During The Meiji Period, Japan’S Inclusion Of Women Was

Throughout time, the role that Women had in the early twentieth century to the present has changed drastically and it has changed for the better. Japanese American Women residing in the United States, has experienced the evolution of their culture, tradition, values and their role in society. However though it seems as if there is no time in this ever so rapid society, they still continue to pass down culture and tradition through each generation. Some key terms that are crucial in order to understand the essay are, Issei, or the first generation, Nisei, the second generation ,and Sansei, known as the third generation.Over time the Women slowly moved away form being the average Homemaker and transforming into a respected and valued member of society.

Women’s roles have changed greatly throughout history. As the advancement of culture, laws, and ideas altered ways of life, women’s lives also evolved in numerous aspects of society. Women’s roles changed greatly between 1815 and 1860. During this time, family dynamics changed as the mothers that were placed at the center of the household were given greater freedoms. In addition, women had more opportunity to take on jobs in the workplace. Women also fought for reform movements that altered their ways of life in the community. During the reform era of the United States, factors such as religion, education, and reforms greatly changed women’s roles in the family, workplace, and society.

Food can partially shape a person's cultural identity. Geeta Kothari explores the cultural nuances between American and Indian food in the essay, “If You Are What You Eat, Then What Am I?” She expresses this through the symbolism of food, growing up and living between two different cultures. Kothari begins her story as a nine-year-old child curiously wanting to eat the same foods as American children: tuna salad sandwiches and hot dogs. She does not have the guidance from her mother regarding American food and culture. Kothari’s mom curbs the curiosity by reluctantly letting her daughter indulge in a can of tuna fish. Kothari describes the open can of tuna fish as “pink and shiny, like an internal organ” and she wondered if it was botulism (947). The way

In Jessica Harris’s “The Culinary Season of my Childhood” she peels away at the layers of how food and a food based atmosphere affected her life in a positive way. Food to her represented an extension of culture along with gatherings of family which built the basis for her cultural identity throughout her life. Harris shares various anecdotes that exemplify how certain memories regarding food as well as the varied characteristics of her cultures’ cuisine left a lasting imprint on how she began to view food and continued to proceeding forward. she stats “My family, like many others long separated from the south, raised me in ways that continued their eating traditions, so now I can head south and sop biscuits in gravy, suck chewy bits of fat from a pigs foot spattered with hot sauce, and yes’m and no’m with the best of ‘em,.” (Pg. 109 Para). Similarly, since I am Jamaican, food remains something that holds high importance in my life due to how my family prepared, flavored, and built a food-based atmosphere. They extended the same traditions from their country of origin within the new society they were thrusted into. The impact of food and how it has factors to comfort, heal, and bring people together holds high relevance in how my self-identity was shaped regarding food.

Fukuoka main point of this article is to inform people that there is more to eating than just the nutritional value and now the Western culture values the wrong ideas when it comes to fueling your body. He starts his article off by comparing the daily meal of ancient farmers to todays Western mothers. This comparison shows that even with out scientific facts the farmers were able to live long healthy lives with a simple diet of brown-rice and vegetables. The Western mothers he referred to force bad tasting food down their children’s throats because they believe that is the only way they will live long and strong. Another point Fukuoka makes is that the Western diet separates people from nature, “The diet that results serves to isolate human beings from nature. A fear of nature and a general sense of insecurity are often the unfortunate results” (72) this quote suggests the diet is pushing humans farther and farther from our roots. With this separation we are becoming more isolated and distancing ourselves from nature causing us to fear our very own

The Heian court of medieval Japan was a progressive and dynamic society where women commanded a fair amount of power and respect. In many ways it seemed to be the basis of the "rank n file", material culture of today’s society. The social structure of society throughout the court was set up in three different ranks. In chapter two, Genji’s friend, To no Chujo explained the three roles and how they determined the role of women in court. Women of high rank would be the wife of a high ranking elite, thus responsible for raising the future heirs, women of lower rank were concubines and often had better relationships with the man than his wife. did It was this complicated ranking system that led to the abundance of accepted promiscuity, however the two roles kept a bit of stability and normalcy throughout the court.

Women in Western Europe and Japan compare and contrast religiously, politically, and economically. Religiously, women in Western Europe were better off with the advantage of becoming a nun than women in Japan were who lost their role in Buddhist and Shintu rituals. Politically, feminist thinkers were allowing women to have a greater say politically but there were fewer female rulers or regents in Europe. Japan who had female empresses prior to Koken was less inclined to have success. Economically, women in Japan could not inherit land but were able to be in the merchant class, while women in Europe could also inherit land; they were better off and more economically engaged than Japan with the running and working of a craft guild.

Have you ever read the cultural story “A Family Supper” by Japanese author, Kazuo Ishiguro? Generally, it’s the conflict between generations in changing Japan, one can understand that this story depicts a young Japanese man (the narrator) who lived in America and has come back to Japan, his motherland to attend the funeral of his mother. He had dinner with his family at the first time of the year. With emphasis on generational conflict, the three aspects that are relationship between the son and his father from their conservation, the cultural property mentioned in the story and how the father’s disappointment affects his son, the narrator of the story.

3rd verse of the 1st chapter of Meiji Constitution (Dainihon Teikoku Kenpou) describes Japanese Emperor as a sacred person whose relation with Japanese gods, and inviolable. In addition, these religious characters explained further by 4th verse, stated the Emperor was the head of Empire. These 2 verses of Japan Meiji Constitution provided legitimation of Emperor power from religious side and he governed Japan as empire with it. This is the basic concept of Japanese modern imperial system (Tennoousei Kokka) and it puts Shinto as state religion (Kokka Shintou). However, Kokka Shinto existance as ideology was not so old, since it was an acumullation of some concept developed by Late-Mitogaku and Hirata Atsutane stream of Kokugaku, in other words,

Women’s obligation was to have children. Also, in this time period Japanese women were

In addition, “women were the first Japanese Buddhist monastics” (Deal and Ruppert 80) in Japan. In ancient Japan, Buddhists nuns “played a significant role in the early development of Buddhist institutions and practices” and “the first to travel outside of the Japanese archipelago…in order to learn more about Buddhism” (Deal and Ruppert 80). However, women were continue to be seen and treated unequally, especially “with regard to their institutional roles and doctrine” (Deal and Ruppert 240) in the tradition of Buddhism. As monks becomes the solid Monastic communities for women in Japanese Buddhism flourished during the Nara period and disappeared during the early Heian period. Japanese women are intimately linked to specific systems of beliefs and religious teachings.

The role of women in Japan has been influenced by the many changes that the country has integrated over the years. In the past, women were full time housewives. They would work until marriage, and then retire to take care of their household, as men were seen as the sole breadwinners of the house. There are a large number of behavioral expectations for women, like cleanliness, modesty, courtesy and much more. Japanese women were expected to take care of the personal appearance, their homes, and attend to guests by preparing food or tea. In ancient Japan, women were given the smallest roles in society. Women in Japan were not able to divorce their husbands’, however, husbands were able to divorce their wives if they felt that they were not fulfilling their duties. Though, a great deal has changed in Japan after World War II. Japanese people’s attitude toward divorce had changed as much as their attitude toward marriage. New laws had been placed and with the western influence, people became more open minded. According to Yoko Tokuhiro, it is common to find that Japanese women delay marriage until later to experience life more before settling down. Women even work after marriage or childbirth and some even choose to become career women (Marriage in Contemporary Japan, 44). Women now have the right to own properties, vote and work. Japan continues to adopt western culture, and as a result, women now have a larger role in society.

History reports that though there were many women in leadership positions (Queens, empresses, etc.), they appeared to be second-class citizens. It seemed as though the only relationship they were prompted to have was with their husbands. However, they endured. They came to the realization that if this is how life would be, this is the life they would have to get used to. Due to multiple different influences, there are many inconsistencies when it comes to the role of women in ancient Japan.

Equal rights were not granted to women until the Occupation Era following World War II. The modifications that were made to the existing Meiji Constitution gave women the same rights as men for the first time in the country’s history. Prior to that they were seen as servants, dominated by their husbands, in what can only be described as a master / slave relationship. The new Japanese Constitution of 1947 empowered the Japanese women for the first time in the countries history. Minorities were persecute throughout Japan’s past. Native Anglo’s were hunted down and slaughtered. The surviving numbers were driven north onto the smaller surrounding islands. The closed era of Tokogawa Shogunate tried to remove all of the diversity within society. Any thought other than the Shinto/Buddhist/Confucianism that dominated was society was expelled. The violent massacre of Christians during this period only supported conformity to the ideals of the ruling class. The stance they took on foreign thought and technology insured that no outside influences would affect Japanese culture. This view lasted over 200 years until the country was opened to foreigners again. The long period the Japanese spent with no diversity combined with the loyalty and honor themes of Bushido, made it impossible for them to accept diversity after the country was opened again.

Prime Minister Abe has attempted to build the larger numbers of childcare facilities, referred to the Yokohama method. He also has urged Japanese companies to have more female manager and executives in order to increase women's influences on workplace. Unfortunately, the Japanese traditional culture on gender role has still brought burden on women in their housework and childcare. However it is on starting point that the Japanese government realizes a gender free society. Abe made his comment on World Assembly for Women in Tokyo that " I will stand at the forefront as we work to build a society in which all people—both men and women—shine" (Abe, 2014, p.6). Although there still exist some problems, it looks straightforward that Abe's vision attempts to create a better society where not only men but also women will fairly take an active role in Japanese society. Therefore Abe's actions is expected to change unfair society based on traditional gender role into realize gender free society where all Japanese will shine. (1485