Gendered Power: Educated Women of the Meiji Empress' Court

Gendered Power explores the sources of power for three prominent Meiji period women, focusing on how Chinese classics influenced their language and contributions to modernizing Japan. It examines the contradictions these women faced and the significance of their struggles within the broader social, cultural, and political transformations of the period.

Format: Hardback
Length: 168 pages
Publication date: 30 March 2019
Publisher: The University of Michigan Press

Gendered Power delves into the intricate tapestry of power that shaped the lives of three remarkable women during the Meiji period: Meiji Empress Haruko, renowned public speaker, poet, and diarist Nakajima Shoen, and esteemed educator and prolific author Shimoda Utako. Through a meticulous exploration of the influence of Chinese classics (kanbun) on the language used by elite women, the chapters unveil how Empress Haruko, Shoen, and Shimoda Utako reshaped the landscape of expectations for women's roles in modernizing Japan. By embracing the spotlight, these remarkable women skillfully navigated the constraints of gender, adeptly countering criticism and commentary on their writings and activities. The triumphs and challenges experienced by these figures serve as a poignant reflection of the contradictions they navigated during a transformative era for Japanese women. By proposing and interrogating the concept of Meiji women's power, the book delves into the profound contradictions that characterized their struggles within the vast social, cultural, and political transformations of the time. It underscores the critical importance of examining this conflict within the realm of feminist history to grasp the profound meaning of radical resistance in the face of women-centered authority.

Weight: 374g
Dimension: 158 x 235 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780472073979