The fifth edition of 'Mimosa Day', the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan's (ICCJ) series of initiatives to mark International Women's Day, was held at Tokyo Tower. The event saw the presentation of two prestigious awards: the Mimosa Day Award and the Phenomena Award, the prize that celebrates female talent and entrepreneurship, created by the Chieti Pescara Chamber of Commerce and the Abruzzo Region, in synergy with the Chieti Pescara Development Agency and with the support of Assocamerestero and Mirabilia, the association of Italian Chambers of Commerce for the enhancement of UNESCO sites.
Also symbolically present at the evening was Italia-chan, the female mascot of the Italian Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, in what is a small taste of the Universal Exposition that will open next 13 April. Mimosa Day Award recipients included Asako Hoshino, Executive Vice President of Nissan, for her instrumental contribution to the creation of Nissan's Diversity Development Office; Masami Katakura, CEO of EY ShinNihon, for her work in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion; and Nina Yamano, Representative director of Yamano and Associates for her incredible managerial skills that led Yamano and Associates to close deals with multiple brands in Italy in 2024.
Numerous prizes were also awarded to the Italian representatives who were part of the group of 26 female entrepreneurs who flew to Tokyo for the second edition of Phenomena Japan, the Japanese equivalent of the women's entrepreneurship fair, which on 6 and 7 March saw them involved in a showroom in Omotesandō, the beating heart of the fashion biz, and in a busy programme of meetings with local buyers organised by the ICCJ. "The fashion sector in Abruzzo is growing and is a district we want to focus on because it is changing skin, because it is adapting to the need for innovation that also passes through sustainability, hence short supply chain, traceability, great attention to the environment and the social aspect," Tiziana Magnacca, Abruzzo Regional Councillor for Productive Activities - Industrial Research and Employment, told ANSA. "We are moving from a management that has almost always been family-run, to important management with Italian and foreign groups; a sector that fully embodies in this transition the spirit of innovation that is linked to the tradition of fashion and leather goods made in Italy in Abruzzo".
The initiative in Tokyo is of crucial importance in a country that is still struggling to carve out a prominent role for itself in terms of gender equality. Data from the Gender equality bureau speak for themselves: in 2024, Japan ranked 118th in the Gender gap index (compared to Italy's 87th place), and 160th for female representation in Parliament, with 11% of women elected. In the world of work, only 10.9% of managerial positions are held by women, with a significant salary disparity: female professionals earn an average of 78.7% compared to their male colleagues.
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