Japan's higher-education system is the second largest in the world, after the United States, but it fares much worse than the United States when it comes to gender equity. Just 7 percent of Japan's 750-odd colleges and universities are run by women, compared with 23 percent of those in the United States. While four out of the eight members of the Ivy League now boast female presidents, none of Japan's top academic institutions has ever allowed a woman to rise to the top. This article examines the factors that contribute to the gender imbalance in Japanese academe. This article also describes the possible solutions in improving the ratio of female to male professors in Japan. [This article is produced by Chronicle of Higher Education, Washington, DC.]