She has championed the deaf and is a good-will ambassador for UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund. Yet critics say that despite her pioneering career, she has done little to advance women’s causes. In the interview, Ms. Kuroyanagi did not dwell on the indignities of being the sole woman in many rooms. In a society that she said retained “feudalist” elements in gender relations, she advised women to bootstrap their way through their careers. “Don’t ever say you can’t do anything because you are a woman,” she said.

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Persons: Kaori Hayashi, Kuroyanagi, “, “ Don’t, ”, it’s Organizations: UNICEF, United Nations Children’s Fund, University of Tokyo Locations: Japan