Japan's track record for shattering the glass ceiling for working women is a short one. But on Thursday, another crack was made when a female was named head coach for the first time in Japan's professional basketball league.

There have been many theories put forth for the paucity of women leaders in men's sports, and other arenas for that matter, that ultimately go back to gender stereotypes—women lack assertiveness, men won't be able to listen to a woman in power, women are too emotional.

The...