Women in Japanese Studies: Memoirs from a Trailblazing Generation

by Alisa Freedman (Editor)

Women in Japanese Memoirs from a Trailblazing Generation brings together trailblazing women scholars from diverse disciplines in Japanese Studies to reflect on their careers and offer advice to colleagues.

Most books present research and pedagogies. We do something We share lives―personal stories of how women scholars earned graduate degrees and began careers bridging Japan and North America between the 1950s and 1980 and balanced professional and personal responsibilities. We challenge the common narrative that Japanese Studies was established by men who worked for the US military after World War II or were from missionary families in Japan. This is only part of the story―the field was also created by women who took advantage of postwar opportunities for studying Japan. Women of this generation were among the first scholars to use Japanese source materials in research published in English and the first foreigners to study at Japanese universities. Their careers benefitted from fellowships, educational developments, activist movements to include the study of women and Asia in university curricula, and measures to prevent gender discrimination. Yet there were instances when, due to their gender, women received smaller salaries, faced hurdles to tenure, and were excluded from, or ignored, at conferences.

Our book pioneers a genre of academic memoirs, capturing emotional and intellectual experiences omitted from institutional histories. We offer lively, engaging, thoughtful, brave, empowering stories that start larger conversations about gender and inclusion in the academy and in Japan-American educational exchange.

618 pages, Paperback

First published December 26, 2023

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Freedman invited women who studied Japan, earned graduate degrees and began careers in either Japan or North America between the 1950s and 1980. Each entry showed the balanced between professional and personal responsibilities. Reminding readers that Japanese Studies wasn’t just established by men who worked for the US military after World War II or were from missionary families in Japan. Over 30 women contributed to this book and shared their stories of using Japanese source materials in research published in English and being the first foreigners to study at Japanese universities. Their careers benefitted from fellowships, educational developments, activist movements to include the study of women and Asia in university curricula, and measures to prevent gender discrimination. Yet there were instances when, due to their gender, women received smaller salaries, faced hurdles to tenure, and were excluded from, or ignored, at conferences.

Why I started this book: Looking for more Japan related books on Netgalley and this title caught my eye.

Why I finished it: Fascinating to see the paths and careers of women studying Japan for the past 70 years. This book gave insight into the challenges and rewards of a life in academia. And because there was over 30 entries, there was also a variety of experiences dealing with sexism, tenure, unexpected research and serendipity. This book showed that there was a multitude of routes to a successful career.

[G.G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review may be found at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S147959142400...

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having majored in Japanese studies in college many moons ago, I was very interested in reading this book. A person like me is probably going to be the kind of reader that the author is targeting. I thought I'd be more familiar with the women profiled in the book, but most of them were new to me, so I found it quite interesting to read about them--and to learn more about the women I already knew of. There are multiple aspects of each chapter that can be considered and it is a thorough collection. I'd imagine every university library would want a copy!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. There are those of us out there who are thrilled to see it!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to come back to this one after my initial disappointment. The title suggested memoirs from pioneering Japanese women, but virtually all women herein are not Japanese and/or raised abroad.

We have over thirty accounts from (or of) women in the past century who were trailblazers in the burgeoning field of Japanese studies, broadly specified. Language studies, translation, art, literature, media studies, politics, global relations ... these women hail from a range of disciplines, although mostly in the humanities and social sciences. Most were American and stayed in Japan for only a short period of time. A good portion were rather privileged white ladies whose home bases were Ivy League institutions or the "women's" equivalent. Suffice it to say, all had an impact. One even had a direct hand in writing the present-day constitution of Japan, notably Article 14, "Equality under the Law" and Article 24, "Principles of Equality of the Sexes" (Beate Sirota Gordon).

One of the striking parts of this set of personal narratives is the diversity of experiences (including mysterious gaps) as women and foreign, racialized people, both at home and while in Japan. One author denies any discrimination; another offers apologetics. Many others, though, share hackle-raising incidents of sexual assault (glossed over), propositions in return for jobs or promotions, denials of tenure "because woman," intimidated male colleagues sabotaging careers, and more egregious (and still ongoing) barriers to entry. One author talks about how many Japanese women she knew declined academic positions in favour of freelance translation, for maximum independence and pay (!). I appreciated that one author criticized Japan for treating foreigners as "always short-term" invitees, implicitly working against long-term stays and permanent academic positions.

One Ivy League professor apparently never noticed his best student, a woman. When she came to inquire about graduate studies, he didn't know who she was. What I liked was that, unlike most of his contemporaries, this man said "Hm, weird ... let's figure out why" and found a solution with the young woman. If only all men would do this instead of denying the phenomenon, as well as any responsibility.

I learned a new term relevant to BL studies: nanshoku (homoerotic stories of men, especially from the Edo period). I also empathized with one scholar who noticed but couldn't help when her voice went up while speaking Japanese.

I'll end with my favourite story in the volume:

When they got to the sunken garden, the guide remarked, "Before women's liberation, beauty pageants used to be held here." A disgruntled gentleman complained, "What the hell has women's liberation got to do with beauty contests?" My mother quickly informed him, "Oh, don't you know? We are all beautiful now."

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and the Association for Asian Studies for the advanced copy.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this fantastic combination of history, Japanese studies, and biography, Alisa Freedman brought some of the top female scholars of Japanese studies together to construct a comprehensive study and discussion of the development of Japanese studies in the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Each chapter, written by a different woman scholar, provides new insights into their work, research, and discovery of Japanese studies from their time as students to professionals. Representing a wide variety of disciplines and subtopics in Japanese studies from all over Japanese history, each chapter is absolutely engaging and enjoyable to read, and this book captures the diversity of study in Japanese studies. Each woman brings her personal journey to life, capturing the highs and lows of building a new discipline and the challenges of being a woman in academia, and the individual narratives weave a fascinating tapestry of Japanese studies. A mix of academic and personal language, this book creates conversations with the reader through each case study and personal essay. Tracking the development of a discipline through vibrant language, engaging and personal essays, and incredible details and experiences, this book is a must-read for any scholars of Japanese or East Asian studies and for women interested in joining the ranks of academia.

Thanks to NetGalley, Columbia University Press, and the Association for Asian Studies for the advance copy.