Presence and Voice: The History and Status Quo of Women Law Professors in Japan.

This article presents data relating to women in legal education in Japan. Part II gives a historical background that introduces Japan's pioneer women law scholars from the 1940s up to the late-1980s, noting what has been termed a "dark ages" period during which very few women entered the field between 1962 and the mid-1970s. Part III seeks to ascertain the current numerical count of women law professors in Japan, data which ought to be easily accessible and well-known, but in fact is neither. Part IV draws upon certain proxies in legal scholarship to assess the voice of women scholars in recent decades, acknowledging that while some progress has been made, there is still much room for improvement. Part V then offers comparative observations between women law professors in Japan and those in the United States. Finally, Part VI concludes with our hopeful contribution to the field of feminist legal theory more generally and provides a road map for future investigations into this important subject. By our observation, writings in this field, more often than not, simply presume the significance of feminist contributions in the legal academy. The point is--at the very least--an understated premise. However, the comparison with Japan, which is starkly different in its history from the 1960s onward, makes available a clarifying "what if" alternative scenario to consider this question. If there had not been feminist contributions in the U.S.' legal academy, or a mere fraction of what we have had, then we believe we would have greater lags for the progress of equality for women in U.S. society more generally. The comparison with Japan in this article adds credence to such a claim. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]