This chapter explores the career trajectories of foreign women in higher education in Japan, with the objectives of examining the lived experiences of the participants, and making recommendations for practice based on them. The findings indicate that women of color in Japanese higher education have more barriers to overcome than their White, Western counterparts. Despite the difficulties, however, these women have succeeded in side-stepping several significant barriers by relying on extended family and professional mentors. Recommendations for practice include the expansion of professional development programs in order to create opportunities to hone networking, mentorship, and leadership skills. Additionally, it is recommended that shifts in attitude towards women in the workplace and women in leadership roles may be facilitated through more balanced hiring practices and through diversity and inclusion workshops.

Introduction

In recent decades, researchers around the globe have conducted empirical studies on women in leadership roles in higher education to gain insights into their experiences and the problems they face. However, scant research on women in leadership positions in the Japanese context has been conducted and there has been no research to date on foreign women of color in leadership roles in Japanese universities. The two primary objectives of conducting this research were, first, to gain insights by examining the career trajectories of foreign women of color in leadership roles in Japanese universities and, second, to gain a better understanding of their current lived experience. The majority of studies define leadership as being in an administrative role like a department head, dean, president, or provost. This study used a similar definition of leadership. However, it also adopted a more fluid definition as outlined by Dunn, Gerlach, and Hyle in which leadership means being in a position to transform the status quo, to “role-make” rather than “role-take.” Practical applications of the findings of the research are aimed at developing smoother career paths for women who aspire to leadership roles and at facilitating change in the areas where women currently face difficulties.

Research of this kind is particularly significant because although more than half of university students in Japan are female, only 8% of the nation’s professoriate are women.