In Japan, while many female students are interested in science and technology, gender disparities remain when it comes to choosing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) related academic and career paths.

According to a study conducted by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the proportion of women entering STEM fields in Japan is among the lowest among OECD member countries. The study also points to factors such as unconscious bias and the lack of visible role models as barriers to women’s participation in STEM.

Against this backdrop, there is a growing need to provide opportunities for female students to experience STEM studies and careers firsthand, helping them envision their future paths more concretely.

As part of its efforts to address this social challenge, Sharp participated in “Girls Meet STEM”, a program organized by the Yamada Shintaro Foundation for Diversity & Inclusion.

■ What Is “Girls Meet STEM”?

“Girls Meet STEM” is a tour-based experiential program in the field of STEM implemented by the Yamada Shintaro D&I Foundation, in collaboration with universities, colleges of technology, companies, and research institutions, targeting middle and high school girls. The program aims to broaden participants’ possibilities in higher education and careers by visiting actual sites and interacting with the people who study and work there.

　”STEM careers sound interesting—but what’s it really like?”
　”I’m curious about science and math, but I can’t quite picture what kinds of jobs they lead to.”

　Many middle and high school girls may feel this way when thinking about their future paths.

On Monday, August 24, a group of girls with these very questions gathered at Sharp’s Yao Office (Yao City, Osaka). The occasion was an office tour titled “Home Appliances × Animals? Peek into Manufacturing Jobs That Improve Your Life,” held as part of “Girls Meet STEM,” an experiential program for middle and high school girls. The day combined hands-on exposure to cutting-edge technologies in the showroom with in-depth conversations with women working in technical roles at Sharp.

Three Sharp employees with diverse career backgrounds spoke at the event—one who has devoted herself entirely to technical work, one who transitioned from a humanities background into technology, and one who balances work with raising a child. “Were you good at STEM subjects?” “Is it really possible to switch from the humanities to science?” “What’s it actually like to work in a technical field?” The three Sharp employees answered these candid questions with genuine honesty.
　

This article reports on the events of that day.

■First Stop: The Showroom — Inspirations from Nature Hidden in Home Appliances

The tour began with a visit to the Plasmacluster Museum, where participants learned about the history of Plasmacluster technology, Sharp products equipped with this technology, and its growing adoption in everyday products from other manufacturers.
　

Next, participants visited the showroom at the Yao Office, where they experienced Sharp’s unique biomimetic technologies, known as “Nature Technology,” and products incorporating them. For example, the palm structure of a sea otter—optimized for efficient self-grooming—was applied to a hairbrush, while the shape of a dolphin’s tail fin and skin folds that enable high-speed swimming were applied to the pulsator of a fully automatic washing machine. Technologies inspired by familiar animals are built into the home appliances of everyday life.
　

In the product exhibition, participants tried out refrigerators, cooking appliances, washer-dryers, and other home appliances, enjoying Sharp’s “talkative” lineup. They also viewed large refrigerators and built-in microwave ovens developed for overseas markets—products rarely seen in Japan.​ 

■Meet the Three Women in STEM

Three women currently working in technical roles at Sharp participated in the roundtable session. Their jobs and their reasons for choosing STEM each differ.

■Sharp Employees Answer Participants’ Questions Candidly

Q1. Were you good at STEM subjects in middle school and high school?

The three answers were strikingly different. Mizumoto said she was good at them; Kenmochi honestly admitted she was “more on the weak side”; and Shibata said she was “somewhat good at them.”

——The genuine answers—showing that you can pursue a technical career and thrive even without being strong at STEM—brought looks of relief to participants’ faces.

Q2. What do you find appealing about working in STEM, and what would you tell middle and high school students?

　Each took a different angle.

Mizumoto, who develops technology, cited “being able to see the results clearly in numbers.” She described the satisfaction of achieving a goal through trial and error: “When technology I worked on ends up in a product on the store shelf, I can’t help bragging about it.”

Kenmochi, who comes from a humanities background, said it was “the process of seeing quality gradually improve.” “It’s painstaking work, but it’s so rewarding when a product you struggled to develop reaches the world. Even now, I sometimes catch myself grinning to myself, thinking, ‘That product uses the panel I developed back then.'”

Shibata, who pursues ease of use, said it was “discovering something new.” “During product testing, someone operates the product in a way I never anticipated, and I find myself thinking, ‘So that’s another way to look at it!'”

Development, trial and error, ease of use—the three different answers shared one thing in common: the joy of seeing “something you were part of take shape and enter the world.”

■Small-Group Roundtable Sessions with the Sharp Employees

After the panel discussion, participants split into three groups for roundtable sessions. With the Sharp employees’ actual work tools on hand, participants asked directly about job content, career choices, and studying. Below are excerpts from those exchanges.

――Did you choose Nature Technology work because you love animals?

(Mizumoto) I do like animals, but I wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about them. During my job search, my attitude was “I’ll do anything,” and I was assigned to my current department. After joining, I started visiting aquariums and zoos and deepened my knowledge by listening to experts. Everyday animals are the source of my ideas. Fan designs—such as for electric fans—are often inspired by the wings of flying animals, for example. We don’t just look for new animals; we also revisit animals that were considered in the past but not adopted. Whenever I visit a zoo or aquarium, I inevitably find myself looking for technology hints.

――When do you find your work most enjoyable?

(Shibata) I find satisfaction in being part of the process of making products and services increasingly easier to use. My work is less about “creating products” and more about thinking about “ease of use.” Discovering something new every day is also a joy.

――Should you develop the subject you’re good at or the one you love?

(Kenmochi) It’s difficult to say definitively, but if I had to choose, I think it’s better to develop what you’re good at. However, making your passion your career can sometimes cause you to grow to dislike it under the pressure—so keeping what you love as a hobby is also an option worth considering.

――Is there anything you recommend doing now, while you still have the chance?

(Kenmochi) Regardless of whether you choose the humanities or science, Japanese language skills and English are both necessary. Even as an engineer, you frequently have to convey your ideas to others, so vocabulary and writing ability are valuable. Beyond studying, I also hope you will take on club activities and other things that are only possible during your student years.

Because the sessions were conducted in small groups, participants were able to ask candidly about personal concerns. In addition, they learned about the wide range of career opportunities available in STEM fields and the importance of developing communication skills and continuing to learn.

■Participants’ Voices

　After the tour, participants shared the following comments:

“It was very fun to meet people doing work I had never known about. I was happy to meet people doing interesting things—like thinking about ease of use, and looking at the remarkable qualities of plants and animals.”
“It was great to be able to talk with women in technical careers in a small group.”
“Seeing home appliances that actually incorporate Nature Technology made the appeal of manufacturing come through.”
“I was able to learn in detail about research and development roles and gained inspiration for my own research.”

Every participant indicated that this tour was “beneficial.”

The surveys conducted before and after the tour clearly showed a change in how the participating girls felt. The proportion of those who strongly agreed that “STEM suits me” and “STEM seems enjoyable” increased. The encounter with the Sharp employees appeared to make pursuing a technical path feel more within reach.

■Different Paths, the Same Enthusiasm

Good at STEM subjects, not so good, came from the humanities, balancing work and parenting—their paths were all different, yet the three shared one thing in common: the genuine feeling that “technical work is rewarding.”

 Through interactions with women currently working in technical fields, the participating girls deepened their understanding of “why they chose STEM,” “the appeal of their work,” and “what they do day to day,” and appeared to develop a more concrete picture of their future paths and careers.

Sharp will continue to stand beside each individual’s desire to “give it a try” and create an environment where diverse people can thrive.

<Related Links>
 Recruitment：https://corporate.jp.sharp/recruit/en/
 DE&I (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Management:https://corporate.jp.sharp/eco/social/diversity/ (Japanese)
Girls Meet STEM Event Report:[Sharp Corporation] “Home Appliances × Animals? Peek into Manufacturing Jobs That Improve Your Life” Tour Held (Japanese)