Kuniko Urano is the first, yes, the very first woman board member of Komatsu Ltd., a 98-year-old company that is the world's No. 2 construction and mining equipment maker.
The path that Urano, 63, took to the boardroom and the reason she's still a solo member on Komatsu's board say a great deal about Japan's difficulties in bridging the gender gap in a country that most acknowledge needs more women in positions of influence.
Worries about Japan's shrinking workforce and aging demographics have prompted Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for years to promote lowering barriers that keep women from contributing fully to the economy.