This project will explore policy options aimed at improving gender diversity and the female labor force participation rate in Japan. I will examine the successes of companies in the U.S., China and Japan that have made these issues a priority to see what could be adopted on a broader policy level. In addition, I will report on the various challenges that women face in balancing work and family life, and the changes that would support and encourage them to enter and stay in the work force. Raising the female labor force participation rate has been identified by experts and the current government as key to supporting the economy in the long run. More working women can help mitigate the threat of a labor shortage, given Japan's low birth rates and fast-aging population, as it is expected to increase household income, consumption and productivity, according to labor economists. In that context, Japan's gender diversity initiatives can also be considered a pillar of the country's overall economic policy.