Why do attitudes towards gender and sexuality remain conservative? How is society adapting to an ageing population? And what are people doing for fun in a post-pandemic context? This Cultural Snapshot uses local stats and case studies to explore the behavioural norms shared by Japanese people in 2022.

How is education shifting to provide young people with real-life skills? Who are the women and men tearing down gender stereotypes in the workplace? What impact are Older Adults and Gen Zers having on working environments? What do employees mean by ‘working to live’?

Gender inequality in the workplace is rife in Japan, with women vastly underrepresented in management-level positions. As people increasingly demand change, they’re pushing for the higher-ups to lead by example, and Mitsubishi CEO Jean-Marc Gilson is heeding the call.

The desire to get married is on the decline in Japan, with women in particular becoming less interested in settling down. With the pandemic impacting women and inspiring people to rethink their priorities, traditional life milestones are taking a backseat as individual wellbeing climbs up the list.