrenchedthankstodiscriminationagainstthefemalehalfofthepopulation.Yetgradualchangeisoccurring,thanksnotonlytodemographicnecessitybutalsotoasignificantriseinfemaleaccesstouniversityeducationsincethe1990sandtheemergenceofawiderangeofrolemodelstoinspireandempowerthenextgeneration.Analysisoftrendsandpolicyoptions,combinedwithinterviewswith21rolemodelsspanningfieldsfrombusinesstothearts,diplomacytopolitics,musictoe-commerce,providesamplegroundsforoptimism.Japanisbecominganationwithanincreasingnumberofpotentialfemaleleaders.Ifthisrisecanbeacceleratedbybothpublicpolicyandprivateaction,Japancouldachievemuchgreatersocialjusticeandsustainableprosperityinthedecadestocome.
