Imagining Japan: The Japanese Tradition and its Modern Interpretation Book

An immensely interesting book on the portrayal of women, both in Japanese language and its society. It takes us on the journey from the dawn of Japanese culture to present day Japan. I always knew Japanese society didn`t have the most positive view on women, but it wasn`t until after I`ve read this book that I realised just how much. The truth is, reality is even worse than I imagined it to be. Only a few decades ago, women had no rights at all. The discrimination of them seeped into every aspect of their lives - from age and marital status, to physical appearance and characteristics, which are by the way, largely prejudiced. This was certainly an eye-opener, as I had no idea this discrimination was so widely spread. Takemaru delivers us proof of it, ranging from disparaging comments in one`s workplace meant to ridicule to more serious examples, such as the deeply rooted belief that women are a useless species, `child-bearing` machines which should remain uneducated and subordinated to men in all aspects of life. There is a great pressure on them to get married before it is `too late`, to quit their jobs and stop pursuing their careers in order to be better wives and mothers, to look good, be quiet, humble and obedient. That just doesn`t sit well with me at all. Although I love Japan, its people and culture, unlike my many peers and college friends, I never idolised it. I always knew that they had their faults, just like everyone else and this mistreat of women is just another thing that proves that and another thing I`ll have to be wary of when I go there.