Atsugi - Although "diversity" is such a novel and foreign word in Japan it's a tongue-twister, Nissan is determined to promote women and make "die-bah-she-tea," as it's called here, a pillar of its image.
The diversity drive comes at a time when Nissan is seeing slipping sales and its first drop in annual profit in seven years - struggling to draw the global limelight from booming Japanese rivals Toyota and Honda.
Wooing women isn't likely to win too many accolades in a nation where laws against discrimination in employment lack enforcement power or merely carry small fines as penalties, and largely depend on public opinion to sway management into political correctness.
But Nissan's onsite day-care, family leave of up to two years and flexible work schedules are helping attract more women and keeping them. Nissan has also been spreading the word about diversity at universities and seminars to recruit women.
And it's one clear way Nissan, 44% owned by Renault of France, can hope to send a unique message as a cross-cultural automaker - and hope to beat Toyota and Honda.
Diversity programs are fairly established at American automakers, with women making up 27% of management at General Motors. At Toyota, women comprise 1% of management, and 0.4% at Honda.
At Nissan, women in management have climbed to 4% from 1.6% in 2004 under the diversity drive, and the company is targeting 5% by March 2008.
Women make up 10% of management overall in Japan - compared with 42.5% in the US - but tend to be underrepresented in manufacturing.
"Things are definitely changing," said Kumi Hatsukano, a manager for car body design at Nissan. "But what would be ideal is if we could stop talking about this topic of being a woman or a man altogether."
When Hatsukano, 38, joined Nissan in 1993, she had her share of run-ins with sexual harassment. Male workers gave her unwanted attention and asked personal questions about her love life, especially when she was working late.
Today, she is reaping some of the benefits of the diversity initiative. Her co-workers understand when she leaves early at seven to pick up her 1-year-old son at the company-run day-care centre. Working past midnight had been routine before her maternity leave.
When Chiharu Ikahata, 26, was hired as the first woman on her assembly line in 1999, the women's restroom was so old and dirty one had to be built at her request.
Today, she is plant manager after studying production methods for two years at a Nissan-run school, and hopes to be a role model for women workers.
Japan - with a culture that encourages women to become meek housekeepers - has lagged behind Western nations in accepting women on the job.
Japanese women lose out more than their Western sisters in a corporate culture that values seniority, rather than performance, for promotion and pay. Women fear getting penalised for taking time off for childbirth, said Kumiko Morizane, labour ministry deputy director.
In Japan, employers are required to give six weeks family leave before the due date and one year of child-care leave and must guarantee a comparable job afterward. But 67% of working women quit after giving birth to their first child, according to a government study.
One reason women feel more empowered at Nissan is the unmistakable message from the top executive.
Brazilian-born and French-educated, chief executive Carlos Ghosn is determined to make diversity a buzzword, citing the success of the Nissan-Renault alliance, set up in 1999.
"We are creating a corporate culture committed to diversity," he told shareholders recently, "where merit alone opens every door."
Yukiko Yoshimaru, 47, hired two years ago to push the diversity effort spearheaded by Ghosn, says empowering women holds potential in the auto industry.
Nissan research found women are involved in 60% of decision-making when buying a car. Hiring women and supporting their careers add to Nissan's competitive edge, she said.
Miwa Ishii, 42, marketing manager, says women offer insights about customers.
Reflecting widespread sentiment among working a woman, Ishii likes to think what she contributes to Nissan is about her skills as a person - not her gender.
But the gradual rise of Japanese women as workers, car-owners and consumers has been critical in pushing Nissan to appreciate the value of female expertise to reach women buyers.
Advertising for the March compact here stars a happy-go-lucky woman cheered by the little things in life, such as chancing upon a series of green lights. Ishii's team has also set up an online store selling colourful knickknacks for the Pino model to appeal to young women.
"Identifying with people's emotions - that's empathy," Ishii said. "In a way, that's what being a woman is all about."