The document discusses women's roles and education in mid-20th century Japan. Women were typically raised to take care of the home and family, often receiving only a primary school education. They were expected to focus on skills like cooking, cleaning, and childcare in preparation for marriage and motherhood. Once married, women were usually responsible for all domestic duties while adhering to traditional standards of modesty and obedience. Though social norms are changing, aspects of Japan's patriarchal culture remain influential today.
1. How Women in Japan are Raised and Their
Role in the Household
(Women’s Education and Marriage in Japan)
Mid 20th Century
Amy Newman
Women’s Studies
Midterm
October 17, 2012
2. Women in Japan, until recently, were raised to run their
future house holds
They are taught to cook and clean so that one day they can
care for their own family
Often times they did not pursue an education beyond High
School, or sometimes even Junior High
This way, they could begin life with a new family as soon
as possible
3. As seen in this marriage photo from the 1950’s the
women are meant to continue their roles as they always
have. The man is dressed in modern (1950’s modern)
western garb, while the woman is dressed in a traditional
Japanese wedding kimono. This suggest that while the
man of the family can move forward, the woman must
stay behind, as tradition dictates.
The photo also suggest that the couple is not very close,
despite the fact that they are now married. They keep
their distance and both their stiff faces and body
language suggest that they are not familiar with each
other. It is was not, and sometimes still isn’t, uncommon
for a woman to marry a man she barely knows (and vice
versa). Often times the families will set them up and
they will get married for convenience. While it’s not
impossible for them to be in love, or to care for one
another, the photo suggests that these people are still
getting around to that. In the meantime the man doesn’t
have to worry about his house, and future children, and
in turn he promises the woman security. This is the
normality just 60 years ago.
(http://www.japansubculture.com/young-japanese-men-and-women-reject-
marriage-and-ultimately-each-other/)
4. JAPAN BEFORE MEIJI
Before Japan opened itself up to the rest of the world in the
Meiji Era, not many foreigners traveled there. There aren’t
many western accounts from before the Meiji to give us a
fresh perspective on what people thought when they first
laid eyes on the culture of Japanese women. Woodblock
prints give us a look on what it may have been like in Japan
then and allow us to see what people did everyday.
5. The picture on the right is from the 1800’s, or the Edo
Period of Japan. It’s a moku hanga, or woodblock
print of a woman doing her laundry. Even today,
laundry is almost exclusively the woman’s job in
Japan.
The woman depicted in this picture is either doing her
laundry in the early morning, or late afternoon, as
depicted by the low hanging sun in the background.
This means she has probably had many other chores
to do throughout the day. Her sleeves and bottoms
are pushed up for work. Even though this could be
seen as a haphazard look, she still takes care to look
after her appearances. The cloth on her head protects
her fair skin from the sun as she works outside.
The woman’s poise is also very feminine. Her fingers
delicately hold the cloth. Her mouth is covered by her
hand as she laughs at the crab grabbing for her
laundry. Even though nobody is around, she still
remembers her manners and poise like they were
drilled into her.
Art by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, 1800’s
6. THE TEN REALMS
The next picture is another moku hanaga. As the title
says, it is showing the “Ten Realms within the body”.
It is a form of Ukiyo-e or a depiction of “The floating
world.” The woman in the picture is pregnant with
“the ten realms”. The ten spiritual realms are part of
the belief of some forms of Buddhism. They are the
ten ways a sentient being can experience life. Buddha
being in the highest realm, and hell being the lowest.
7. The woman on the right is heavily pregnant
with a child that could be born into any one of
the ten realms. The ten realms aren’t
necessarily an outward depiction, but rather
the condition of the inner self (i.e., a rapist
lives in one of the “Hell realms” while a holier
then thou monk is in one of the top four).
This child could be anything, it’s rich with
possibilities. No matter what realm this child
is born into, the moku hanaga shows that it’s
because of its mother that it is there. She gave
carried the weight of the ten realms and gave
birth to one. For centuries it has been the
responsibility that a woman bears children.
Art by Kuniteru Utagawa, 1885
It’s not just that it’s a woman’s ability to bear children, it is her job and most important responsibility
in many cultures. In Japan the children are almost entirely her responsibility. She must see that they
are brought up and into the world strong and healthy. If a woman is unable to carry out this duty then
she ultimately becomes useless as a wife and usually has to pursue other options. This makes the
ability to conceive a very important part of women’s lives during the time this was picture was made.
This fascinates and excites the woman as she points and smiles at her swollen tummy.
8. HINA MATSURI
A very important day in Japanese culture is Hina Matsuri, or
the Doll Festival, that takes place on the third day of the third
month of the year. This tradition has been in place since the
Edo period and is celebrated by families with young girls.
Unlike other cultures, these dolls are not toys and are not
meant to be played with.
9. In the moku hanaga above, many women and
children are seen hovering around a complete
doll set. Mothers gossip about them and the
girls admire them. Notice there are no males
in the picture. The women huddle together,
watching their children and talking. Hina
Matsuri is a very important day in Japanese
culture that celebrates women. It is also a day
for them to practice “rituals” that will bring
them long happy marriages. During Hina Art by Hashimoto Chikanobu, 1700’s
Matsuri young girls will decorate their homes
with peach blossoms, which represents Dolls are a very important part of many different
composure, tranquility, and is a symbol for a cultures. Not many people realize that giving dolls to
happy marriage. This holiday, though unofficial, little girls is like training them for future motherhood.
dates back to as early as the Edo period. On Although girls don’t play with their dolls, they do play
Hina Matsuri day, time is taken to bestow
a similar roll. The dolls of Hina Matsuri can be pricey
wishes for good fortune and marriage in the
and are valuable. They bring good luck and give girls
something to care for. Since the dolls are only
future to young women in the family. The role
brought out on March 3rd, children know from an
given to women as a wife begins when they are
early age to be careful with them. They are put on
small girls in Japan.
display and are meant to be collected as a set, starting
with the Imperial Couple at the top.
10. WOMEN OF JAPAN
TODAY
In Japan today, women still suffer some prejudice due to
their long standing traditions. Elder women encourage their
younger relatives to marry early, even if they are pursuing a
higher education. However, this does not mean that women
are closed off to alternate paths for their future.
11. The photo on the right is of Japanese Pop Star, Kyary Pamyu
Pamyu. It’s an advertisement for one of her most popular albums,
Moshi Moshi Harajuku (as seen on her forehead). Known for her
strange outfits and videos, Kyary tops the charts with every single.
She is a prime example for how far women have come in Japan.
No longer having to be just housewives, women in Japan are
making it fine. The beauty standard has changed drastically from
traditional garb, small lips, and flushed features.
In the photo Kyary has long eyelashes and double eyelids, giving
her the appearance of having wider, more westernized eyes. Her
hair has been bleached from the usual straight Japanese black to a
wavy platinum blonde, and a monstrous grin painted over her
mouth. This overall look (minus the mouth) is very western, and
very popular in Japan. The monster mouth, draws your attention
to the picture making it an outstanding advertisement and also
accentuates the roundness of her face.
In Japan, the majority of males prefers the small and petite. While
many of the beauty standards in Japan have changed from looking
very “Japanese” to having some western features, the small and
petite figure is still a favorite among many people. Kyary merges
the two to make her one of the biggest idols in Japan, and a female
one at that.
http://www.tokyohive.com/tag/ponponpon/
12. ARTICLE SUMMARY
Sumie Seo Mishima was born and raised in 20th Century Japan. She attended college in America, and when
she returned to Japan, she had difficulty adjusting to the culture. At the time Japan was undergoing rapid
changes to modernize and westernize its social customs. However, there were still many traditional aspects
that affecter her career and life.
Mishima wanted to become a college professor, but soon found out that there were few females in that
profession. The men she worked with rarely socialized with women who were not their wives, and women
had to “bury themselves completely in domestic cares”. Many of her old classmates and some older women
insist that she marry, because it’s her “duty as a woman”, but Mishima wishes to earn back her expensive
education and found men to be good as friends, but impossible as husbands.
However, after some time the mother of another professor came to her and proposed a marriage between
Mishima and her son. Mishima reluctantly agreed after giving it much thought, and coming to the
conclusion that this would probably be her best, if not only, option. Despite protests from her family
Mishima married him, only to find out she knew very little about him and his family.
She soon finds out that her husband will be impossible to please. After his first marriage started to get bad,
he went to go see geisha women. However, the flattery and spoiling of the geisha women made it impossible
for an ordinary woman to please him. It seems that if a woman did not keep to her “duty” to marry early and
care for the house, she risked losing her husband, possibly even before they were married like Mishima.
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