This is a book I originally bought a decade ago as assigned reading for a college course about feminism in Japan. It made almost no impression on me at the time. But when I stumbled upon it last year while cleaning out my room, I thought it might be worth another attempt.
Hane organizes various writings from women doomed by their beliefs, views, or activities. The collection illustrates what Japanese feminism was in the context of the first half of the 20th century and there were plenty of references to gender inequality throughout.
And yet, I thought the collection was more about poverty than it was about feminism. For each reference these writers made to the difficulties brought on by gender inequality, many more were made about how poverty dictated their condition. Establishing gender equality was only part of a larger philosophy aimed at lifting the working class out of poverty.
Those who identified themselves as socialists captured this best. Though the societal goals of their movement included both gender equality and the elimination of poverty, the latter was the far greater concern. They feared that a mere revolt would not be enough to make lasting changes to society because power changing hands still meant power would remain in someone’s hands. The near-guarantee that these new hands would be male and remain a major obstacle to Japan achieving gender equality was an important consideration, of course. But for those concerned with advancing the goals of the socialist movement, the question of unequal wealth accumulation was considered more important for the short-term future of Japanese society.
One up: A notable link among the many women featured in this collection was a belief in the vital role of education (especially learning English). But for women of the time, access to education was not a given. The anecdote best exemplifying this reality came from a woman who was kicked out of a course because the school defined the word ‘student’ as ‘a male who attends school’.
One reason this particular group of women seemed so intent on being educated may have been based on their observations about how judges used education level as a factor in sentencing. By using schooling as a proxy for future earning power, judges may have discriminated in the way they treated two otherwise identical criminals.
Of course, the matter was not as simple as just picking up a book or two. For most impoverished Japanese, a little bit of extra education was not enough to lift them out of poverty. Thus, the uneducated of pre-war Japan found it better to continue devoting their time to working for the scraps on offer rather than devoting resources to becoming better educated.
One down: As always, I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to read about today’s issues in a book written a century ago.
One writer points out how suggesting the lower class ignores goals such as becoming 'spiritual' or 'cultured' purely by choice is a subtle form of elitism. Do the poor spend life gathering basic necessities out of choice?
Another criticizes the government for abandoning inmates once they are released from prison. If the government does not help the prisoner reintegrate into society, the security of prison life will tempt the convict back to crime.
A third writer ponders the morality of relying on charity to help others meet basic needs. Is it truly charitable if the act benefits the giver more than the receiver?
Just saying: In some cases, a title is helpful in describing the book. I’m not so sure about this one. Though some of the writing came from authors awaiting execution, in many cases the entries showcased here were journal entries or letters drafted many miles from prison cells.
I suppose this phenomenon explains the use of subtitles. But in this case, the subtitle - Rebel Women in Prewar Japan - is not all-descriptive because some of these writers cannot be described as 'rebels'.
Just saying, part two: I really liked the idea that once people become accustomed to doing their best, it becomes very difficult to live doing anything else.
Just saying, part three: For those curious, Japan is currently ranked 114th in gender equality, according to the World Economic Forum.
Please refer HERE for the
I can only assume we are so low in the ranking because the one hundred and thirteen countries ahead of us achieved perfect gender equality in the past year.
