Cross-cultural communication （170）　

170) Why Do Japanese Women Have High-Pitched Voices?
In the “My Perspective” column of the August 18, 2025 Nikkei Morning Edition, Ms. Harumi Kodama, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Asian Development Bank, wrote about her observations on the high-pitched voices of Japanese women. Being bilingual in Japanese and English herself, she has long noticed this phenomenon empirically, noting that her voice is lower when speaking English than when speaking Japanese. She attributes this phenomenon to the influence of Japanese culture. Historically in Japan, women were seen as small and weak, objects to be protected. Additionally, recent trends influenced by anime and similar media encourage the use of high-pitched voices (often referred to as “anime voices”) to emphasize “cuteness” and “youthfulness.”

Indeed, during my three years in New York and two and a half years in Paris, the women around me spoke with noticeably lower voices than Japanese women. Even Japanese women working intensely with locals in England and France spoke with overwhelmingly lower voices, speaking slowly and calmly. Reading Ms. Kodama's article this time made me think, “Ah, that makes sense.” According to Ms. Kodama, Japanese women's high-pitched speech is a “manufactured voice” adapted to society, and it's best to produce a voice you personally like. I definitely agree.

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