Steps to encourage working mothers put noses out of joint

Akane had always enjoyed her job at a Tokyo call center until, unlike many Japanese mothers, she decided to return to work after finishing her maternity leave.

It was not long before colleagues started picking on the 30-something mother for working shorter hours or being away from the office due to child-care issues.

She is not alone. Harassment of working mothers is a growing problem in Japan, possibly aggravated by government policies aimed at keeping women in the workforce, experts say.