Japan became an imperialist country in many ways, but that was much later, after it had already made big progress. I don’t think Japan’s wealth was based on exploiting China. Japan’s wealth was based on its expansion in international trade.

The lack of economic freedom could be a very major reason for loss of liberty, liberty of life.

There may be countries [where] there's no gender inequality in schooling, even in higher education, but [where there is] gender inequality in high business. Japan is a very good example of that. You might find cases in the United States where at one level women's equality has progressed tremendously. You don't have the kind of problem of higher women's mortality as you see in South Asia, North Africa, and East Asia, China, too, and yet for American women there are some fields in which equality hasn't yet come.

But the idea that I should be a teacher and a researcher of some sort did not vary over the years.

Empowering women is key to building a future we want

Economic growth without investment in human development is unsustainable - and unethical.

There is considerable evidence that women's education and literacy tend to reduce the mortality rates of children