Most people would assume that to start a business you need plenty of time and money, or at least experience working in a relevant field. But an increasing number of Japanese women are proving this assumption wrong by setting up their own companies based on little more than a good idea and the will to succeed.
A housewife for over 20 years, Aiko Ishibashi now heads the Kawasaki Shimin Sekken Plant (Kawasaki Citizens' Soap Plant), a co-operative venture employing 21 people, including herself.
Before establishing the company, Ishibashi had been engaged in volunteer activities as a member of a local co-operative. Her involvement in various recycling projects prompted her to start thinking about making soap with used cooking oil, which is usually dumped or burned causing environmental pollution. Unlike synthetic detergents, natural soap can be dissolved in water and is more friendly to the environment.