While Japan fights centuries of traditional gender norms to raise the status of women in the workplace, a small group of women are challenging convention in the ring.
Japan's all-female pro wrestlers are called "joshi puroresu," and their style, like their male counterparts', is less gimmicky than American pro-wrestling. Though matches still involve performance art, they can also be quite violent, with full-contact moves causing more injuries and shorter careers. But the sport isn't a new phenomenon.
Professional wrestling began in Japan after World War II, in an attempt to raise the country's deflated spirit. Women joined the sport soon after, in the 1950s, but really got their footing after the inception of the Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling Association in 1967. In the 1970s, while the major men's wrestling associations began splintering, all-female wrestling reached a new height of popularity. During the next two decades, some female wrestlers became breakout stars and pop icons, their muscular looks and athletic skills helping to challenge Japan's strict gender norms.
