Japanese Firms under Pressure to Have Female Directors

Newsfrom Japan

Tokyo, June 8 (Jiji Press)--Publicly traded Japanese companies have been increasingly under pressure from institutional investors and the government to appoint women to their boards of directors.

Many listed companies, including Toray Industries Inc., Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. and Workman Co., will seek approval to appoint female board members for the first time at shareholders' meetings this month.

Precision reducer manufacturer Harmonic Drive Systems Inc. has asked Kaeko Kitamoto of Ernst & Young ShinNihon LLC to serve as outside director.

Harmonic Drive Systems had looked for a person who has necessary skills for the company, director Kazutoshi Kamijo said. "We want to make use of women's point of view."

Those moves come as institutional investors are focusing more on diversity.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]

Jiji Press