Reuters: Boot camp for women battles image of Japan's army
They swapped their floral blouses for camouflage gear, their running shoes for heavy black boots and the comforts of home for narrow bunk beds and an early morning bugle call. Thirty-two young women got a taste of life in the Japanese military last week as they took part in the "Miss Parsley" tour, a public relations event aimed at women in their 20s, who the polls show to be least interested in defence issues. "Does it suit me? Does it suit me? I kind of like it," giggled Yoko Ito, a 25-year-old Osaka office worker, as she tried on a sniper's camouflage suit, complete with leafy headdress, and brandished a replica gun...more...