Japanese women spend thousands of dollars to learn to walk in high heels.

The Japan High Heel Association (JHA)'s six-month high-heel walking class attracts thousands of women who want to improve their self-confidence.

Ms. Yumiko, managing director of JHA in Tokyo, teaches women to wear high heels. Photo: AFP

Japan, a country that regularly ranks at the bottom of gender equality rankings among developed countries, is now home to a new movement aimed at "empowering" women by encouraging them to wear high heels.

JHA urges women to replace flat shoes with high heels to increase social confidence and improve posture.

The all-female organization charges more than 400,000 yen ($4,000) for a six-month course that includes classes on how to walk properly, and 4,000 Japanese women have completed the course.

In fact, JHA is just one of many schools across Japan that offer similar high-heel classes for women. However, critics have condemned the popularity of high-heel activities in a society where patriarchy and sexism are deeply entrenched.

Mitsuko Shimomura, a prominent social commentator, dismissed the idea as "nonsense": "There is no connection between wearing high heels and feminism. It's crazy."

Gender inequality is deeply rooted in Japanese culture despite government policies. Japanese women often quit their jobs after giving birth due to a shortage of childcare spots and find it difficult to get promoted.

High heel walking class in Tokyo. Photo: AFP

However, "lady" Yumiko, managing director of JHA in Tokyo, asserted that encouraging women to wear high heels would help "Japanese women become more confident".

Calling on women to wear high heels to open their hearts, she said: "Many women are shy about expressing themselves. In Japanese culture, women often do not have a voice or are given priority."

Wearing high heels will not only free their souls but also help correct their bad posture due to being used to wearing kimono, added Ms. Yumiko, 48, a former ballet dancer.

"Japanese women walk like ducks. They waddle, their toes curled in with their buttocks stuck together like they're going to the toilet. It's horrible," she said. "Chinese and Korean women don't have this problem. It's a result of Japanese kimono culture and wearing straw sandals. It's ingrained in the Japanese way of walking. But very few Japanese people wear kimono all day. We should be aware of Western culture and know how to wear high heels properly."

According to VNE