In 1951, when the emancipation of women was taking shape in Japan, some women in leading positions in Tokyo got together and formed a small group, the Japan Professional Women's Club, to promote mutual assistance and friendship and at the same time to make cooperate efforts to elevate the social status of women.
Similar clubs were later organized in Yokohama, Nagoya and other cities in Japan, and in 1958, the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs of Japan was formed.
In 1959, the National Federation (BPW Japan) joined the International Federation of Business and Professional Women.
On October 30, 1982, the National Federation (BPW Japan) celebrated the 30th anniversary of its establishment. BPW Tokyo (original club of BPW Japan) celebrated the 50th anniversary in 2001.
In September 2009, BPW Japan applied for a status of a specified non-profit organization, to promote its activities for greater public interests in a more sustainable manner. Then in November 2017, BPW Japan was certified by Tokyo Metropolitan Government to be an Approved, Specified Non-Profit Corporation, and thereby, donation to BPW Japan became subject to income tax deductions under the tax system.
In 1993, the twenty-first International Congress of IFBPW was held at Nagoya in Japan, and BPW Japan was the host country. In 2019, BPW Japan hosted an East Asian Sub-Regional Conference in Tokyo.