Japan Day 26: Bar Conversations

During lunch, I got some cookies and cream mochi ice cream from the convenience store on campus, and that was yummy. It is like the mochi ice cream in the U.S., but cheaper and fresher, in my opinion. At the university, I also visited a seminar class where we talked about the American and Japanese education systems. 

After a hectic day of work (the last Friday before the summer program starts), I went out with some coworkers to a Korean-owned Japanese bar in Takadanobaba (which I thought was a funny name). We ordered a lot of small dishes, including yakitori, meatballs, and Korean pancakes. All the food was very good, and we had conversations ranging in topic from books to cultural differences and women's role in Japanese society. I learned a lot about how feminism isn't really existent in Japan, though female equality has increased from the past. It is very hard for women to re-enter the workforce after they have a child, and, as a result, the female labor force participation rate is very low in Japan. Many girls grow up expecting just to get married and become a housewife, which I personally thought was disconcerting. Though the female population of Japan is one of the most educated groups in the world, they are also the most unemployed (for their skill level). I think my visit to Japan has really enlightened me on women's issues in Asia from a different perspective. Though my blog has mainly been about food and sight-seeing, I will try to share more of my observations.