Female labor has played a major role in the post-Second World War Japanese economy--an issue that has not received academic attention relative to its importance. Moreover, studies that specifically address geographic aspects of the gender division of labor are largely absent for Japan, surprising in light of significant regional variations in women's employment experiences as revealed in North American-based studies. The goal of this research is thus to investigate how the trajectory of social and economic changes in postwar Japan have impacted the form and extent of female labor force...