Known then as Masako Owada, she worked long hours and had a rising career as a trade negotiator. Much has changed for Japan’s Foreign Ministry — and, in some ways, for Japanese women more broadly — in the ensuing three decades. Since 2020, women have comprised nearly half of each entering class of diplomats, and many women continue their careers after they marry. For years, Japan has promoted women in the workplace to aid its sputtering economy. But many women still struggle to balance their careers with domestic obligations.

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Persons: Masako Owada, Crown Prince —, — Naruhito, Japan’s Foreign Ministry — Organizations: Crown, Japan’s Foreign Ministry, Private Locations: Japan