The Framework of Society That Leads us to Feel No Gender Gap in Japan

Abstract

  Consumers’ co-operative movement has evolved as a business model for female consumers and male social movement activists. Japanese consumers’ co-operative activities have focused on the developments and sales of ‘secure and safety products.’ However, UK female consumers’ movements have conflicted with business companies, based on the key phrase ‘consuming as voting.’

  After the 2000s, the Japanese co-operative movements were calmed down by the dietary fulfillment of most people, excluding the extra poor. Few consumers’ co-ops test commodities with their strict security standards. Twenty million members, up to 95％ are female, shop daily at a Japanese co-op. Their division of labor by gender roles is solid, eroding‘ the breadwinner role’ model. The annual survey of Japanese co-ops in 2018 shows a slight change among young households, but 90% of females answered that they manage their family dietary lifestyle at the nationwide survey of Japanese co-ops in 2015. These Japanese co-op members’ gender division of household labor remains unchanged in these 30 years; capitalist workplaces have relatively realized gender equality ahead rather than the intimate spheres of households.

  Mothers who manage their family`s dietary lifestyle are not free from the loneliness of ‘one operation’ childcare, even if they are not housewives. The female burden of feeding other family members, which is increasing because of the covid-19 pandemic, causes harmful damages to their careers. No one can say the Japanese family has already achieved gender equality. After signing the Workers’ co-op Act in 2020, the Japanese co-op movements’ attempt to create a new work style changed from a kind of feminism for GYN equality, such as the workers’ collective movement, into a gender-neutral and regional economic development project of each community.

  Family and the caste of gendered workplace demanding self-sacrifice are essential components of the ‘postfeminism’ situation. The increasing percentage of unmarried people represents female’s final resort to avoid gender discrimination.