Women's History Month: Leaving a Legacy — Japanese Women Who Changed the Course of History
The study of Japanese women’s history did not become commonplace until roughly the mid-twentieth century. Even then, some academics were hesitant to accept Japanese women’s history as a field of study. In the 1980s, however, post-war political and social conditions, including the rise of feminism, allowed women’s history to receive more recognition. Still, women’s history in Japan is an uncommon area of study. The lack of recognition could, in part, be due to the fact that Japan lags behind other developed countries in terms of gender equality. The World Economic Forum ranked Japan as 121st out of 153 countries in global gender gap scores and found that Japan has the widest gender gap among advanced economies.
Sadako Ogata (1927-2019)
“I wish to call on you to join hands in the building of a world in which less people will be forced to flee, and in which refugees are protected until they can safely return home one day.”
Sadako Ogata was the first woman and first Japanese national to lead the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Ogata was born in 1927 in Tokyo but grew up in both the United States and China. During World War II, she moved back to Japan and attended secondary school and university. Later, she returned to the U.S. to earn her M.A.at Georgetown University, then earned a PhD in political science at Berkeley. Ogata entered academia before being appointed to the Japanese delegation of the UN General Assembly in 1968. In 1991, Ogata became the head of the UNHCR where she fought for refugee rights, protecting some of the world’s most vulnerable individuals. She was known as a tough negotiator despite her small stature, earning her the nickname “diminutive giant.” After stepping down as High Commissioner, Ogata became the president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, which provides aid to developing countries. She was named as the TIME Magazine Woman of the Year for 1995 in “transforming the lives of refugees.”
Toshiko Yuasa (1909-1980)
PHOTO: WIKIPEDIA
Often referred to as the Marie Curie of Japan, Toshiko Yuasa was Japan’s first female physicist. She was born in 1909 in Tokyo, then attended what is now Ochanomizu University, and later went on to study physics at University of Tsukuba. After graduating, Yuasa began teaching in Japan, but due to difficult research conditions during World War II she moved to France shortly after. In France, Yuasa studied radioactivity under Frédéric Joliot-Curie, the son-in-law of Marie Curie, and earned her PhD. Due to war conditions, she was forced to leave France in 1944 and continued studying Berlin where she developed her own beta-ray spectrometer. She was then forced out of Berlin and back to Tokyo a year later. Several years later, Yuasa returned to France and became a chief researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research, one of the largest scientific agencies in Europe.
Toshiko Kishida (1863-1901)
Toshiko Kishida is considered one of the first Japanese feminists. Born in Kyoto in 1863, she showed intellectual aptitude in school from a young age. This led her to serve as an empress during the Meiji period, but she left the position after two years, disagreeing with the Meiji code — Kishida did not believe that men should be considered the head of the household. Afterward, she began speaking across the country in favor of women’s rights and freedom. Kishida advocated for equal rights and education for men and women. In one of her more famous speeches, “Daughters in Boxes,” she argued families should remove the limitations that they place on young girls. The speech was widely influential, but led to her getting arrested for “political speech without a permit.” Kishida’s political activism also extended to literature; she wrote about her political beliefs under the name Shoen.
PHOTO: WIKIPEDIA
Tomoe Gozen (est. birth 1157)
Tomoe Gozen was one of the few 12th century female warriors to fight on the offensive side of a war. A highly successful warrior, Gozen’s exact date of birth is unknown, but it is estimated to be about 1157. Gozen lived during the Genpei War, a period of social and political unrest in Japan. She earned a name for herself as a successful warrior during this war. Gozen is best known for her successes in the battles of Tonamiyama, Uchide no Hama, and Awazu. In the battle of Tonaiyama, Gozen led 1,000 cavalry warriors to victory. In the next battle, she led 300 warriors in a difficult battle against 6,000 cavalry men and emerged as one of only five survivors on her side. The battle of Awazu is considered her last battle; she took down the lead warrior from the opposition before her military career came to an end. Little is known about Gozen’s personal life or life after war, but her legacy as a female samurai lives on.
PHOTO: BRITANNICA
Murasaki Shikibu (11th century)
Murasaki Shikibu was an 11th century writer who wrote what is considered to be the world’s first novel. She was born around 978 to a noble family in the Heian period. Her mother died when she was young, so she was brought up by her single father. Shikibu displayed an intellectual curiosity at a young age which led her to pursue her education and learn Chinese — a traditionally male subject. She went on to write her novel The Tale of Genji between 1000 and 1012. The Tale of Genji is about the aristocratic family of Prince Genji and his relationships with those around him. The novel is unique, focusing primarily not on action but on developing characters and their emotions. Shikibu’s novel had a long-lasting legacy — it was read by students across Japan and served as inspiration for many other pieces of literature for centuries after it was published.