Japan is a feminist failed country.
Japanese society has never been built on the idea of gender equality, at least in the Western sense.
Some scholars believe that what Westerners call feminism actually has fairly old roots in Japan. Many historians claim that Feminism in Japan originated in the Heian Period, about 1,000 years ago. It should be noted, however, that most Japanese people of that period, even if (some) women were in power, were unaware of gender equality. A more accurate date for the emergence of true feminism is the early 20th century, when Western ideas began to infiltrate Japanese society.
Women in Japan today are protected by the same laws as men, thanks to the then-22-year-old European American citizen — Beata Shiota Gordon — who wrote the art draft at the behest of the Allied occupation government. Article 24 of the Constitution of Japan.
For decades, Japan has struggled to interpret the new constitution and the infamous Article 9, which prohibits the possession of offensive powers (i.e., the military). However, many specific changes have also taken place, including voting rights and reform of the marriage system. In fact, Japan is faster than most other neighbors at allowing women to vote.
But that's pretty much the end of the matter. There has never been a second/third wave of feminism in Japan.
The second wave of feminism is often seen as a popular movement of the mid-20th century, with a focus on educating women, primarily about employment and economic adjustment. Women demand privileges that were previously only available to men, so this can be said to be women's desire for "masculinity" rather than gender equality. Society has become tolerant of girls who pursue masculinity, such as pursuing a career in science, wearing men's clothing (such as jackets and pants), and having hobbies such as shooting and driving. However, this movement never reached Japan, at least not on a large scale.
It is widely believed that there is a completely different concept of gender equality in Japanese culture. According to a survey, people were asked if they would like to have a different gender if they had the opportunity to be born again: 46.7% of men and women replied that they wanted to stay the same.
It seems that women benefit greatly from gender inequality. This becomes apparent when you look at Japanese teens. When you go to Tokyo Disneyland or go to music schools, art schools, and language tutoring classes, the vast majority of teens there are women. Girls have more opportunities than boys to enrich their adolescent lives because girls are exempt from social obligations imposed on boys, such as academic/vocational success and family traditions. While boys are locked up in college (major schools) and extracurricular activities, often harassed by teachers and mentors, girls can go out and follow their hobbies or spend time with friends.
Japanese teenage girls have also had a huge impact on culture, not only in Japan itself, but also beyond its borders. They are often the protagonists of many novels and comics, leading fashion trends and setting the tone for youth slang (wakamono kotoba).
In addition, gender inequality in Japan is often exacerbated by women themselves. Many older Japanese women tend to vote for conservative politicians. Because of the support of older women, former Governor Ishihara was widely regarded as a super-conservative and was elected as a super-conservative. Also, do not forget the eternal war between daughters-in-law and mother-in-law, when the mother-in-law constantly sees her young wife. If you go to Yahoo! Look at Yahoo Chiebukuro (Japanese version of Yahoo Q&A) in Japan, and you'll see a lot of posts on this topic: "Old Women Scold Young Women for Working Full-Time," "Old Women Scold Young Women for Not Taking Care of Children," "Old Women Scold Young Women for Dressing Inappropriately," and so on. Wait a minute.
Among women, especially housewives, there has always been competition over how to be the perfect wife. Obento is a prime example.
How to make your bento do better than others? To do this, they sat in the kitchen for hours while other family members were still sleeping.
However, there is a group of people who are working to change this situation. These are kikokushijo (returnees) and immigrants. Ju Guoshi, who had experienced feminism and freedom in a foreign country, was particularly eager to change the system. Many of them are outraged by this, for example, girls at school are forced to wear miniskirts in the winter and expose their legs in the cold, while boys can wear warm pants. Teenage schoolgirls stand out because they are often the only ones bare-legged, while others wear winter coats and are often targeted for harassment in public places. In addition, returnees are more likely than others to complain about employment inequality.
It is unlikely that any of you would want to become a female student in Japan
There are many feminists in Japan, but the vast majority are returnees, immigrants or people with some overseas work experience. "Insider" activists are rarely seen, and their influence seems limited, with little change over the next ten to twenty years.
The very traditional structure of Japanese society prevented the emergence of feminism, and the increase in gender bias came not only from men, but also from institutions, but also from women themselves. There are movements to change the status quo, but most of them are foreign-influenced or foreign-led, and their influence in Japan is limited.
