Photo of an actress posing as Nakano Takeko, a famous female warrior and military leader who fought and died during the final years of the Shogunate in Japan. Image from Wikipedia, public domain.

Celebrating Women in Japan is a project that publishes short profiles of prominent women in Japan on Facebook and Twitter once a day, every day.

One recent woman profiled was influential manga creator Rumiko Takahashi.

Yesterday, Rumiko Takahashi was awarded the Grand Prix at the prestigious Angouleme International Comics Festival for her contribution to the development of manga. Congratulations. Her work was described as ‘extremely progressive’. ????㊗ #Japan #CelebratingWomeninJapan pic.twitter.com/YkowwZqKCB

— CelebratingWomeninJapan (@womenofjapan) January 25, 2019

The project is spearheaded by Melanie Brock, an international business consultant in Japan and was inspired by a similar campaign conducted by Kirstin Ferguson in 2017. Ferguson, from Australia, wanted to counter online abuse regularly directed at women by using the hashtag #celebratingwomen as a “way to see more celebration and less denigration of women.”

Often the women profiled by Celebrating Women in Japan have advice for other women trying to succeed in their careers or life in general. Keiko Kojima, a Japanese scholar, television personality and essayist, was first interviewed by Celebrating Women in Japan in 2018. Her advice?

#Advice for younger generation: Look after friends who you can have constructive debate with. Think carefully about the type of world you want to live in. Strive hard to build it – and smile as you go. Do all you can to support yourself as you seek to create that place. ?? pic.twitter.com/c2z69bKBvR

— CelebratingWomeninJapan (@womenofjapan) April 2, 2018

Not all of the women profiled by Celebrating Women in Japan are originally from Japan itself. Based in the regional city of Hiroshima in western Japan, Rachel Nicholson is a successful translator, entrepreneur, and media personality:

In 2006, Rachel Nicholson came to Hiroshima as a translator before pursuing her passion for baking and co-opening a small diner. In 2017, she returned to her writing roots and today she spends her days as a bilingual writer, translator, TV talent, and full-time food snob. ???? pic.twitter.com/PU3MR6c4wq

— CelebratingWomeninJapan (@womenofjapan) January 26, 2019

The common theme of the daily profiles is that the celebrated women come from all walks of life, and all have experienced unique challenges and successes.

Today we celebrate Azusa Shiota. Azusa has recently become Japan’s first female member of the Japan Police Agency front line disaster and rescue team. ????#womenofjapan #rolemodel #CelebratingWomeninJapan pic.twitter.com/XCUHmbBDX5

— CelebratingWomeninJapan (@womenofjapan) January 29, 2019