I am afraid that I don't know why earl kinmoth views the discussion about gender equality as "sophomoric".
his gratuitous comments at the outset of the email do little to contribute to constructive debate.; rather they demean the seriousness of the persistent problem , which places Japan behind virtually all democratic nation ,except Korea, in a very backward position world wide. We have discussed this topic often on the forum.
There is no evidence of any manipulation on this sad record which is duly recorded annually by the Gender Equality Bureau in Japan and other indices., and the analogies to traffic or suicide only serve to muddy the already turgid waters further. Trivializing an issue of such seriousness does not speak well. joyce gelb