Female full-time workers in Japan were paid wages that were 70 to 80 percent of what their male counterparts received last year, a government survey showed, underscoring the challenge the country faces in achieving gender equality in workplaces. While the gap has been narrowing, Japan lags behind some European nations like Sweden, which has achieved over 90 percent parity. The figure reflects that the number of female workers in managerial posts in Japan is still low, while the average length of employment is shorter for women than men, the government said. Japan’s average wage level for women…