Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction and overview. The political economy of low fertility / Frances McCall Rosenbluth ; Women's economic status and fertility: Japan in cross-national perspective / Sawako Shirahase -- Constraints on the demand for female labor. Gendering the varieties of capitalism: gender bias in skills and social policy / Margarita Estévez Abe ; Gendered offices: a comparative-historical examination of clerical work in Japan and the United States / Mary C. Brinton ; Employment options: Japan in comparative perspective / Eiko Kenjoh -- Constraints on women's supply of labor. Policies to support working mothers and children in Japan / Patricia Boling ; The political economy of daycare centers in Japan / Junichiro Wada ; The privatized education market and maternal employment in Japan / Keiko Hirao -- Conclusions and prescriptions. Conclusion / Frances McCall Rosenbluth.