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Nobuko Kobayashi
For Nobuko Kobayashi's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Wakana Nukui has been described as having a knack for storytelling and vividly sharing her vision with those around her.
BUSINESS / WOMEN AT WORK
Mar 24, 2024
A social entrepreneur who is determined to lift Cambodian women's status
Wakana Nukui has fostered new talent in design while opening shops dedicated to local products.
Tanaka takes part in a signing ceremony for the Japan-Uruguay Investment Agreement with Uruguay's Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Luis Porto in 2015.
BUSINESS / WOMEN AT WORK
Jan 23, 2024
Why positivity is an asset in a career of PR and diplomacy
Keiko Tanaka went from an office at Nissan to the ambassador's residence in Uruguay.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Women at Work
Jun 13, 2023
From Japan to the U.S. and back: Thriving as a woman in international finance
Chikako Matsumoto achieved her dream of joining the World Bank, and later returned to her home country and executive roles there.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Women at Work
May 9, 2023
Breaking ground for women in Japan's bureaucracy
Yasuko Gotoh braved the attitudes and aggressions of Japan's government ministries early in her career before thriving in later roles and in the private sector.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Women at Work
Mar 14, 2023
A career in education shows lifetime employment can still work
Yumi Narushima quickly rose through the ranks at Benesse, and led a girls' school in Tokyo, forming a successful double act with her employer.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Women at Work
Dec 27, 2022
Battling the odds to rise to the top: One woman's career in the IT sector
Yuki Shingu found taking a career break to help nurse her ailing father gave her a broader perspective on her rise through company ranks.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Women at Work
Nov 10, 2022
Approaching life as an independent nonexecutive director with resolve
From startups to conglomerates, Makiko Nakamori has balanced sitting on a range of boards with motherhood and managing her own accounting practice.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Women at Work
Sep 20, 2022
Working with a belief that art has the power to change the world
First as curator and now as director of the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, Mami Kataoka has aimed to shape a society that respects individuals by using contemporary art as her medium.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Women at Work
Aug 16, 2022
Creating parity in the field of science in Japan
Noriko Osumi is one of the highest-ranking female scientists in Japan, and has worked to address the structural causes behind the severe lack of women within certain academic fields.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Women at Work
Jun 14, 2022
Bringing a mother's wisdom to the world of the entrepreneur
Ayako Sonoda has been keen to ensure she is helping others through her startups and other ventures.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Women at Work
Apr 7, 2022
Miyuki Suzuki sets example for Japan Inc. with grace and 'spine of steel'
During a varied career with stints at a number of firms, Suzuki has strived to empower her team members — something of a novel approach in Japan's corporate world.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Women at Work
Feb 24, 2022
Untapped potential: Raising the status of women in professional services
Masami Katakura of Ernst & Young ShinNihon hopes her journey through the world of accounting encourages the next generation of women.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Women at Work
Dec 21, 2021
Standing out above the old boys: Forging a path as a woman in corporate Japan
Ryoko Nagata of Japan Tobacco was adamant she didn't want to work with cigarettes, and went on to prove her worth to the firm in other sectors.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 13, 2019
Japan's women need more than office jobs
If the country wants to slow its population decline, it must abolish its two-track labor system.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 4, 2018
Japan's past should be its future
An obsession with service offers Japanese companies a competitive advantage.

Longform

Historically, kabuki was considered the entertainment of the merchant and peasant classes, a far cry from how it is regarded today.
For Japan's oldest kabuki theater, the show must go on