The recent spate of industrial scandals shaking Japan's leading firms underlines the need for top management to develop a whole new attitude toward consumers and manufacturing if companies want to recover public trust and restore the country's image for high-quality production...

Take the ratio 3.1%. It represents the share of board seats held by women in Japanese companies, according to a 2014 survey by Catalyst, a leading non-profit organisation focused on expanding opportunities for women and business. Norway leads the way with 35.5% of board seats, the UK 22.8%, and the US 19.2%. A new corporate governance code published in March by the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Financial Services Agency is a step in the right direction...