re: #40 Barefoot Grin

She had the temerity to speak before her husband at an early press conference and was rarely heard from after that. Obviously, I don’t have inside information, but it seems she was silenced and probably bullied by IHA. Symbolic of how Japan wastes the talent of women.

That is the flip side of having a cultural tradition dating back thousands of years.

I see that in Germany as well: Although they are very progressive when it comes to matters of maternity leave and day care, women are still seriously under-represented in business and politics.

Less so in politics, but there are very few women in management level of the major banks and insurance companies that own and control the bulk of the German economy.

For that, women have a solid lock on domestic and relationship politics, at least based on my personal subjective and anecdotal experience.