Our Voices

“What I found through the survey is that some women have less power to say no in COVID19 time...It gets harder to set the boundary and say no. And some say there is no place to escape or go so it gets hard to keep saying no. They are more vulnerable than before." writes Elif, in her article about restricted access to health services and products during Covid-19. Leslie and Sachiko continue the talk about health services in Japan with Elif. This time, they talk about access to health services during the pandemic, as well as the importance of consent. This is Part 2 of Health Services in Japan.

Read more about Elif's article here.

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"Not long ago, gynecology clinics in Japan were treated as something that should be hidden,” writes Elif, one of the directors at Voice Up Japan. Elif joins Our Voices as a guest, and explains the difference between sex-positive and sex-negative approaches to gynecology. She interviewed  Doctor Sakie Niwa and Shiori Nagashima at Sakie Ladies Clinic in Nagoya, and explained her experiences visiting the gynecologist in Turkey versus visiting the gynecologist in Japan. Leslie and Sachiko compare their own experiences about visiting the gynecologist as well. This is Part 1 of Health Services in Japan. 

Read more about Elif's article here.

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Leslie and Sachiko are joined by a special guest, Dr. David N. Nguyen, an Associate Professor by Special Appointment at the International Research Institute of Disaster Science of Tohoku University, and the Japanese National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention. Dr. Nguyen was featured in Trishit’s article, “A Decade and a Pandemic - The Recovery of Fukushima.”  In light of the 10th anniversary of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, Leslie and Sachiko ask Dr. Nguyen how Fukushima has changed, 10 years after the tragic event on March 11, 2011.

Read more about Trishit’s article and Dr. Nguyen’s comments here.

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Leslie and Sachiko continue with last week's topic about periods and discuss the availability of sanitary products, especially in public places in response to Haruka's article, "Why Are There No Sanitary Products in Schools' Washrooms?" The article featured Rino Nakashima, a sex education producer, who planned the “Exhibition of Sanitary Products” where she displayed menstrual products in her university bathroom, which got her fellow students talking about the lack of availability in public spaces. Leslie and Sachiko discuss the different kinds of sanitary products available in Japan, the stigma around sanitary products, and the "tampon tax."

Read more about Haruka's article here.

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Leslie and Sachiko talk about Sachiko's recent diagnosis with endometriosis, a painful condition that took Sachiko 20 years to diagnose. Sachiko explains her struggles with menstruation, and years of being told that her pain was "normal." In this episode, Leslie and Sachiko discuss the stigma of periods and seek to bring awareness about endometriosis. 

Read more about Sachiko's article about her diagnosis here.

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This episode contains descriptions of domestic violence. Leslie and Sachiko talk about the rise in domestic violence, especially intimate partner violence during pandemic-induced lockdowns across countries. Sachiko provides several resources that are available in Japan, as well as signs to spot if someone is affected by domestic violence. The two sources included are DV相談PLUS and DV相談ナビ. 

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Leslie and Sachiko talk about the challenges women face in STEM, noted in Leslie's interview with Yan Fan, the co-founder of Code Chrysalis, a coding boot camp based in Tokyo. Leslie talks about her experiences interning at a startup, as well as the Tokyo Medical University scandal that stopped countless women from entering medical school. 

Read more about Leslie's interview with Yan Fan here.

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Leslie and Sachiko talk about the genderless fashion subculture in Japan, and how attitudes towards fashion are changing. Mai from Voice Up Japan interviewed Ryota Yoshii, who wears the "genderless" fashion style. From the article, Leslie and Sachiko discuss their own takes on fashion, and how social pressure has an impact on an individual's personal fashion taste.

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Leslie and Sachiko talk about Japan's current state of emergency, which was declared in January in response to the rising number of cases across the country. Together, Leslie and Sachiko discuss how Japan has went back into a state of emergency, differences between the first state of emergency, and future challenges that Japan will face. 

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"Many Japanese people can realize that taking paternal leave is a normal thing," says Mizuki, a writer at Voice Up Japan. Mizuki joins Our Voice as a guest, and explains why she chose to interview Professor Tamura, the first male employee at Nagoya University to take paternity leave. Mizuki discusses the experiences that Professor Tamura faced and the future implications as more men are encouraged to take childcare leave.