Only one female executive made it to the top-earner list of the Nikkei 225 companies last year. She is an American who lives in New York.
Nicole Seligman, president of Sony Corporation of America and Sony Entertainment Inc., is the only female among 185 executives who earned ¥100 million or more, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Kazuo Kashio, president of Casio Computer Co., earned the most, with ¥1.2 billion in compensation, and Canon Inc. Chairman Fujio Mitarai was second with ¥1.1 billion, according to the data, which looked at the pay of the top executives at Japan's 225 biggest companies in the last reporting period.
The absence of Japanese women in the top echelons of business reflects challenges the country faces in boosting the number of female leaders as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledges to fill 30 percent of management positions with women by 2020. It is also a result of lower female labor participation in a nation known for long working hours, a shortage of childcare facilities and a culture in which women are often relegated to serving tea in workplaces.
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