For decades, women in Japan were told they couldn’t be sushi chefs because their hands were “too warm” and would ruin the fish. It sounds silly, and it is. But it’s a belief that is part of a long list of things women have been told they cannot do, enter, inherit, lead or touch.

Some of these restrictions are informal, enforced through custom and social pressure. Others are institutional, embedded in religious practice, workplace systems, or medical norms. A few are still written directly into law.

What they have in common is how rarely they are questioned. When exclusion is framed as tradition rather than discrimination, it becomes easier to defend and harder to dismantle. This article looks at some of the most persistent examples, not to argue that Japan is uniquely regressive, but to examine how a modern society continues to draw quiet boundaries around women’s access to power, space and autonomy.

“Women in Japan cannot be sushi chefs.” 

For most of the 20th century, the idea that women could not be sushi chefs in Japan was treated as fact. There was no law banning women from the profession, but it was an industry-wide belief, and women were almost entirely excluded from traditional Edomae sushi apprenticeships. These were long, hierarchical and heavily gatekept by male masters.

Today, female sushi chefs are still rare, but they are gaining numbers. For example, Nadeshiko Sushi opened as a women-run sushi restaurant staffed entirely by female chefs. It became a huge success because—shocker—the sushi was good.

“Women in Japan should relinquish ownership after marriage.”

Women in Japan can legally own property and land and inherit assets. However, women are often encouraged to relinquish ownership after marriage, or to hold assets “temporarily” until a male relative takes over. Inheritance customs still tend to favor men, especially within traditional households where continuity of the family line is prioritized over individual rights. Property is frequently registered under husbands or eldest sons, particularly in rural areas or family-owned businesses.

“Women in Japan are banned from Mount Omine.”

Women in Japan are banned from entering certain sacred sites, including Mount Omine, a UNESCO-listed spiritual site. The justification is “spiritual purity.” Women are considered a source of ritual impurity, often linked to menstruation… Other temples and shrines also restrict women from entering inner sanctums or participating in certain rituals, and this is defended as preservation of tradition. 

“Women in Japan cannot become professional sumo wrestlers—or even step inside the ring.”

There are no professional female sumo wrestlers. The sport is governed by the Japan Sumo Association, which does not permit women to compete as rikishi (professional wrestlers). There is no pathway, ranking system or professional league for women within the sport’s official structure. Women are not even allowed to step into the ring, not even in an emergency. During a 2018 event held at the Maizuru Cultural Park Gymnasium in Maizuru, several female nurses leapt into the ring to administer CPR on a man who had collapsed, but the arena announcer instructed them to leave the ring. 

“Women in Japan cannot easily keep their last name after marriage.”

In Japan, a married couple cannot be legally married while keeping different last names. The law requires both spouses to share one surname in the family registry. In theory, the couple can choose either the husband’s or the wife’s name, but around 95 percent of couples register under the husband’s surname. There is no legal option for dual surnames or hyphenated names, meaning one person must give up their legal identity in order to be married. 

“Married women in Japan cannot get an abortion without partner consent.”

This one is nuanced, and we cover it in a full article here. Access to abortion is governed by the Maternal Protection Law, which generally requires the consent of both the pregnant woman and her spouse if she is legally married. While the law does include exceptions, such as when the spouse is unknown, unreachable, deceased or unable to express consent, these are applied inconsistently in practice. Unmarried women are not legally required to obtain partner consent, but many clinics still request a partner’s signature as a matter of internal policy, so that they can avoid any potential legal trouble. 

You might also be interested in reading: 

Are Trains in Tokyo Safe for Women? A List of Women-Only Cars in Tokyo

Japan Drugstore Guide: Period Pain Relief and Women’s Health

Is Same Sex Marriage Legal in Japan?