As Ruth Ozeki writes in her foreword to this very interesting collection of new writing: "Japanese society is undergoing radical change. The traditional family . . . is breaking down. Marriage and birthrates are declining, while the divorce rate is escalating."
This means, among other things, fewer stay-at-home wives and mothers, more career opportunities, and many more women opting to marry later, or not at all.
Consequently the image that women have of themselves is correspondingly changing. The docile and submissive model, which was standard until fairly recently, has been in many ways liberated to reflect a person more authentic, and more free.