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Women's Jiritsu and Christian Feminism in Japan

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Women's Jiritsu and Christian Feminism in Japan Women’s Jiritsu and Christian Feminism in Japan Minato Akiko RECENTLY I HAD THE privilege of studying at I would like to explore this issue by con- Harvard University as a visiting scholar, sidering ³ve questions: First, what is the where I was able to sharpen my under- status of women in Japan in general? standing of relations between Japan and the Second, why is it that in Japan feminism United States. Although certainly not with- has developed, not as the women’s liberation out signi³cant tensions, there is in place a movement of the West, but as a movement more or less viable economic bridge across of women’s jiritsu? Third, what are some of the Paci³c. By contrast, however, informa- the cultural and traditional barriers to wom- tion on current social and religious devel- en’s realization of jiritsu in Japan? Fourth, opments in Japan was conspicuously lack- what is the inµuence of Christian feminism ing. In particular, it seems that little is upon the movement of jiritsu? And ³fth, known about the contemporary church in what is the status of Christian women in Japan or matters concerning the status of Japan today? women in church and society. In this respect, the transpaci³c bridge seems to THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN GENERAL carry primarily one-way traf³c—with infor- Many Westerners tend to stereotype mation and inµuence µowing from the U.S. Japanese women as highly submissive and to Japan. Perhaps the time has come for us deferential to men. However, the emergence Japanese Christians to make efforts to estab- of some women as prominent leaders— lish a genuinely two-way spiritual bridge such as Doi Takako as a recent leader of the across the Paci³c. Japan Socialist Party, the major opposition While in the United States, I was party in Japan, and Ogata Sadako as the impressed with the signi³cant difference in United Nations High Commissioner for the nature of the feminist movements in the Refugees—suggests that there is more to the U.S. and in Japan. For example, on one picture than this common stereotype would occasion I was given the opportunity of lec- indicate. turing on Japanese feminism, and in the lec- Japanese society in general dictates that ture I attempted to explain the notion of a husband spend very little time at home. “women’s jiritsu [independence]” in Japan. Men characteristically face long working I discovered that there is no appropriate hours, a long commute to work, and the English word for jiritsu, in the sense in expectation that after work they will social- which I was using it. This brief essay is an ize with colleagues until late at night. attempt to explore some of the issues Therefore, men tend to turn over most involved in the dif³culty of conveying the domestic matters as well as the children’s sense of jiritsu. education to their wives. Accordingly, 7 JAPAN CHRISTIAN REVIEW 59 1993 women make almost all of the major family In 1970 the more radical element of the and household decisions, and they exercise women’s liberation movement in the considerable power within the home. United States was introduced into Japan. At Interestingly, a 1987 government survey ³rst, Japanese women were somewhat con- indicated that one-third of all women and fused by the new and radical opinions, but half of all men feel that a man’s place is at they gradually began to sift through the work and that a woman should stay at views and formulate their own perspec- home. Expectations are slowly changing, tives. A large number of books were trans- particularly among younger couples, but lated into Japanese, and books dealing with women who try to break out of the “house- women’s issues were neatly arranged in a wife only” model in order to ³nd employ- special section of the bookstores. In time, well ment outside the home face intimidating educated and informed Japanese women obstacles. It is almost impossible for a also began to write about feminist issues woman to work the long hours expected of from a Japanese perspective. Mizuta To- a man and still ful³ll the expectations mae’s Josei kaihõ shisõ no ayumi (The placed upon mothers in Japan. Although an Thought of Women’s Liberation), Shirai Ta- equal opportunity employment law was kao’s Josei kaihõ ronshð (Women’s Liber- passed by the government in 1985, Japanese ation), and Ehara Yumiko’s Feminism ronsõ society is still considerably more conserva- 1970 nen kara 1990 nen e (Feminism Argu- tive on such matters than is American soci- ment From 1970 to 1990) were primarily ety. As a whole, Japanese women are strong devoted to introducing the history of West- and have considerable self-con³dence in ern feminism and its chief characteristics. their roles of wife and mother, but it must be The women’s liberation movement in admitted that they have great dif³culty in America was closely related to the broader establishing an independent identity for social changes and the civil rights move- themselves apart from that of wife and/or ment of the 1960’s. Japan, however, had a mother. quite different social structure and was not undergoing similar transformations, thus WOMEN’S JIRITSU INSTEAD OF WOMEN’S the more radical dimension of the Ameri- LIBERATION can feminist movement was not widely accepted in Japan. By contrast, in Japan, the The feminist movement seems to have pro- feminist movement developed along the gressed more freely and rapidly in the new lines of women’s jiritsu. For example, Kõno world of America than in Europe or Japan. Kiyomi wrote the book Jiritsu no joseigaku Women’s suffrage, the right to vote, was (Women’s Independence) and Inoue Teruko acquired ³rst in the United States in 1920, wrote Joseigaku (Women’s Studies). In in England in 1928, and in France in 1946. 1984, I wrote Josei no honto no hitoridachi An equal opportunity employment law was (The Christian View of True Women’s passed by the government of the United Jiritsu [Independence] in Home, Church States in 1966, and only in 1975 was a sim- and Society.) ilar bill passed in France and England. In Since Japanese culture, which is heavily Japan, however, the right to vote was not inµuenced by Confucianism and Bud- granted to women until 1946, after World dhism, obscures the notion of individual War II under the new Japanese constitution. personality and self, impersonality or the This was twenty-six years later than in the subservience of individual personality to U.S., and the equal opportunity employ- the group is emphasized by society at large. ment law came thirty years later—in 1985. Thus, when the women’s liberation move- 8 MINATO: Women's Jiritsu and Christian Feminism in Japan ment was ³rst introduced into Japan it was Japanese social relationships have been not readily understood by Japanese women. heavily inµuenced by Confucianism—par- Feminism in Japan has focused upon the ticularly the ethical relationships of parent- concept of women’s jiritsu. Two Chinese child intimacy, correctness between lord characters are used in Japanese to signify and retainer, proper distinction between jiritsu: À (self) and C (to stand). The period husband and wife, the seniority relation- from 1970 to 1990 saw Japanese women ship between young and old, and the mutu- exert great efforts in attaining a measure of al trust between friends. social and economic jiritsu. The results of Bound within this complex web of rela- their efforts can be seen in the establish- tionships, Japanese women have experi- ment of laws granting equal employment enced great dif³culty in developing a strong opportunities and maternity leave. At the sense of equality with men and indepen- present time, Japanese women are strug- dence. In spite of Japan’s rapid moderniza- gling with what is perhaps the most tion, traditional social values and mores dif³cult aspect of jiritsu—establishing their remain strong. Thus a sense of “nonperson- own spiritual and psychological identity. ality” or the subservience of the individual In 1992, the Tokyo Women’s Affairs personality to the broader group is still Research Center completed a report on emphasized in contemporary Japan. “The Japanese Women’s Concept of Analyzing a woman’s sense of self-iden- Spiritual Jiritsu.” I was privileged to partic- tity in her book Jiritsu no joseigaku ipate for two years in the research with the (Women’s Independence), Kõno Kiyomi Commission. After studying answers to says, “We can establish our identity by questionnaires that had been sent out, the ‘playing catch’ with our inner feelings with Commission summarized its ³ndings as fol- others, and thereby ³nding out who we are lows: “Jiritsu is to take action according to and what we are.”3 Is it possible for one’s own decision, to be responsible for Japanese women to realize their own per- the action and yet to feel suf³ciency for sonhood and identity through the estab- one’s own behavior.”1 This kind of lished web of social relationships? Many research and focus on jiritsu might appear Japanese women are still seeking an answer somewhat strange to Westerners, who have to the problem of spiritual jiritsu. a much longer history of an established sense of individuality, but its importance The concept of family can be seen as we consider some obstacles to realizing jiritsu. The concept of ie (family) presents obstacles for women establishing self-identity. The SOME TRADITIONAL CULTURAL Japanese term ie can be translated into HINDRANCES TO REALIZING JIRITSU English in various ways, meaning a house in which people live, the home, the family, Social relationships etc., but there is a further meaning which is Social relationships make it very dif³cult very dif³cult to render in English.
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