A decade after a law was passed aimed at ensuring equality of the sexes, women are still a small minority among Japan's top business executives, prompting some to turn to networking.
Around 300 female company presidents gathered in May at Tokyo's Omotesando Hills retail complex to hear uplifting talk on weathering the recession.
Many of them had founded startups for their own intellectual or creative fulfillment, rather than being in it solely for the money.