Globalization demands that more employees become comfortable working outside their home country borders. Piercing the bamboo wall is a research-based description of the work and living situations facing foreign professional women who work in Japan. This book draws upon detailed survey data and in-depth interviews, as well as the experiences of the authors, who have lived or worked in Japan during the last 20 years. It examines how foreign women can succeed in Japanese and foreign firms operating in Japan, by describing what helps these Western women adjust to Japan and work with Japanese bosses, subordinates and clients. These women face some different problems than men, yet are armed with special advantages.