Welcome to The Extra, a biweekly newsletter of complimentary stories — that’s right, free for all to read — curated from The Japan Times archives.

In honor of International Women’s Day #IWD2025 and the call to #AccelerateAction on March 8, we’re focusing on women’s rights, plights and achievements in Japan.

Also, if you haven’t yet, it’s your last chance to complete our short survey on reading preferences. It should take no longer than 5 minutes of your time. Thank you to those who’ve already contributed.