Japanese womens rights and their roles in the contemporary Aging Japan from the perspective of selected social problems

The article analyzes selected women rights with comparison to the past, contemporary social problems of the Japanese society and stereotypical social roles of women. Taking into conseideration the future of Japan, the most important problem of Japanese society is that Japan suffers from declining fertility-rate and rapidly aging population. In 50 years there will probably be only 84 million Japanese people (currently slightly above 127 million). The working age population (15–64) will fall by nearly half from today’s level of 80 million to 42 million. Along with the change of the customary perception of female traditional social roles, the professional activity of Japanese women seems to be the only solution along with the change of the customary perception of their traditional social roles. What is more, new laws giving the rights to the Japanese woman as the Japanese men have should be implemented. This article examines women’s basic human rights in contemporary Japan, including historical background, Japanese Prime Minister Sh. Abe’s policy toward women and tries to find any improvements in their lives connected with attempts of changing the laws and traditions of this patriarchal society. The assumption is made that though the Japanese women can exercise their rights thanks to the newest Constitution, their lives are often subdued to old patriarchal traditions and perceptions of their roles as well ase regulations established after World War II.