Japan moves to let women work on tunnel digging and blasting crews

Japan's health and labour ministry looks set to scrap one of the last bans on women working underground, covering tunnel excavation and blasting.

9 Nov 2026, 22:451 min read

A construction worker in a helmet and safety vest stands at the entrance of a tunnel under construction. — Image: 朝日新聞

Japan is about to take down one of its last "no women allowed" signs at work. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare looks set to allow women to do tunnel construction, including the digging and blasting that were off limits until now.

The ministry's survey found there is little need to keep the ban. The Labor Policy Council, an advisory body for labour rules, will now discuss revising the Labor Standards Act, Japan's basic employment law.

The ban goes back to 1947, when the law banned women from all underground work, citing harsh conditions. After the Equal Employment Opportunity Act took effect in 1986, exceptions were made for temporary work such as press reporting, doctors and nurses. A 2006 revision let women do technical management and supervision underground.

Excavation and blasting have stayed banned for women until now. That is the rule under review.

#japan#women at work#labor law#tunnel construction#gender equality

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