Question 1

One "man's job" that comes to mind is truck driver. My grandfather was a truck driver when he was young. It sounds like a very difficult job because you have to stay focused all the time to ensure a safe trip. You also have to be gone for long periods of time while getting little rest. A women can also do this job, but not many would probably want to. I know one woman who did and it seems that she was pretty good at it. She told me that you have to be really tough in that line of work and she did quit to go into teaching later on.

Question 2

I think the most female dominated occupation in Japan is kindergarten teacher. I believe this is a "woman's job" because women have more of an inclination to take care of young children. A man can also do this job, but he would have to have a nurturing and sensitive personality, not to mention a lot of patience.

Question 3

I don't believe there are any jobs that can only be done by a man or woman specifically, though some jobs could be better suited for one or the other. Humans have the ability to adapt to different situations and environments, so I believe that it really just depends on the person and what they are driven to do.

Question 4

Japan is seeing a change, though it seems to be happening at a slower pace than some other countries. More women are joining the workforce even after becoming mothers, though I think that has more to do with the economy. I hope we will achieve a good balance soon despite the state of the economy.

Question 5

It's hard to say who has it "easier" because both men and women have a lot to take care of in life. Everyone experiences life differently and we all have both difficult and easy periods. It's not really fair to make general statements like "men/women have it easier".

Question 6

I haven't really thought about it much, but biologically I feel like being a man might be easier because they don't experience periods, childbirth, and menopause.

Tough Vocabulary

Question 1

I used to work in the Construction and Design industry and I can attest that it is clearly a male-dominated world. Majority of the engineers and construction managers are men. These jobs demand long work hours which is probably why most women are not attracted to such careers in the first place.

Question 2

Most jobs in the Hospitality industry are dominated by women. It might be rooted in societal expectations. We expect women to be more caring and nurturing so we assign them to jobs that require a high level of customer service.

Question 3

I used to think only men can be seafarers because it's a physically demanding job and requires rigorous training especially if you get assigned technical tasks for ship maintenance. Now, I personally know two women from my hometown who work as seafarers. I think this industry is leaning towards becoming more gender-free in the future.

Question 4

I haven't lived as long in Japan to make a fair judgment but I think the glass ceiling for women is gradually blurring. According to the Gender Gap index statistics, Japan is still behind in matters of gender equality compared to the rest of the world. However, we can see hopeful changes as we can see more women getting promoted to bigger roles and positions.

Question 5

I definitely think life is easier for men. Men also have a heavy burden of societal expectations on their shoulders. However, for women, the working conditions to be able to work and raise their own families will always require a compromise.

Question 6

I never imagined myself being born as a man. But come to think of it, maybe I could have handled my construction projects more efficiently and I wouldn't have to endure sexist jokes on site if I were a man.

Tough Vocabulary