Although Japan's women are on par with their male counterparts in educational achievement, Japan ranks 104th in gender equality out of 142 countries and territories, according to the World Economic Forum's 2014 Global Gender Gap Report. The country's Achilles' heel is its low rate of female participation in the workforce, as society puts pressure on women to marry and become homemakers.
However, the working mothers profiled here are challenging the country's infamous gender stereotypes and share a resilience and belief that they can work, regardless of their status as parents. Better still, they can be viewed as important role models for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "womenomics" economic growth strategy.