Feminism in Modern Japan

Contemporary Japanese Society

by Vera Mackie

Feminism in Modern Japan is an original and path-breaking book which traces the history of feminist thought and womenAos activism in Japan from the late nineteenth century to the present. The author offers a fascinating account of those who struck out against convention in the dissemination of ideas which challenged accepted notions of thinking about women, men and society generally. Feminist activism took diverse forms as women questioned their roles as subjects of the Emperor, or explored the limits of citizenship under the more liberal post-war constitution. The story is brought to life through translated extracts of the writings of Japanese feminists. This cogent, carefully documented analysis will be welcomed by students from a range of disciplines including those working on gender studies and feminist history, where nothing comparable is currently available."

Genres: Japan, History, Nonfiction, Feminism, School

309 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

i read this when completing my application for stanford's japanese language program. it's great just to know that there IS a feminist community / movement happening in japan. you can learn a general history and learn about specific publications, movements, and the way (slight ways) things are beginning to change. i didn't end up using it in my application, but it helped gain a general insight into japan's feminist circle.

[Empanadani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seemingly well-researched and written well, this is a good read for those interested in the history of feminism in other countries (in this case Japan).

[Kam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nicely researched and historically organised book, Not only does it provide enough historical background for the developments to make sense to a reader without much prior knowledge but it also makes a comprehensible timeline that still underlines the major topics of feminism in Japan and its relation to feminism around the globe and other social movements in Japan.

It is a short and introductory read that nevertheless helps put more detailed works in context and that is mostly indispensable for anyone starting on the topic.