Chauvinism is only the visible surface in the Japanese culture. Outwardly, it’s a very male dominated society where men work and women look after the home. In a traditional relationship, the women walk behind the men.
My father had seen an example of this at the station where he watched a man, seemingly oblivious of his wife, arrive on the platform and place his bags down. His wife stopped obediently beside him, but he picked up his and walked further on, then back to where they’d originally been. Uncomplaining, his wife trotted behind, out of sight. However, if my father had looked more closely, he would probably have seen that the man carried all the bags, or at least the heavy items, while she carried little. Underneath the chauvinist facade, there is another layer where the woman shows her power.