Are Japanese women happy with their roles as wives and mothers, content to leave the stress of fourteen-hour days in offices and commuter trains to men? Or are they frustrated by the limitations of this traditional arrangement? Why are Japanese women actively discouraged from pursuing careers when they have one of the highest levels of education in the world? Will a new generation of women be able gain equality at home and at work? With elegant prose, noted biographer and critic Patricia Morley tackles these questions as she explores the daily lives and the hopes and aspirations of dynamic Japanese women.

Based on hundreds of interviews, The Mountain is Moving looks at the many facets of women's lives, including education, marriage and child rearing, the workplace, eldercare, the political arena, and volunteerism. The interviews are complemented by readings of a diverse and compelling range of stories and novels by and about Japanese women.