In Japan's largely male-dominated industries, women who have been promoted to managerial posts are increasingly seeking job advice from external female mentors because of a lack of in-house role models.

Momoko Kubota, a 33-year-old section chief in a sales department at SoftBank Corp., is one. She sought consultations about how to train male subordinates using the company's system that was introduced last November on a trial basis.

She is the only woman in the 19-member department and while her male boss said that she should scold subordinates when necessary, she said she felt uncomfortable being harsh with them.