It is time to stop making, and accepting, excuses for Japan's snail-paced progress in granting women a significant voice in decision-making in the public and private sectors. One obvious solution would be for women to have more opportunities to become involved in politics. A new government white paper by the Prime Minister's Office sees hope in women's growing political participation at the local and national levels. However, the white paper also notes the embarrassing fact that as of last year Japan ranked 38th among 102 nations in giving women responsible posts in politics and government and management-level positions in business.

Educational advances have many women fully prepared and eager to play meaningful roles in society outside the home. Yet the not always subtle intransigence of many tradition-bound men continues to make Japanese women one of this nation's most obviously wasted resources. The government hails the fact that from 1986 through this year the proportion of female members in the House of Representatives increased from 1.4 percent to 5 percent and in the House of Councilors from 8.7 percent to 17.1 percent. Those figures may seem impressive for Japan, but the white paper was also forced to note that statistics for other developed nations show far higher percentages. In political terms, the 14 years since 1986 is a very long time.

The gender-equality report was intended to demonstrate what improvements Japan has made since the government instituted its plan to promote equal treatment for men and women in 1996. It is the first such report since a law to encourage equal participation in society by both sexes was passed by the Diet last year. Perhaps aware that it would present a picture of progress only slightly more rapid than glacial, the Prime Minister's Office earlier this year also undertook another in an ongoing series of surveys of public opinion on gender-equality issues. What it revealed in no uncertain terms is that public thinking is far ahead of actual conditions.