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#MeToo movement journalist Shiori Ito, Naomi Osaka among Time's 100 Most Influential People

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Good for Naomi!

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Note that Time's 100 Most Influential People selection doesn't necessarily take morality or goodwill into account. Xi Jinping and Putin are also on the list. It's irrelevant to claim those selected are rightful; they are only "influential"

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Good for Ito-san and Naomi-chan, and good for Japan! The two most influential Japanese in the world are women. I guess if Abe didnt give up the Prime Ministership he'd be in the list too.

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I guess if Abe didnt give up the Prime Ministership he'd be in the list too.

You might want to check the connection between Abe and Ito-san.

¿ Did the former give up the premiership because the scandals were reaching a critical mass ?

Who knows, he may remain one of Japan's most influential for quite some time. Unfortunately.

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I'm sorry, but what Ito has done has taken a lot, lot more courage than what Osaka has ever done. The latter has merely jumped on the bandwagon in the safety of a country where free speech is allowed. Many people, famous and not so famous, in countries like UK and France have used the BLM movement to take a good hard look at discrimination and racism in their own countries. Either there's no discrimination in Japan or she's scared of losing Japanese fans and sponsors, and wants the cash to continue flowing in.

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I looked at the list and haven't heard of at least two thirds of them. I would have thought Mark Zuckerberg and (mis)use of Facebook had more influence on the world than Yo Yo Ma or someone commissioning the odd program on Netflix.

If the non-inclusion of PM Johnson and Dominic Cummings is a snub, then good on Time magazine.

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Osaka should be influential as a good example, and Itoh as a bad one.

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@Vanessa Carlisle

Osaka should be influential as a good example, and Itoh as a bad one.

Could you elaborate a bit? How exactly do you think Itoh is a 'bad example'?

This comment surprises me, especially because as based on your nickname, I assume you're a woman. Itoh is fighting for women's right in a country where those rights are still heavily suppressed.

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Cool!

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Itoh is fighting for women's right in a country where those rights are still heavily suppressed.

Women's rights are heavily suppressed in Japan? I don't think you have ever been to Japan. Perhaps you instead went to Afghanistan under Taliban rule and somebody told you it was Japan. I can't even. Heavily suppressed! I have had more female bosses than male, by far, both as managers and owners of the company. The doctors I have seen personally, including obstetricians, were maybe 15 to 20 percent female. Colleges are loaded with young women. There are female landlords and probably more female truck drivers than anywhere else on Earth. In many ways women are pampered in Japan, with like 4 out of 5 clothing stores catering to women, maybe more. Women tend to win in divorces, especially in custody cases. Husbands hand their bank books to the wife without a second thought. I seriously don't know what alternate reality Japan you live in.

As for Shiori Itoh even most Japanese women are dubious about her and her story. Women's rights? Her problem was nothing to do with women's rights. Her problems were a lack of Japanese public concern for rape victims/accusers that has translated into haphazard support systems and the fact the man she accused is rich and powerful and nothing to do with his gender.

I pretty much see the same thing here as in my own country. Men are even more oppressed than women but blind to it. And the rich and powerful oppress us all. The only thing Shiori Itoh seems to be fixing is her own desire for fame and attention.

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@Vanessa Carlisle

Women's rights are heavily suppressed in Japan? I don't think you have ever been to Japan.

Well, I only live and work in Japan, am married to a Japanese person, have been involved with Japan for nearly 20 years, and have studied Japanese culture, society and history for years, at graduate level.

Perhaps you instead went to Afghanistan under Taliban rule and somebody told you it was Japan. I can't even. Heavily suppressed! I have had more female bosses than male, by far, both as managers and owners of the company. The doctors I have seen personally, including obstetricians, were maybe 15 to 20 percent female. Colleges are loaded with young women.

No point really in comparing to one of the worst countries for equality - if it's worse somewhere else, it doesn't mean improvements can't be done here.

I have had more female bosses than male, by far, both as managers and owners of the company. The doctors I have seen personally, including obstetricians, were maybe 15 to 20 percent female. Colleges are loaded with young women. There are female landlords and probably more female truck drivers than anywhere else on Earth. In many ways women are pampered in Japan, with like 4 out of 5 clothing stores catering to women, maybe more. Women tend to win in divorces, especially in custody cases. Husbands hand their bank books to the wife without a second thought. I seriously don't know what alternate reality Japan you live in.

Sure, universities are full of young women. But what happens to those young women after they graduate, get married and have babies? First of all, the maternity leave is very short, and not much support for the working women here. Women basically have to choose career or children, and having both is not encouraged enough. How many women CEO's in large size companies have you met? Or even in middle management? Is the salary the same for the man and for the woman, for the same job? How many men participate in taking care of the housework, taking care of the children? How many women are in the Japanese government?

Divorces then yes, are largely "won" by women, meaning they get to keep their children, which often means the father doesn't get a chance to see his kids anymore, ever. I know a few cases. This really isn't right either. Divorces should be settled, with keeping the children's rights in mind, not "won" or "lost".

As for Shiori, I still don't see why is it nothing but commendable for her to bring the horrible treatment of rape victims and the nasty attitudes in society into light. I also happen to know a woman, who was raped at her job, by her boss, and she was the one who had to quit and change her job. She ended up moving away from Tokyo altogether.

To finish: Global Gender Gap Report 2020, http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2020.pdf,

jump on page 9: Japan is on place 121. USA 53rd.

I'm from a country that's in the top 4, and I still think there's a lot of work to be done even there.

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I'll add this quote from the Global Gender Gap Report 2020 as well - save you some reading time, @Vanessa Carlisle:

*"Japan’s gender gap is by far the largest among all advanced economies and has widened over the past year. The country ranks 121st out of 153 countries on this year’s Global Gender Gap Index, down 1 percentage point and 11 positions from 2018. Japan has narrowed slightly its economic gender gap, but from a very low base (score of 59.8, 115th). Indeed, the gap in this area is the third-largest among advanced economies, after Italy (117th) and the Republic of Korea (127th). Only 15% of senior and leadership positions are held by women (131st), whose income is around half that of men (108th). The progress achieved in the economic arena has been more than offset by a widening of the political gender gap. Japan has only closed 5% of the gap in this dimension (144th). At 10%, female representation in the Japanese parliament is one of the lowest in the world (135th) and 20% below the average share across advanced economies. Furthermore, there is only one woman in the 18-member cabinet. This translates into a rate of approximately 5% (139th), 26% below the peer (high income) average. Finally, like more than half of the countries studied, Japan has had no female head of state in the last 50 years." (*http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2020.pdf , p.31)

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Vanessa Carlisle Sep. 24 08:57 pm JS

Women's rights are heavily suppressed in Japan? I don't think you have ever been to Japan.

As a woman who has lived in Japan for almost 3 decades, I can testify that women are not equal to men in Japanese society. Women are routinely discriminated against. Two examples are the difficulty women have in getting on a career track, and the scandals involving universities making it more difficult for women to pass tests to enter medical school.

There are of course, more examples and more evidence, but I don't have time or inclination to write the 4,000 word essay that would be required to explain it in detail. Suffice it to say that sources of this information are readily available to you online if you care to take advantage of them and educate yoruself in this regard.

Perhaps you instead went to Afghanistan under Taliban rule and somebody told you it was Japan.

This isn't the Oppression Olympics. We don't have to make it a contest to see which country oppresses women the most in order to feel justified in pointing out that even women in first world nations are oppressed.

I can't even. Heavily suppressed! I have had more female bosses than male, by far, both as managers and owners of the company. The doctors I have seen personally, including obstetricians, were maybe 15 to 20 percent female.

Ruth Bader Ginsberg famously said, "But there'd been *nine men *(on the Supreme Court) and nobody's ever raised a question about that." **Equality would be if 50% of doctors were women - 15% or 20% is actually evidence of bias.

In many ways women are pampered in Japan, with like 4 out of 5 clothing stores catering to women, maybe more. Women tend to win in divorces, especially in custody cases. Husbands hand their bank books to the wife without a second thought. I seriously don't know what alternate reality Japan you live in.

You think the definition of "pampered" is having a lot of clothing stores? If women can buy a blouse, but can't get a full time career-track job even after graduating from university, you call that being "pampered"?

You also don't seem to quite understand that husbands being refused custody is an example of how sexism doesn't just hurt women - it hurts men, too. When women are seen to be caregivers, and men are not, that's a problem for both men and women.

As for Shiori Itoh even most Japanese women are dubious about her and her story.

You don't seem to know that Ito won her case, which means there was a preponderance of evidence in her favor. You also don't seem to know that Ito's case heavily influenced the #wetoo movement in Japan, which then sparked off weekly "flower protests" of women who demanding changes to the justice system. As a direct result of that, there have been several updates to the sexual assault statutes, such as lengthening sentencing time for rape, and redefining rape to include other kinds of penetration. In addition, there are multiple amendments being debated in the Diet right now, one of which is changing the law to allow prosecution of adults who take psychological advantage of children to abuse them. In short, Ms. Ito has a lot of support in Japan, so this statement is quite clearly false.

Women's rights? Her problem was nothing to do with women's rights. Her problems were a lack of Japanese public concern for rape victims/accusers that has translated into haphazard support systems and the fact the man she accused is rich and powerful and nothing to do with his gender.

That rape and other forms of sexual assault are not prosecuted as vigorously as other forms of assault is directly due to misogyny, and thus it has everything to do with women's rights. That it is overwhelmingly men who rape women, and not women who rape women, has everything to do with gender.

Men are even more oppressed than women but blind to it.

The oppression of women doesn't just harm women. It also harms men, and feminists have been pointing this out for many years. If you don't know that, then that shows you don't know much about feminism at all.

You pointed this out yourself when you noted that men have a hard time getting custody of children after divorce. The reason for this is the unequal division of labor in the home, where women are expected to not only work outside the home, but also take care of the home and children. This means that men are not regarded as good caretakers, which means women overwhelmingly get custody. We want to change this - we want women and men to work side by side as equals, so that both parents can bond with the children and share the labor.

This is a feminist viewpoint.

The only thing Shiori Itoh seems to be fixing is her own desire for fame and attention.

I'm not sure how to explain this to you, but women don't want to be famous for having been raped. Ito spoke out to help women like her - not because she wanted to let everyone know that a man had raped her.

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The woman might be a good example, but how is she delivering a serious message and sincerely when she protests for people that have criminal and questionable records? Why doesn’t she protest on the real victims that died tragically like retired police officer Dorn, it’s a fully legitimate question that should be asked in all sincerity, that’s what gets me, it’s like we are not allowed to question the people she supports, it’s a good conversation piece that brings up valid points.

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She protests for people that have criminal and questionable records?

Because even people who have criminal records should not be subject to unnecessary violence by police. And not everyone who is killed or beaten by police has a criminal record - Breonna Taylor, for example. These people are real victims.

Why doesn’t she protest on the real victims that died tragically like retired police officer Dorn,

People most absolutely do protest when police officers are killed in the line of duty. For example, we call for reform and for stricter gun laws. Guns in the hands of criminals put police in danger. This type of protest has been ongoing for many years, and hasn't stopped. I'm not sure why you don't know about it.

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People most absolutely do protest when police officers are killed in the line of duty.

A few do, but overwhelmingly they do not.

For example, we call for reform and for stricter gun laws. Guns in the hands of criminals put police in danger.

We have more than enough law on the books, the real problem is the laws in certain States are not aggressively enforced.

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We have more than enough law on the books, the real problem is the laws in certain States are not aggressively enforced.

Woah, sounds like the police suck at their jobs.

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When the leaders of the States that want to defund them and constrain them from doing their jobs to enforce the law, they would indeed suck.

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This is a feminist viewpoint.

One of many. There are as many views of feminism as there are types of women who can think for themselves. Personally I feel you should respect women more, and of course I mean those women who may not share what I feel is more your agenda than a well considered opinion.

That rape and other forms of sexual assault are not prosecuted as vigorously as other forms of assault is directly due to misogyny, and thus it has everything to do with women's rights.

Absolute nonsense! Rape is simply hard to prove. So would other assaults be if it were a regular thing to consent to a beating and then move it to a private setting. You probably agree with the situation in Sweden, but since the accusations against Julian Assange became internationally known, their ideas have become more a laughing stock than a cause célèbre.

The oppression of women doesn't just harm women. It also harms men

The oppression of men also harms women, though I doubt you would agree.

Two examples are the difficulty women have in getting on a career track, and the scandals involving universities making it more difficult for women to pass tests to enter medical school.

Most Japanese women simply don't want to be on a Japanese man's career track. In fact, no one in their right mind wants to be! The lack of such desire has led to a lack of expectation that any woman is so minded. Its not discrimination. Its simply lack of awareness. Women can and should combat that by speaking up rather than wait for the government to try and do something it effectively CAN'T.

And the university scandal? Thank you for that. It proves nicely how you exaggerate carelessly. It was ONE university and its was a SCANDAL for the nation because the nation found that horrific. No one defended Tokyo Medical U. NO ONE.

You don't seem to know that Ito won her case

She lost TWO cases before finally winning a civil case. Civil cases are a joke.

We want to change this - we want women and men to work side by side as equals, so that both parents can bond with the children and share the labor.

Who is "we"? Tons of women are traditional. Tons of women are traditional feminists. They don't want what you want. This mostly stems from a judgement that it CAN'T work given innate gender differences. I am sure you probably don't believe in those and probably because you are less affected than others. But if you look around you might see most women are not like you.

*Equality would be if 50% of doctors were women - 15% or 20% is actually evidence of bias.

More nonsense. Most women just know they don't want that or other careers bad enough to pursue them.

In short, Ms. Ito has a lot of support in Japan, so this statement is quite clearly false.

She has STRONG support, and that's different.

This isn't the Oppression Olympics.

Nice pivot. NOT! I simply mentioned Afghanistan because the suggestion that Japan heavily suppresses women is utterly ridiculous. Tokyo has a female governor. Give it a rest.

Now I am not saying there is no room for improvement. There is plenty. But the situation is not so bad as you and others make it out to be. Even in the 1960s Dame Diana Rigg scoffed at feminism saying women already have too much power. She makes a good case. Women don't need more power. And most needed equality has already been given. But you hold your hand out demanding more! Women are going to wind up losing ground for this!

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Vanessa CarlisleSep. 25 11:05 pm JST

One of many. There are as many views of feminism as there are types of women who can think for themselves. Personally I feel you should respect women more, and of course I mean those women who may not share what I feel is more your agenda than a well considered opinion.

Good - this means you do understand that feminism isn't a monolith, and that feminists don't all share the exact same views.

Do you also then acquiesce to the feminist point of view that the concept of equality for both men and women is a good one, and that sexism in society also harms men? You've cited one great example, so it seems that you do understand the concept that equality is good for both men and women.

Absolute nonsense! Rape is simply hard to prove.

You are missing the point. The point is that rape is overwhelmingly committed by men, and the overarching reason that men commit rape is misogyny. Inequalities in society also effect the outcome of court cases. Women are often simply not believed, due to negative stereotypes perpetuated in society about women; and there is misogyny behind victim-blaming such as "she was asking for it" and "she probably wanted it but then cried rape after". Case in point, there is a documentary on Netflix right now about a case where a woman was disbelieved when she reported being raped, and it was later found that the man who raped her was a serial rapist. If the police had taken her seriously, instead of assuming she was lying from the beginning, the rapist would have been caught sooner. Another case in point is Shiori Ito herself, and what you said about her just "wanting to be famous and get attention." The fact that you think a woman would lie about having been raped in order to become famous for having been raped, is a great example of misogyny and how it can cause biases.

The oppression of men also harms women, though I doubt you would agree.

I've said more than once that sexism and inequality harm men, and yes, you could call that harm a form of oppression. So I ask you: why can't we work together on this? You seem dead set against the idea that women are oppressed - why don't you see that both are oppressed, and that one type of oppression feeds the other? After all, we can fix this by working together: if women work, men are relieved of much of that burden. If men take on childcare responsibilities, women will not be seen as the sole caregivers of children, which in turn will change the point of view that women should get sole custody of children. Equality benefits us all.

Most Japanese women simply don't want to be on a Japanese man's career track. In fact, no one in their right mind wants to be!

Two things. One, most women don't actually have a choice over whether or not to work. Modern life requires both parents have an income. Secondly, this just isn't true. Women overwhelmingly want to work, to feel useful, to have skills, to make money and contribute to the family. The problem is that they can't see a way to do that as well as take on the childcare burden.

And the university scandal? Thank you for that. It proves nicely how you exaggerate carelessly. It was ONE university and its was a SCANDAL for the nation because the nation found that horrific. No one defended Tokyo Medical U. NO ONE.

It was not one university - it was several. Go back and look it up. And yes, it was a scandal because the nation found it horrific that universities were tampering with test scores. That is a serious violation of academic standards, which is quite shocking to anyone who has taken a university entrance exam. But you are wrong to say that no one defended this practice. In fact, many people did - several op-eds were written about how women can't be good doctors because they will take maternity leave or quit to take care of children. This point of view is pervasive in Japanese society - in fact, it is one that you share. It is also one glaring example of how women are so often sidelined in favor of men due to bias against women.

She lost TWO cases before finally winning a civil case. Civil cases are a joke.

First, she did not lose two cases. The rape case never even went to trial because the man she accused was a personal friend of PM Abe, so favors were called in and the charges were dropped. She won her civil case on appeal - so that is ONE case. And it is not a "joke" to win a civil case. Judges in Japan are actually quite conservative when it comes to monetary compensation in civil cases. The fact that she won and was compensated is significant, since that indicates that she had enough evidence to convince a judge that she was incapacitated and raped.

Who is "we"? Tons of women are traditional. Tons of women are traditional feminists. They don't want what you want. This mostly stems from a judgement that it CAN'T work given innate gender differences. I am sure you probably don't believe in those and probably because you are less affected than others. But if you look around you might see most women are not like you.

"We" is women who agree with me. There are more of us than you seem to understand. Also, I am not sure why you so vehemently argue with me every time I make the point that equality is important. I have emphasized this a number of times, but you sidestep the issue as if it is not central to this discussion. I ask you to answer directly: do you see men and women as equals, and do you think men and women should work side by side in tandem taking equal responsibility, or don't you?

More nonsense. Most women just know they don't want that or other careers bad enough to pursue them.

This is clearly both sexist and biased.

She has STRONG support, and that's different.

This is you moving the goalpost. First you said she has no support, now you are saying yes, she has strong support, but that is somehow different from or less significant than having a lot of support? But you're also wrong that she doesn't have a lot of support. She definitely has a lot or else we would not even be talking about this, because no one would have heard of her.

This isn't the Oppression Olympics.

Nice pivot. NOT! I simply mentioned Afghanistan because the suggestion that Japan heavily suppresses women is utterly ridiculous. Tokyo has a female governor. Give it a rest.

It's not a pivot. This argument is continually used to attempt to trivialize the issues that Japanese women face. As if other counties having it far worse somehow means that Japanese women don't have anything to complain about and should shut up.

Koike is the first female governor of Tokyo. That's ONE out of how many? Women are extremely underrepresented in government in Japan, which is one of the reasons it scores so low on the Global Gender Gap report. But if you had read that report, as someone else suggesd, you would know that. It's almost as if you don't really want to know the truth.

Women don't need more power. And most needed equality has already been given. But you hold your hand out demanding more! Women are going to wind up losing ground for this!

Clearly that is not the case at all, or else you would not be scoffing at the idea of women wanting careers or the idea of female doctors, and you would not be accusing a rape victim of wanting to be famous for having been raped.

I don't see women laughing at the idea that men want to be doctors; do you?

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