Worldwide-Women's Action Network

Seeking Solutions to the Issue of Comfort Women --- The 1000th "Wednesday Protest" in Seoul on Dec. 14, 2011

2012-02-29T13:55:00.003+09:00

In August 1991, former “comfort women,” (Korean women who were forced to serve as sex workers for the Imperial Japanese Army) including Kim Hak-Sun, started to raise their voices. Before then, the issue had only been discussed quietly here and there in postwar Japanese society. Some of these testimonies came from soldiers, partly as romanticized memories of their time spent with these women.

One such witness is Shigeru Mizuki, a well-known Japanese comic artist, who gave detailed descriptions of a “comfort station,” or brothel, in his book “Soin Gyokusai Seyo [All of You Shall Die for Honor]” (pp. 14-15.) based on his own experience. In the afterward of his book, he wrote, “I can’t help but feel irrational resentment when I write war chronicles. Maybe the spirits of the war dead make me feel like that.” There Mizuki told of a soldier who shouted, “Thirty seconds for each!” and another who said, “Hey Sis, about 70 more to go. Be patient,” when looking at the long queue in front of the station. It’s an important historical testimony, which proves how the Japanese army set up comfort stations in the very front lines at that time.

The existence of comfort women, which had been a silent issue, almost forgotten in postwar Japan, came to the foreground in 1991. That was when the surviving comfort women started to talk about their own experiences. Women who were forced into providing sexual services started making people aware that the “comfort women” system had been nothing but sexual slavery. Until then, discussion of the issue had been long considered taboo in Korea, and many victims hadn’t been able to talk about it at all, even with their families.

In January 1991, some of Korea’s former comfort women and their supporters started a protest march in the busy lunch-time street in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul. They had only one demand: acknowledgment of this past crime in the form of an apology from the Japanese government to each and every one of the former comfort women still living. The apology — meant to make the Japanese public widely aware of the harm done to these women as a historical fact — includes a vow to never repeat the same mistake, and to acknowledge that the issue has not yet been settled legally.

Every week for the past 20 years, 1,000 times now since its beginning, they have continued the Wednesday protest. On December 14th, 2011, the group marked its 1000th protest. Simultaneous protests were also held in several places in Japan, and were attacked relentlessly by vocal opponents.

In Osaka, some shouted “Liars!” at the protesting women even though the Japanese government had already acknowledged the existence of “comfort places” and “comfort women” based on official wartime documents. A high school girl responded to the opponents by saying, “I wish it were a lie.” Don’t we all. More than anyone, the victims no doubt strongly wish that their gruesome experiences were just a nightmare.

On the 1000th day in Seoul, Kwon Hae-Hyo, who was acting as the M.C. of the event, put it this way: “The harumonis’ [Korean words meaning “old women”] wish is that they won’t need to hold the Wednesday protest anymore after next week.”

Original article written by Yayo Okano http://wan.or.jp/topic/?p=208

Translated by A. Tawara, N. Tajima and O. Schaefer

★You can also see a video report (in Japanese) on this topic here.

http://wan.or.jp/

An Article on Japanese Super-Aging Society by Chizuko Ueno

2012-02-27T20:53:00.002+09:00

Here is an article by Chizuko Ueno, the managing director of WAN. She is discussing the super-aging society and care insurance system in Japan.

Japan’s Long-term Care Insurance System is a Savior in the Super-Aging Society
http://www.japanechoweb.jp/society-culture/jew1012

Global Conference for a Nuclear Power Free World 2012 Yokohama --- A Great Success!

2012-02-22T01:11:00.009+09:00

Chizuko’s Blog No.17

January 17th, 2012

The Global Conference for a Nuclear Power Free World was held on 14-15 January at Pacifico Yokohama in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. 5,000 people attended the conference on the first day and 5,500 on the second, with 5,000 participating in the demonstration march on the first afternoon, and an overall total of 15,500 participants from 30 different countries. WAN also attended as an advocate.

http://npfree.jp/

Many of the participants were younger people, who appeared to have come of their own will. Every hall, every booth was so full of energy and enthusiasm.

You can see the reports of the conference on the UStream Archives.

I made a speech at the final event of the second day. You can see the speech (in Japanese) at the following URL. (37:15 – 43:15)

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/19777707

Here is my draft of the speech. It is a short one of about 5 minutes.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I’ve learned that this conference is called “Datsu-genpatsu Global Conference” [which literally means “Global Conference for Getting Away/Escaping from Nuclear Power].

The phrase “Getting away from nuclear power” makes me feel uncomfortable.

We’ve traditionally had the words “anti-nuclear/non-nuclear power.” When did they make us stop using them?

But it can’t be helped. “Getting away from” something suggests that we have experienced and passed through it. But fact is we haven’t even passed through it really.

Japan has got dirty.

Japan has experienced nuclear exposure five times in its history so far --- Hiroshima, Nagasaki, the Daigo Fukuryu Maru, JCO and Fukushima. In the first three we were the victims. In the last one we have become the perpetrators. Now we cannot blame anybody for the disaster. It is we who have contaminated the earth and life. We’ve got dirty.

That’s enough. Let’s stop doing this.

At this conference there was another thing I felt uncomfortable about. That was too much use of the words “Nippon [Japan],” “Kono kuni [this country]” and “Kono kuni no katachi [the form of this country].”

This is the “GLOBAL Conference for a Nuclear Power Free World,” not the “JAPANESE Conference for a Nuclear Power Free World”

There are two reasons for this title.

First, even if Japan can succeed in abandoning nuclear power, what will happen if Korea or China makes nuclear plants in the coastal areas and if they have accidents? Japan will be polluted too. There are no borders for the pollution. You could say that the fact that the pollution from the Chernobyl disaster spread throughout Europe has united the area.

Second, we’ve learned the lesson that peaceful and military uses of nuclear power are two sides of the same coin. Even if only Japan has the Three Non-Nuclear Principles --- not possessing, not producing and not permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons into Japan --- it is of no use if other countries have these weapons. Furthermore, the idea of coming under somebody else’s nuclear umbrella is totally out of the question. Now that you have received the Nobel Prize for Peace after the end of the Cold War, President Obama, please admit that nuclear weapons are “inhumane weapons.” Please visit Hiroshima and offer an apology.

Neither abandoning nuclear power nor abandoning nuclear weapons can be accomplished by a single country. That’s why we need to be united. That’s why we’ve gathered here beyond national borders.

Now I’ll tell you three things I’ve found out through participating in several sessions at the conference.

1. It’s OK, we can do without nuclear power.

2. It’s OK, we do have alternative and renewable energy sources.

3. But I’m not sure if this is OK; Can we ever decide on doing that?

There are people who have planned and organized this conference, to whom I’d like to express my sincere appreciation.

When I first heard about the plan, I felt it too bold. Too little time for preparation. Too big and expensive a conference site like Pacifico Yokohama. Will they ever be able to fill it up? It was so bold that I could not but help. Here is the result. The hall is full.

It’s us who made it full.

Let’s give ourselves a big round of applause.

I won't forgive media organizations if they are not going to cover this conference properly!

Here is the answer to the third thing in my list above.

We, everyone here, will decide our future.

Let’s act together.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Original article written by Chizuko Ueno　http://wan.or.jp/ueno/?p=1169

Translated by A. Tawara

★You can also see some video reports in English about the conference at the following URLs.

Opening Event

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/19750154

Special Closing Event

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/19777662

Civil Society in 2030: Drawing up the Future of Energy, Food, and Education

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/19776684

Toward a Nuclear Power Free East Asia

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/19774860

Poetry -- The Art of Looking　　Film Review by Kei Shimizu

2012-02-21T21:28:00.027+09:00

“The most difficult thing for me is being ready to write poetry.” I couldn’t get these words from the main character out of my mind and, for a time, it prevented me from writing this review.

This is because I doubted whether I was mature enough to face the film Poetry. “What does it mean to make a film now, when films are dying?” asks Lee Chang-dong, the director, who made this film while he was asking himself the meaning of making films and writing poetry. He asks his audience the same question.

In the film, a middle-aged woman named Mija is raising her teenage grandson while his mother is working in Pusan. Mija concerns herself with her looks and often surprises others with her unpredictable behaviors, acting just like a little girl.

The story starts when a doctor tells Mija that she is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. At the same time, the truth of a tragic incident is revealed to her. She happens upon a poetry workshop and enrolls. There she learns that “what is essential in life is looking; it’s all about looking at the world.” She begins trying to find “authentic beauty” in what she sees in her daily life, looking at an apple in the kitchen from various angles, taking a flower by the roadside in her hand, looking from a bench up to leaves blown in the wind. In time, “looking” forces Mija to reflect upon herself and to be ready to write poetry. If Mija represents Lee and the question he has for his audience, what kind of poetry, or words, will we write to express our own answers?

The story develops without major events as it thoroughly eliminates “verbal” explanations and suppresses intense human emotions of human being. With Lee’s impressive direction, only the expressive face of Yun Junghee (as Mija) tells the story, when she leaves her grandson after playing badminton, or when she is wooed as if she were a young woman. As we watch the film, we forget about thinking or crying; we do nothing but “look.”

While she is losing her memories and words little by little, Mija identifies herself with a girl victimized by a tragic incident. Overwhelmed by her overflowing emotions, Mija finally completes her “poetry.” I expect that her poetry will touch the hearts of you readers.

At the beginning and the end of the film, there are scenes where a river flows smoothly, implying life and death. If you realize the river, represents something completely different in each scene, even though it looks the same, perhaps it means that you have found an answer to Lee’s question.
(Kei Shimizu, a junior studying film at the art department of Nihon University)

Poetry

(Lee Chang-dong, South Korea, 2010, 139min., distributed by SIGLO/ Kino Eye Japan)

Released on Feb 11 at Ginza Theatre Cinema, Shinjuku Musashino-kan, etc.
(C)2010 UniKorea Culture & Art Investment Co. Ltd. and PINEHOUSE FILM.

Visit the official website: http://poetry-shi.jp/

Original article: http://wan.or.jp/reading/?p=6038
Translated by N. Tajima

From the Scene of Protesting the Construction of Kaminoseki Nuclear Power Plant

2012-02-01T11:46:00.046+09:00

Just past 3pm on March 11, 2011, a call was made to Tanoura Beach from Iwaishima. “We just had an earthquake. Please evacuate the beach immediately for fear of possible tsunami.” Upon hearing this announcement, young people on the beach hurriedly took their kayaks and other important leisure items to the nearby hilltops, and approximately half of them returned to Iwaishima for safety.

Generations of people on Iwaishima lived with the blessing from the sea ever since the island became a key spot for the maritime traffic. The island is located 3.5 km directly across the sea from Tanoura in Kaminoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture where Chugoku Electrical Company (Chuden) has planned to build a nuclear power plant.
(see photo #0)

Photo #0

28 years ago when the plan first arose, about 90% of the islanders rejected the plan and the fishing association refused to accept the compensation of 1 billion yen. Since January 2010, people have been going to Tanoura daily to protest, except on stormy days because the average age of these people is 79 and mainly women, they cannot cross the rough waters under bad weather. There are some “young men” on the island in their 50s who support these women.

There is a group that do protest in Tanoura even on stormy days, and they are known as Niji no Kayak Group (Rainbow Kayak Group). They are sometimes called Kayaks and made up of young men and women in their 20-30s. They are not an organized group, but rather people from various parts of Japan who come together and support Iwaishima people for a mutual cause. Because the group is not bounded by strict rules and regulations and the members come together voluntarily, independently, and without restrictions, they are able to respect the activities and supplement the lack of manpower of the islanders.

Photo #1

With the breaker out in the sea, there were fewer people than usual on this particular day in Tanoura.

(photo #1)

The only evidence of violent protest against the nuclear plant that took place here merely 10 days ago are pillars of net fences, several stakes, and oil fences floating in the sea. (photos #2-4 below)

Photo #2

Photo #4

Pillars and stakes are remains from the net and ropes erected by Chuden to stop the protesters from coming down the slope to the beach, and the oil fence was an underwater curtain which Chuden tried to install in the bay to stop the people from Iwaishima to land on Tanoura Beach by boats.

It was expected to be a dynamic crash that could have been called Sea Battle of Kaminoseki. On February 1, Chuden announced that Kaminoseki Nuclear Power Plant Project was under a direct control of the president. The operation ships for building the plant had been obstructed several times by Iwaishima residents and Kayak Group since last fall and almost daily this year when the weather permitted. The act of protesters to obstruct Chuden’s ships to land on Tanoura persisted to the extent that Chuden referred to these acts as “sabotage” rather than the initial act of “demonstration” and has filed lawsuit against the local residents. The day after the announcement, an employee of Chuden on one of the working ships claimed that a fisherman from Iwaishima was swinging a knife on his boat. This incident developed into a highly volatile political situation and Japan Coast Guard was brought into the scene and interrogated the fisherman for 5 hours. Thereafter, the Coast Guard inspected all of the boats that came to protest. As a result of worsening the conflict by fanning the opposition, Chuden proceeded with the construction of the nuclear power plant by force.

It was truly a sneak attack. At 2:00am on February 21, men in uniforms marched on mountain roads in darkness, headed for Tanoura. The number of uniformed men may have been 400 or even 500. In any case, at 3:00am, the first group of fishermen left the port of Iwaishima upon receiving the urgent report. At the same time, the Kayak Group laid their bodies on the line trying to stop Chuden from entering Tanoura Beach. At 4:00am, the first group from Iwaishima and people from nearby areas began to gather on the beach. There were pushing and shoving with Chuden on one side trying to blockade the beach and the protesters on the other trying to stop them. The security guards Chuden hired for this purpose were all huge and muscular men and when they formed a human barrier around the Chuden workers, “It was no easy task to get through this barrier. My body was bruised up and some of us got heavy elbow blows,” said a young woman from the Kayak Group.

Once the sun started to rise, a number of Chuden working ships began to appear on the shores ofTanoura. (see photos #5 & 6)

Photo #5

Photo #6

The boats from Iwaishima, which stood by cautiously until then, protested violently and some of the Chuden ships left, but the workers who remained began pouring gravel into the sea to lay grounds for building the nuclear power plant. “Don’t pollute our source of livelihood with dirty gravel!” Mr. Shimizu, a town councilor of Kaminoseki pleaded along with others from the island. Not only the islanders’ ships were blocked by coast guards’ rubber boats, they were pushed and shoved away. (photo #7)

Photo #7

Photo #8

The duty of Japan Coast Guard is to guard and protect ships and people on the sea from danger, but it seemed to me that their main concern this day was to protect the safety of Chuden ships as the working ships continued to throw-in gravel into the sea.
(photo #8)

Photo #9

As always, the ship of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry quietly observed the scene from a distance.
(photo #9)

The gravels were thrown into the sea inside the area supposedly lined with the anti-pollution coverings, but not only did they fail to reach the bottom of the sea, they were full of holes. Fortunately the load capacity of gravel that can be carried by these working ships was limited, and the total amount of gravel thrown into the sea was considerably less for the number of ships that were there.

At the main construction site, ships from Iwaishima lined up to block off the entrance to Tanoura Bay, forbidding single working ship to enter. The effort of Chuden trying to draw an oil fence inside the bay by entering with a small boat was blocked by protesters on kayaks, rafts, and surfboards. That day, on the Tanoura Beach, over 100 people gathered for a violent protest against the blockade. A 69-year-old woman, among other islanders, was injured and carried off to a hospital that day. (photo #10)

Photo #10

After that, the working ships stationed in the sea began to leave for the reason of approaching ill weather, Chuden and coast guard ships also left. Tension was then focused on the protest at the beach, but eventually the battle subsided although the tension related to the plans of building the nuclear power plant will continue.

The devastating earthquake and tsunami that suddenly occurred this day, which triggered the great big accident of Fukushima #1 plant, changed the lives of countless number of people in Eastern Japan. While deeply sympathetic to the occurrence of this shocking event, excitement spread at the site of where considered to be the location for the last nuclear power plant to be built in Japan.

On March 15, Chuden complied with the request of Yamaguchi Prefectural Governor and Kaminoseki-cho Mayor and announced it will temporarily stop the groundwork of the nuclear power plant construction site, however, they continued the blasting operation on the pretext of “investigation.” The reality was that they were filling the valleys with gravels and dirt made by the blast and developing the site for the plant.

According to Chuden’s publicity department, the “temporary break” of groundwork construction referred to the “development of the site," and therefore, they insisted they are not telling a lie. On March 22, people objecting the Kaminoseki power plant made an appeal to Chuden Headquarter and Yamaguchi prefectural government and demanded all constructions, including blasting, to stop. The response to this appeal was that the blasting was necessary for investigating the safeness of the nuclear power plant in accordance with the regulations set by the national government; and therefore, “We will continue,” commented Chuden, and “Whether to stop the blasting or not is the decision of the national government and the company undertaking the project,” was the response from the prefectural government.　

As to make things worse, Mr. Yamashita, President of Chuden, announced at the press conference held by on March 28 that they will “carry on the project as planned,” which further induced the anxiety of people fearing the effect of earthquakes on the nuclear power plant. The following day, people of Iwaishima and Kayak Group protested at Tanoura. In the unified local election in April, Kaminoseki nuclear power plant project was the main issue of focus by the candidates of surrounding local governments, and a newcomer, Hideto Kunihiro, born and raised in Iwaishima, independently ran for the office of prefectural councilor from Hikari City, 30 kilometers away from the designated plant site. He came very close to two incumbent candidates and lost by mere 197 votes. His catch phrase was, “We are the ones who will create the future - let’s unite in saying no nuclear power plants in the future.” Those who supported Mr. Kunihiro in this election have since then continued to demonstrate against building nuclear power plant by demanding “life without nuclear power.”

There is no leeway for the “continuation of yesterday’s incident” in national nuclear power policy. As apparent by the announcement “to reconsider the plan for energy supply” made by the Prime Minister on May 10, the situation of nuclear power plant accident is, no doubt, very serious. However, ignoring this announcement, Chuden reported the result of environmental survey of the groundwork construction of the plant site the day after the Prime Minister’s announcement. Perhaps they felt stagnated by the rocking situation in the national policy, but at the same time, they probably needed to re-assure themselves to move forward with their project.

In the western entrance of Seto Inland Sea, the aftermaths of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake continue, but what is shaking is the people and the nuclear power plant plan. It is frightening to feel the earth tremble, and we need to shake away the plan already in 29th year by taking into consideration the sentiment of disaster victims of Eastern Japan earthquake and tsunami, and to prevent another nuclear power plant accident from occurring in the future.

Original article written by Shin Yamaaki, translated and adapted by M. Doioka

http://wan.or.jp/reading/?p=2525

Feature Dialogue with Chizuko Ueno --Part III—

2012-01-30T12:32:00.000+09:00

In commemoration of the publication of Lady Murasaki Shikibu and Her Desires

Chizuko Ueno with Junko Sakai

Various arousal points

Sakai

In that context, I have become more and more fond of Genji’s brother.

Ueno

Genji’s brother?

Sakai

Suzakuin, I associate him as someone like the Polaris type, you know.

Ueno

Alright, your inclination to Suzakuin can also be analyzed by referring to the Korean drama, Dae Jang Guem. (laughs) I picked up everything about Korean dramas by listening to others, since I know a Korean drama freak who never stops updating me with information I never asked for. (laughs)

The main character, Jang Guem was kicked out of the palace where she was serving as a cooking staff, but there is faithful Min Jung Ho, a man of standing, good-looking, reliable and so devoted to Jang Guem that wherever she goes, he follows. He always puts Jang Guem’s feelings as his first priority no matter what. You can call him Mr. At-my-side-forever.

Sakai

Nice!

Ueno

You bet! (laughs) There is such a man like Genji who is a flirter, but it is so hard to resist his charm that women feel like getting laid by him, and there is a man who isn’t exactly McDreamy, but he is always loyal, so women need both types at their disposal.

Sakai

Just like what Oborozukiyo did. She got laid by Genji and kept Suzakuin to protect her.

Ueno

That’s the easiest way for women to get by, isn’t it? The Tale of Genji covers such a type of woman among others who are all representing a variety of types to stimulate women’s arousal points. One of them, whom you threw in with the rest, is Gen-no-naishi, a nymphomaniac old maid. (laughs) Nowadays women cannot quit being “on the market” very willingly even when nearing age 40. By the way, I myself have passed age 60, if you must know. Lately the sell-by date for women has been unnecessarily extended. You don’t like this phenomenon, I guess since you wrote that old lady’s role so harshly.

Sakai

I scold those who don’t know when to give up, including myself. (laughs) I’m fond of the enlivened manner in which Lady Murasaki wrote about underdogs, such as Rokujo-no-miyasudokoro. I can read such parts from both a bullying side and a being-bulled side. I’m really convinced that she is so much better at talking down than praising.

Ueno

Another one of them whom you scolded is Onna-Sannomiya. She is easy, but it’s a well-bred easiness that I kind of like.

Sakai

She surely is well-bred, but she showed her true colors at the very end when she became a nun so decisively. Thanks to her presence, the ending of Genji’s life had a final brisk touch.

Ueno

The fatal cycle starting from the adultery between Genji and Fujitsubo ends with that between Onnna-Sannomiya and Kashiwagi. The retributive justice has been done at last!

Sakai

Good job, Lady Murasaki.

Ueno

She took revenge on Genji, and he got what he deserved.

Sei Shonagon will make a better friend

Ueno

Sei Shonagon and Lady Murasaki are often compared, since the former is an essayist and the latter a storyteller. Sei Shonagon picked topics from day-to-day life, and her writing was gracious yet acrimonious, and rather straightforward, whereas Lady Murasaki wrote caustic this and that in her diary, but her story was a production of her fevered imagination. Which one do you feel closer to?

Sakai

I feel more sympathy with Sei Shonagon, so I would rather befriend her than Lady Murasaki. But I have realized that I have a similar insidiousness as Lady Murasaki and that what I hate about her is what I also hate in myself.

Ueno

Aren’t you the first one to express such a radical thing in such a nonchalant manner?

Sakai

Am I?

Ueno

A young sociologist, Naomi Miyamoto Ph.D., recently wrote a book, “Takarazuka Fan no Shakaigaku: Sociology of Takarazuka Fans.” (published by Seikyusha) She also wrote another book, “Ueno Chizuko ni Idomu: A Challenge to Chizuko Ueno” (edited by Yuki Senda, published by Keiso Shobo) in which she stated, “Feminism is a movement that induces women to tell their own story in their own language, because they don’t want a third person to represent them anymore.” (Under the title of the norm of ‘the second class citizen,’ and ‘being cute’) She meant that feminism has been instigating the creation of female language that avails women to convey themselves, and as an alternative to male language, but she says that there is no need for that because there has already been a female language in Japan and the woman’s world has been completely functioning with that language.” She went further and said, “Japanese women haven’t needed a language created by feminism.” Isn’t it quite a challenge? (laughs)

According to Miyamoto, the norm of being cute lies at the core of women’s culture. Why is “being cute” the core of women’s culture? Because if you are being cute, you will never threaten others, and the message of being cute is that “I’m your subordinate, I don’t compete with you.” She says that was the traditional tool to facilitate women in their lives. For my part, I argued back to her and said, “Surely women’s culture is made up of such words like “usou! (no way),” “maji? (really?),” and “kawaii! (so cute!).” But the time when things can be expressed mainly with those words is over, and women now need an extended language to express their meaning.

Sakai

Japanese women have continually handed down that notion ever since the Heian era, I think. “You’re being cute” makes you to subordinate to your counterpart. At the same time, women like themselves being cute very much.

Ueno

Those are the tactics for the women’s culture to survive! “Being cute” is a kind of armor to protect you from your enemies as well as to protect your self-esteem.

The territory of women’s culture in the media

Ueno

You have been writing a series of essays called,” Is He Single?” in the Shukan Gendai weekly magazine for quite a long time, haven’t you?

Sakai

I have been writing that series for six or seven years now.

Ueno

It is exciting that your essays stick out as an outstanding contribution to women’s culture, surrounded by men’s culture in the Shukan Gendai magazine. If the culture of “being cute” represents the non-threatening strategy to others, what if some male readers get disgusted with your essay?

Sakai

I don’t think that males read my essays, because I have never received any feedback from them.

Ueno

Do they just pass them over?

Sakai

I feel that men and women are living in different universes.

Ueno

For men, the women’s culture is very foreign. I really love my epilogue of the “Ohitori-sama Magazine,” published as a Bungeishunju extra edition. The title of that was “The Reverse Side of the Moon,” a metaphor of women’s culture that men will never able to see. I wrote, “I will give men a rare opportunity to get a glimpse of the women’s culture that really exists out there. But sorry, it’s in the men’s blind side.”

The mass media has been the men’s turf where a few isolated enclaves of women, such as you and Usagi Nakamura, the flag-bearer of the women’s culture, are battling hard for their existence. I think somehow the women’s territory is getting larger little by little lately. I also wonder how wide that could extend, because I’m afraid the territory of women’s culture can only grow as large as the men will allow.

Sakai

I’m just puzzled why men don’t understand the women’s culture even though we have explained it in such an easy and simple language. They just don’t get its fundamental basics.

Ueno

I guess they don’t get it because it is too foreign to them.

Sakai

I’m afraid so.

Ueno

Perhaps the degree of its foreignness is too high.

Sakai

I don’t know whether they pretend to read it and don’t, or they simply don’t get it even when they read it.

Ueno

I see. We are safe as long as the message doesn’t get through to the men. (laughs) What if they finally succeed in decoding our message?

Sakai

On the one hand, women can live rather easily because men don’t get it. I feel a little scared if the men diversify and take on more female-like perceptions, and if such men come to understand what the women really like.

Ueno

Well, they might. Women haven’t had any other option than learning the male language, which is foreign to women, in order to survive. Therefore, women become bilingual, whereas men remain monolingual since there is no need for them to master their counterparts’ language. The Tale of Genji interpretation project has been successful in terms of gender equality so far, but how might the Tale of Genji live out in the future world?

Sakai

More and more women are choosing to be fulltime homemakers lately, so I guess more women may realize that they have had hidden desires to be taken away, when reading the Tale of Genji. What is your opinion about that?

Ueno

As for the arousal points that the story is strewn with, those women younger than your generation may find them less and less sympathetic, I think.

Sakai

Don’t women in their 20s feel like being abducted by men anymore?

Ueno

I don’t know. Perhaps they feel like protecting the men instead? (laughs)

Sakai

Or they even feel like taking the men away. Perhaps they aren’t choosing the passive position anymore?

Ueno

I think they still do, but their ratio of active and passive may have changed.

Sakai

Well, then we can expect a completely new type of Tale of Genji interpretation some day.

(The End )

Original Article on the WAN Website (June 22, 2011) http://wan.or.jp/ueno/?p=407

Translated by Yoshiko M.

Source: http://renzaburo.jp/yokubo/index.html

Feature Dialogue with Chizuko Ueno --Part II—

2012-01-27T13:35:00.002+09:00

In commemoration of the publication of Lady Murasaki Shikibu and Her Desires

Chizuko Ueno with Junko Sakai

Lady Murasaki Shikibu and Her Desires

Junko Sakai

Do women secretly wish to be raped?

Ueno

You explicitly wrote, “I wish a mishap of the Casanova-types.” It is a women’s dream that a man of power yet good looking get so badly tempted to make love to you, so did he to his true content. But after the love affair with you, he should die lonely and desperate, but your life should remain as secure and happy as ever.

Sakai

If I were forced to make love to Michinaga Fujiwara and dumped by him, then I knew I would wish him a mishap for certain. (laughs)

Ueno

Hmm, you thought Lady Murasaki would be no exception, and it progressed just as you thought. One interesting thing is that most female characters died unhappily.

Suetsumuhana was one exception that she lived free from jealousy, envy and poverty, wasn’t she?

Sakai

It was obvious that she wasn’t loved by Genji. The more a woman is loved by him, the more misfortune happens, right?

Ueno

Do you think that Lady Murasaki punished beloved women?

Sakai

I think that’s part of it.

Ueno

You say that Lady Murasaki envied Genji’s legitimate wife insidiously just like Rokujo-no-Miyasudokoro couldn’t help putting the death curse on Genji’s wife, Aoinoue.

Sakai

Lady Murasaki’s husband Nobutaka wasn’t a man of power at all and he died quite young. Nonetheless, she wasn’t even his legitimate wife. I guess she was quite envious to recognize happy wives.

Ueno

Aoinoue was cursed and killed for nothing. It was very unjust that such an innocent woman was killed for her man’s guilt.

Sakai

I guess that Lady Murasaki was taking so much pleasure when she was writing the chapter on Murasakinoue’s death. (laughs) I sensed her writing momentum in that part.

Ueno

Her death is one of the story’s highlights as it is also featured as a theme of yokyoku song.

Sakai

Had Rokujo not been, the story would not have taken such a course, so I really understand why Mariko Hayashi put the spotlight on that part.

Ueno

Yugao is also an unfortunate character, since she was kidnapped and killed by Rokujo’s evil spirit.

Sakai

When I read Yugao’s abduction, my deeply kept lava-like desire to be kidnapped was stirred. It was one of the motifs for me to write this book.

Ueno

It is a sensuality to feel when you are put in the situation totally out of your control. Once before, some women got together and looked at rape pornography targeted for men, and then we discussed whether women have a rape desire or not. We realized though that women pretty much get aroused by pornography. So we analyzed why that happened. Then we knew that we get excited because we are exempted from being responsible for our desire.

Sakai

You can say that it wasn’t me who was to blame…

Ueno

I have to be responsible for my desire if I take the initiative doing this, so I want to avoid taking initiative. You get raped, but you indulge yourself in pure fleshly pleasure. Well, lucky you! But only if everything is under your control.

Sakai

That means if you are attracted to the guy.

Ueno

Yes, attraction it is.

Sakai

No way to be raped by a man I never feel like making love to.

Ueno

The answer to whether women have a desire to be raped is yes and no, meaning that women want their own fantasized rape to happen. That’s it. But poor men misinterpret that and think women generally want that, and the men completely misunderstand women’s intention. The same theory can be applied to women, too. I was totally convinced with your logic when I read your book.

Sakai

I have been studying what this desire is in me and wondered if it is really a desire to be raped. Now I think it’s a universal desire of women that can be called a desire for consensual sex that appears to be rape.

Ueno

Looks like that.

Sakai

When I was a child, I was extremely interested in the scenes of a horror comic where someone was drugged with chloroform and taken away. (laughs)

Ueno

One of the points to stimulate your sensuality, I guess.

Sakai

Perhaps Yugao and Ukifune also had their inner points stimulated.

Ueno

But the abductor should never be General Higekuro. Such desire is not unusual for women, but it cannot be expressed and recognized if you are bound by political correctness. Having experienced the political correctness dominant phase, I now analyze women’s arousal by looking at pornography and discover many truths about women one after the other. This book of yours and my book, “Misogyny: Onnagirai,” are evidence that feminism in Japan has gone through some rough patches and has matured to let up on women to realize that we can express not only what is right but also what is hard to admit.

Sakai

I didn’t know exactly how to handle my own raw and contradictory desires, one of which, my feministic desire, gets stimulated by your books and the other one, which is a desire to be snatched away under the influence of chloroform, and this still lingers in myself.

Ueno

When my book “Misogyny; Onnagirai,” was published, various people told me that I finally, after many years of writing about the aging society and nursing care issues, wrote a book that struck right at the core of gender studies. But after 10 or 20 years, I didn’t return to the exact same place where I used to be. I used the concept of misogyny in that book, and it meant to accuse men, but at the same time, women have to face up to our own self-hatred. By doing that, I could write the dark side of women without feeling a restriction. It is not possible to write about women’s dark inside just by criticizing men, but along with feminism maturing, women have gained a concept by which we can analyze women’s self-hatred. There are tons of women’s dirtiness in my book, you know?

Sakai

Surely it has some cathartic effect as well as wounding me to the quick.

Ueno

When feminism was tied down by political correctness, I could only write about the bright side of women, and I shut my eyes to women’s abhorrent side. Today we have gained a tool to analyze women’s dirtiness and darkness, and we can express that, which is good, but you, Ms Sakai, have gone through the process of feminism maturity all by yourself. It is really an admirable achievement of yours.

Sakai

I have been aware of my feministic gut feelings, but I couldn’t avail myself to take a right action, or I easily relied on a man. I couldn’t sort out my own contradictions, which I have had quite a bit in myself.

Ueno

Everyone has. We are all human to be contradictory.

The man to be left behind alone

Ueno

Murasakinoue is also an unfortunate woman.

Sakai

She is one of the least desirable women to me.

Ueno

The least happy one despite that she must have been loved by Genji the most…alas. She was denied by her creator to become a mother, the only viable lifestyle back then if you were a mistress.

Sakai

That’s the cruelest aspect of Lady Murasaki. This denial of her becoming a mother is the most cold-blooded fate given to her compared to that of others such as being cheated or being a target of jealousy.

Ueno

One of Muraski’s cruel punishments is that Murasakinoue had to raise a child (Akashi no Himegimi) whose mother had an affair with Genji behind Murasakinoue’s back. It is extremely harsh both to the mother and the daughter because they had to be forcefully separated, and the foster mother who had no other options.

Sakai

Indeed, it is heart-breaking. As Murasakinoue poured all her affection out on the little girl, I cannot help guessing how her true feelings were and feel tremendous compassion for her. By the way, Murasakinoue herself was abducted by Genji when she was still a small child, but funnily, I wasn’t aroused at that incident as in the case of Yugao or Ukifune.

Ueno

It is nothing but child abuse, trust me!

Sakai

If an abductee is sexually mature, I can be excited about the abduction, but if a child is an abductee, it is certainly a crime. Genji could do that because he had the power.

Ueno

And he enclosed her completely just like we do to the cattle.

Sakai

I would say, “at least let her renounce the world to become a nun!”

Ueno

You have an intriguing standpoint about becoming a nun. Women couldn’t choose a man or couldn’t choose whose woman to be; there was no choice for women at that time. However, there was only one choice they could make by themselves, and that was to become a nun.

Sakai

Saving a way out for women could be their tool for survival, I guess. But poor Murasakinoue wasn’t even given that option.

Ueno

Another interesting aspect of Genji that you pointed out was that female characters took their initiative and denounced the world willfully in a brisk pace. On the other hand, Genji procrastinated to take action to become a priest even though he kept on saying that he would. You described Genji as “a man to be left behind,” and I liked that.

Sakai

We know many such men; he has been saying he would divorce, but never does; or he has been saying he would quit his job, but would never does.

Ueno

Who did leave him behind? Every one of his women did. The worst revenge from women after betrayal by a man is leaving him behind.

Sakai

Lady Murasaki wanted Genji to be left behind all alone after every woman had died.

Ueno

Did Lady Murasaki have someone whom she wished to leave behind?

Sakai

(Chuckles) I cannot help wishing for a Casanova to be left behind alone. Lady Murasaki must have been surrounded by a number of men who could be the model of Genji, but she had such a man of confidence, Michinaga Fujiwara, very close to her. If I were her, I would feel for him just a little bit, yet I wouldn’t be able to suppress my urge for revenge against him to a certain extent.

Ueno

You wouldn’t let Genji die quickly and manly, instead letting his misery last longer and harder. You are quite mean, aren’t you?

Sakai

I thought it was a taste of Murasaki’s gentleness that Gengi’s death wasn’t clearly described.

Ueno

If you were in Lady Murasaki’s position, how would you treat his death?

Sakai

I am not a novelist, so I would write in a very vivid manner that he was struck by an unimaginable misfortune and died after hopeless struggles.

Ueno

So you would strip him of his glory and beauty.

Sakai

He becomes an emaciated and weary old man.

Ueno

First he gets old; then gets thrown out of power, gets abandoned by mistresses; and his body gets very frail …

Sakai

Alright, I wouldn’t mind letting him have one woman, say Suetsumuhana.

Ueno

No way, then you might create another version of Tosa Gengi by Tsuneichi Miyamoto. It would go like this, “not pretty but warm-hearted Suetsumuhana took care of Gengi till the very end of his life, oh well.” No, it’s not tragic at all. It’s a happy ending story. (laughs)

Sakai

I would like that Genji can only keep a woman who is so dull that he would rather wish to get rid of her. But he would never be allowed to have a compassionate and tactful woman such as Hanachirusato. (laughs)

Dream story for women

Ueno

Were you aroused at Ukifune’s indecisiveness when both Kaoru and Niounomiya declared their love to her?

Sakai

Yes, I was. It was as if the fire flared up momentarily very bright before it was extinguished.

Ueno

That is certainly a story of women’s dream written by a woman. The reason why the Korean TV drama “Winter Sonata” was such a huge hit is this: first, a good-looking man has made a pledge of eternal unchanging love to the woman; second, the woman gets two such pledging men but is never able to pick one. These are the points that make female viewers aroused.

I heard that my friend watched this drama and got really frustrated and said, “Why on earth has this woman, Yoo-jin (Choi Je-woo), been so wishy-washy? She gets on both sides, to Kang Joon-sang (acted by Bae Yong Joon) and also to Kim Sang-Hyeok (Park Yong-ha). But you know, my friend, me being wishy-washy is one of the arousal points.

Sakai

Another Ukifune. What will happen to Yoo-jin at the end?

Ueno

She finally chose Kang Joon-sang, but then he was involved in a car accident and became blind. To become blind means that Yoo-jin will be forever kept as young and beautiful in his memory. Thus, he will never be attracted by other women in the world. That makes him an ultimate yard bird to her. This is the ultimate arousal point for women! (laughs)

Sakai

That’s not her fault that he became blind.

Ueno

Exactly! This is one heck of a well-plotted story. I was deeply convinced and understood why this story is so appealing when I heard the screen writer was a woman. I happened to watch the episode of the famous Polaris story. Joon-sang gave Yoo-jin a Polaris shaped pendant top and said, “Look at the Polaris! It is always there and shining. I will be your Polaris and watch you and guard you forever.” (laughs)

What women are most worried about is the man’s change of heart, right? Genji often changed heart, but he kept his women’s life security. (laughs) Joon-sang dedicates himself to both his absolute love and the life security of his woman. Nonetheless, when he became blind, he had to rely on the women 100 percent. That is a total turnaround of their positions. Isn’t that a masterpiece?

Sakai

Absolutely, yes! You make me feel like watching the program right now. (laughs)

Ueno

They are both stories of women’s dreams – the Tale of Genji and the Winter Sonata. They are dream stories written by women. But look! There is revenge against men and bullies to women in the story. The books are worth reading with a pantoscopic and multilayered point of view.

(This series to be continued)

Original Article on the WAN Website (June 22, 2011) http://wan.or.jp/ueno/?p=407

Translated by Yoshiko M.

Source: http://renzaburo.jp/yokubo/index.html

Movie Review: 'Houri no Shima' - Things Destroyed by Nuclear Power Plants

2012-01-09T09:53:00.003+09:00

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Houri no Shima (Holy Island)　(directed by Aya Hanabusa /2010)

Things Destroyed by Nuclear Power Plants by Karin Koretsune

Iwaishima, in Yamaguchi Prefecture is a heart-shaped island located in the Seto Inland Sea.

30 years ago, a plan was drawn up to build a nuclear power plant on the shore of mainland merely 4 kilometers across the sea facing the island. Since then, the islanders continued to protest the construction of nuclear power plant.

The site for building nuclear power plants are targeted at under-populated areas considered to have no economic value. This movie depicts "things" that exist in a place considered by certain groups of people to have nothing.

Catching bream with a fishing rod is
common in Iwaishima.
“Welcome” says Mr. Shomoto,
“thank you so much for coming”
as he reels each bream onto the boat.
One and only female fisher on the island,
Tamiko, tells us, “The sea is our life
itself. It is our livelihood and it has
nurtured all of us.” These are the words
of people who live together with the sea.

On a mountain slope is a terraced paddy field constructed like a castle in the sky. There are piled up rocks about the height of a human being on a cliff. They were made by manpower since machines cannot enter the area. We were told that rocks were carried to the top and dropped.

The terraced paddy field took 30 years to make by Kamejiro, the grandfather of 77-year-old current rice grower, Manji Taira, who has been growing rice at this paddy since he was 7 years old.

Kamejiro predicted that this terraced paddy field will no longer be used after his grandson retires. He will not have any regrets if the paddy field becomes a moorland.　“City people strive for things bigger than themselves,” says Manji who knows the limitations of human power and will not try to control nature beyond his powers.

Manji always visits his friend’s house across the road to spend the evening drinking tea together. When he dozes off, a friend will gently put a blanket over him.

There are about 200 empty houses on the island. The reason for keeping the ownership of these houses is because many people wish to return to the island after retiring from work in the cities. There’s plenty of enjoyable time to spend with people on the island.

”The life on the island is behind the times and people on the island have been abandoned by their children and grandchildren”, say some people who tries to justify building the nuclear power plant. The reality is that there are no convenience stores or museums, but there is a strong will of the people to live cooperatively with the surrounding ocean and mountains. There are also warm human ties. There are people on the island who recognize these factors as important values and have secured them.

Another documentary film about Iwaishima, Ashes to Honey (directed by Hitomi Kamanaka/ 2010) recaptures the life on the island as how our society should function in the future. We should strive for a self-sustainable society that can exist together with natural environment. Furthermore, it shows a concrete way to remove all nuclear power plants, following the footsteps of Sweden. （The official site of Ashes to Honey in English can be accessed from here）

For those who say nuclear power plant is the answer to new industry necessary to urbanize the rural areas that have been left behind the times, please come and see the movie, Houri no Shima and find out what the islanders have valued over the years and discover whether the people will be truly happy or not after losing the things they value.

Original article on the WAN Website dated 8/16/11 http://wan.or.jp/reading/?p=4150

Translated and Adapted by M. Doioka

Feature Dialogue with Chizuko Ueno --Part I--

2012-01-01T00:27:00.002+09:00

Feature Dialogue with Chizuko Ueno --Part I--

In commemoration of the publication of Lady Murasaki Shikibu and Her Desires

Chizuko Ueno with Junko Sakai

Lady Murasaki Shikibu and Her Desires

Junko Sakai

About the Work

The desire to give away secrets, to poke fun at ugly women, to bring misfortune to the Casanova-types—

A thousand years ago or now, the way women think has not changed.

Many books have been written on the Tale of Genji, but watch what happens when Junko Sakai reads into the Tale of Genji using the keyword of “desire.”

The Tale of Genji is the number one long-seller in the history of Japanese literature.

The fame of its author, Lady Murasaki Shikibu, is not limited to Japan, extending worldwide.

For Junko Sakai, who had read the original Tale of Genji many times and had always wanted to write about it, this was her long-awaited chance.

Sakai, who has a reputation as the unrivaled spokesperson of the female perspective, presents her fresh new interpretations of the Tale of Genji.

Chizuko Ueno, whom Sakai greatly respects, is a sociologist and leading authority in women’s and gender issues in Japan, and has expert knowledge about studies on the Tale of Genji.

In the following dialogue, these two women dig deep into the Tale of Genji and the mind of Lady Murasaki.

Excerpt from the Forward

Throughout her work, Lady Murasaki expresses her innermost, rawest desires of all the things she wanted to do and wanted to have done unto her. And these are the very desires that undoubtedly exist among us today.

What kind of burning desire was Lady Murasaki nurturing beneath her flowing black hair and heavy ceremonial kimono? For clues, look no further than the Tale of Genji. By revealing and breaking down each of these desires, I hope to make Lady Murasaki and the Tale of Genji more familiar and accessible for the modern audience.

About the Author

Junko Sakai

Born 1966 in Tokyo. She began writing magazine columns while still in high school. After graduating from the Rikkyo University College of Tourism, she worked for three years in an advertising company, after which she became a full-time writer. She won the Fujin Koron Literary Award and Kodansha Essay Award with her book The Howl of the Loser Dog. Her other works include I’m a Beauty, Made it at the Last Minute?,　Women and the Railway, The Sweet Tooth’s Wandering Journey, You’ll Know if You Wear it!, How to Burn the Kinkaku-ji Temple and many others.

Hikaru Genji – A Supporting Character?

Ueno

As I mentioned in my book "Misogyny; Onnagirai" (Kinokuniya Company, Ltd.), when you (Sakai) first made your appearance in the publishing industry, I was thrilled to see a female writer bring into the male-dominant media a female culture that is irrespective of the male point of view.

In Lady Murasaki Shikibu and Her Desires, you talk about how the world of Heian-era court ladies is similar to the world of all-girls schools.

Sakai

Yes. At first, I had avoided the classics because I had the impression that reading them required painstaking study. But when I realized that the world of Heian court ladies had much in common with all-girls schools, with the drama and fun times and all – when I realized there were all these similarities, I began to like Heian women’s literature more and more.

When did you first start reading classical works of this sort?

Ueno

I’m embarrassed to say this, but I haven’t actually read the original. I was really impressed when I heard you had read the Tale of Genji in the original, and what’s more, you taught yourself. Usually, women who want to read the original seem to join reading clubs so that they can seek the help of literary experts.

Instead of going to the original, I read the modern translations – first, the one by Akiko Yosano (a woman). Yosano’s language is so crisp and dynamic, and the plot moves forward in long strides. Later I read the modern translation by Junichiro Tanizaki (a man), which was much more sentimental and almost more feminine than Yosano’s version. This made me realize how vastly different the various translations are. Have you looked at the modern translations?

Sakai

Yes, I did look through them. But the Tanizaki version was a little too difficult for me, so I mostly referred to Yosano’s translation. I also browsed through translations by Fumiko Enchi and Jakucho Setouchi.

Ueno

What about Mariko Hayashi’s version?

Sakai

Yes, I’ve read it.

Ueno

What did you think?

Sakai

That one is more like Hayashi’s own rendering of the story rather than a translation, don’t you think? Setting up Lady Rokujo as the central character, I thought, was an unexpected and delightful twist.

Ueno

Yes, her choice of character and point of view is masterful.

Even though the court lady culture in the Heian Court is a prime example of women’s culture, the study of court literature has traditionally been dominated by men. For the longest time, male scholars, who held classical Chinese literature as the conservative mainstream, looked down on the Tale of Genji as suspicious, second-class literature because it was written using the syllabic kana script (rather than Chinese characters). Thus, the Tale of Genji was passed down from generation to generation by women. This changed in the 18^th century, however, when a weirdo by the name of Norinaga Motoori brought attention to Genji by rating it highly. Since then, Genji has become a canon in Japanese literature and many male scholars started to study it.

Women weren’t allowed to enroll in the Tokyo Imperial University until the end of World War II, so the world of Japanese literary academia was all-male until after World War II. After the war, more and more women were allowed into universities, giving rise to the first female literary scholars– Yoshiko Shimizu and her generation being the first. Shimizu rejected the then-commonly accepted notion of Genji as a story of lust and eroticism to claim that the Tale of Genji is a story of marriage and power (Discourse on the Tale of Genji, 1966). That’s where the tradition of female interpretations of Genji started. Have you done much reading about these historical trends?

Sakai

Actually, no – not at all.

Ueno

For example in your book, you talk about how one theory argues that Genji is almost a rape literature. Do you happen to know who the first person to come up with this theory was?

Sakai

No, I don’t.

Ueno

The first person to boldly proclaim that Genji is a story of rape was Taeko Tomioka. Tomioka took Shimizu’s “story of marriage and power” model and took it further, claiming that these “marriages” were nothing but forceful coercion, hence a “story of rape.” Then came along the feminist literary scholar Kimi Komashaku, who claimed that Genji is Lady Murasaki’s literary call for women’s solidarity.

Other interpretations have also existed, like the one asserting that Genji is literature of the women, by the women, for the women, in which women craft the ideal man on whom to place all of their wishes.

Taking these historical trends into consideration, the interesting thing about your interpretation is that you bring attention to the fact that there are both positive and negative sides to women’s culture. You talk not only about Lady Murasaki’s bright side, but also the dark, vicious side. For me, that’s why your reading into the Tale of Genji is so unique and interesting.

Sakai

Would you say that people like Kimi Komashaku weren’t looking at the vicious side?

Ueno

The thing about feminist interpreters of Genji is that there is a certain political correctness in their discourse, which tends to overlook the negative aspects of female behavior.

Sakai

I think Lady Murasaki was interested primarily in depicting her female characters and not so much in creating an image of the ideal man in Hikaru Genji. For this reason, Lady Murasaki gave Genji a convenient, narrating role, almost like a supporting character. Looking at it this way, I really got the sense that Lady Murasaki may have been a man-hater.

Ueno

Komashaku said something similar. Furthermore, Komashaku said that Lady Murasaki may even have been a lesbian.

I agree that Hikaru Genji is an almost narrator-like supporting character. On the other hand, the reason why he is said to be the man of every woman’s dream is because he never abandons any of the women he becomes intimate with. Take Suetsumuhana (also known as Princess Hitachi) as an example. Just looking at her name, it is obvious that she is the kind of woman Genji would never have chosen except by some mistake. She really does have an incredible name (“Suetsumuhana” literally means “the flower that is picked last”). Even to women like her, Genji provides generous care, housing her in the Rokujo-in residence (Genji’s aristocratic mansion). In terms of not abandoning his women, he is just like the Korean drama star Bae Yong Joon from Winter Sonata.

Sakai

Sorry, I haven’t watched that one.

Ueno

I haven’t actually seen the series either, so everything I know is from what people told me. In the series, Bae’s character makes a vow of eternal love, saying his love will never change. In Genji’s case, he’s always hitting on women right and left so he obviously has multiple partners, but the love is still unchanging, one could say. At the very least, he will take good care of you.

Sakai

The Rokujo-in is more like a nursing home than a harem (laughs).

Ueno

Considering how so many women, like the author of Kagero Nikki (“The Mayfly Diary,” another work by a female writer of the Heian Period) were constantly worrying about abandonment and losing backing, Genji truly was an ideal man in that respect.

Chizuko Ueno

Born 1948 in Toyama Prefecture, she received her PhD from Kyoto University’s Graduate Program in Sociology.

A renowned sociologist, she is also head of the non-political organization Women’s Action Network (WAN) and former professor at the University of Tokyo.

In 1994, she received the Suntory Prize for Social Sciences and Humanities for her book The Formation and End of the Modern Family (Iwanami Shoten, Publishers).

Other published works by her include Patriarchy and Capitalism (Iwanami Publishers), The Under-Skirt Theater – Why Do People Care So Much about Panties? (Kawade Shobo Shinsha Publishers), The Solitary Post-Retirement Years (Hoken Corp.), Afternoons Spent Alone (NHK Publishing), Onnagirai – Misogyny (Kinokuniya Company, Ltd.) and many others.

Website managed by Ueno – Women’s Action Network (WAN): http://wan.or.jp/

A Story Written by a Mean Woman

Ueno

You have chosen interesting titles for the chapters in your book, like “The Desire to be Taken Away,” “The Desire to be Considered Intelligent” or “The Desire to Take Revenge on the Official Wife.” In a chapter entitled “The Desire to be Approached Violently and Aggressively,” you talk about how Genji’s behavior is nothing but rape – however, because he was a man of such high status (he was treated on the same level as a retired emperor), women didn’t really have the option of saying “no” to him. You go on to say that even though Genji is really just using his power to get the women he wants, because it just so happens that he is very handsome, the women may even feel a little lucky.

Sakai

The women want to choose who rapes them, so to speak.

Ueno

The women don’t have much of a choice in this kind of relationship, so you might as well make it so that it’s a handsome man of high status who gets to do whatever he wants. And even if the relationship doesn’t turn out well, it’s not so bad because it’s like buying insurance (laughs).

Sakai

Genji was able to do all the things he did because he knew he was a man of high position and had money and good looks.

Ueno

Or rather, the author, Lady Murasaki, made him that way. One of the things I found very interesting about your reading of the Tale of Genji is that you interpret the misfortunes that befall the characters in the story – death, illness, unhappy endings – as a sort of punishment or revenge that the author delivers to her characters.

What I mean is, Genji gets away with all that self-indulgence during his life time, but in the end, he loses Murasaki, his greatest love; he is betrayed by Onna-san-no-miya; he wavers in his effort to become a priest; and at the end of the day, he really doesn’t get such a happy ending. And I thought it was very interesting how you interpreted that as Lady Murasaki’s final revenge against Genji.

Sakai

That’s probably because I’m the type of woman who doesn’t wish for her ex-boyfriends to become happy. When I find out that somebody I used to date has become super rich, for example, I feel terrible. I think to myself, “he shouldn’t be so happy!” (laughs).

Ueno

Looking at Genji as a story written by a mean woman rather than just any old woman, I thought, was your unique way of interpreting the story.

Sakai

There are many aspects in the story that correspond to the deepest, darkest mean spirit in me. That’s why I think maybe Lady Murasaki was a really mean person.

Ueno

You can find some evidence of that in her diaries. There are different aspects to Lady Murasaki’s meanness, and you list them in your book. For example, some people speculate that the reason why she hated ugly women like Suetsumuhana was because she herself wasn’t so beautiful. Lady Murasaki also discriminated against country bumpkins like Oumi-no-kimi, which may have been because she herself had a complex of being from the countryside. Now that’s a mean way of interpreting her story right there.

Sakai

Tee-hee.

Ueno

It’s often said that women are especially brutal towards other women. For example, ugly women may victimize women who are uglier than themselves, or country bumpkins may discriminate against other rednecks. When a woman finds her own shortcomings in other women, the discrimination becomes ever so intense.

Sakai

Maybe it was the daughters of mediocre, “halfway-between” aristocrats who wrote stories like this to vent out their frustrations and complexes.

Ueno

I guess the same can be said for girls who enter elite all-girls schools late (laughs). Which type were you, Sakai-san? A born elite?

Sakai

I went to an elite school since elementary school.

Ueno

So were there discriminating girls like that around you?

Sakai

Well, I was the one doing the discriminating (laughs). So I can really empathize with Lady Murasaki.

Ueno

Drawing parallels between the Heian court ladies and all-girls schools really is eye-opening.

Sakai

In all-girls schools too, those girls who were of high birth and were truly beautiful didn’t discriminate against others – they had friendly personalities.

Ueno

They don’t have any jealousy or envy, that’s why. What they say about beauties being bitches, that’s a lie – intelligent, handsome-looking people are usually generous and friendly too.

Sakai

Everyone treats them well, so there’s no need for them to become crooked.

(This series to be continued)

Original Article on the WAN Website (June 22, 2011) http://wan.or.jp/ueno/?p=407

Translated by Yoshiko M.

Source: http://renzaburo.jp/yokubo/index.html

NPO SANKAKU PLANET lecture “Women’s Poverty from a point of view of Domestic Violence”

2011-12-30T12:22:00.001+09:00

There was a period of movement preventing violence against women between November 12 and 25, 2011. Nagoya city gender equality center enforces a project regarding prevention of violence against women(domestic violence) in November every year.

This year our NPO SANKAKU PLANET called Ms. Mieko Takenobu, a journalist and presently a professor of Wako University from Tokyo and had her talk about “ actual condition of women’s poverty from a point of view of domestic violence” on November 26, 2011. On the day, victims, supporters and those who were interested in domestic violence participated our event, while there were many events held by a variety of organization in Nagoya city. Some of them participated both this event and others. Therefore, we could have assumed that many people expected the event.

Ms. Takenobu asked “ Does a marriage help women from poverty ? ” in the first paragraph of her resume. While Ms. Takenobu conferred an article which she collected news data in 2008, she picked up an example which a women became poor by her marriage even though she had economic basis. Against a discourse like “girls had better get married”, Ms. Takenobu insisted that marriage does not complement women’s economic power like saying “ marriage with domestic violence will make women be poorer than before marriage and take women’s power to escape.

Continuously, Ms. Takenobu explained Japan is very severe environment for women to survive by using data regarding a high poverty rate of women in Japan and a gap of labor environment between men and women. Especially, we were shocked by the facts that “ only Turkey and Japan resulted that not-working single mother’s poverty rate is higher than working single mother’s”. In Japan livelifood protection is the only relief support for the people. Also, it is problem that women only rely on “home and husband” as safety-net. We have to recognize the actual condition that “Economic and social system on the premise of “husband” incur domestic violence, at the same time it obstruct women to get out from a house for escaping domestic violence” as Ms. Takenobu said.

Moreover, Ms. Takenobu put a question that the way of gender equality policy which does not consider poverty by pointing Equal Employment Opportunity Law (1985), a shrewd mechanism of between labor deregulation and welfare system. Ms. Takenobu considered that supporting policy for working women in Japan is not working by showing an example of Europe and said “ We have to regulate men’s working style if we say real gender equality”. Also, she brought up a chain of poverty which would improve in the future because women’s poverty is connected children’s poverty.

Ms. Takenobu’s talk which is substantiated by collecting news materials and data taught us that we have to take and consider the actual condition of Japan seriously. Actually, about various problems around women, especially domestic violence problem, we have a lot of things to solve.Then we sometime come to nothing. We assume there were many participants at the place might have felt such as “ Why Japan is such a condition ? ”, “ How can we do to the things better ? ” and irritated the things unchanged. However, Ms. Takenobu emphasized “ It is better to do something or to speak out. Do not think nothing is change. Let’s act even a little. Let’s make an appeal”. Domestic Violence Act is enacted by women’s act. We at the place received energy from Ms. Takenobu’s energetic cheering that we want to step forward with hope.

Original Article by NPO SANKAKU PLANET on the WAN Website (Dec. 24, 2011)

Translated and Adapted by Mariko. O

Has the concept of labor changed?

2011-12-12T16:16:00.001+09:00

I attended the symposium coordinated by Chizuko Ueno with participants including Emiko Takenaka, Mari Osawa, Mitsuko Miyaji and Kayoko Akabane. Each participant is a leading researcher and activist in the fields of feminism and labor studies. This symposium commemorated the 10th anniversary of the Creo Osaka and was entitled “The Future My Choices Bring About – Tomorrow of Living and Working.” It was certainly worth all my efforts to spare some time for attending the symposium because I could realize what new challenges I have to face now. Frankly though, it was interesting indeed, but frustrating, too.

To avoid causing unnecessary misunderstanding, let me be clear about this – the Book Talk by Osawa held prior to the symposium was very inspiring, and the talks by each symposium participant were also very intriguing. Ueno handled the symposium’s progress as skillfully as she always does in a very limited period of time and still gave us a clear message. The event coincided with the elections for Osaka Mayor and Governor, and Ueno said jokingly, “I wish the tenth anniversary of Creo Osaka won’t coincide with the day of its closing.” Many laughed, but this ominous prediction has become more realistic than a random speculation.

I will just point out my questions about one among some issues. Most symposium participants didn’t mention their critical attitude toward the concept of labor, which is one of the vital themes that feminists have been talking about. The talks were exclusively about paid work in the market, so that it could have been mistaken as talks by executives of Rengo (Japanese Trade Union Confederation) or Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) chairmen, who are supposed to take the utterly opposite position to that of these symposium participants. There was a bit of talk about poorly paid part-timers as well as single mothers in very dire situations. Had Emiko Takenaka not been there, nobody would have mentioned unpaid work, and her reference to that topic didn’t assimilate well into the tone of the symposium. It was regrettable that she couldn’t make her point clear enough about Pay Equity and the Child Allowance, due to the lack of time, because such issues are just as important as others, if not more. Her argument that the life security should be assured not by the state but by the corporation was worthy of attention for us to look at the labor movement with fresh eyes. I praise her effort for having said what she should in such a constrained amount of time.

It was very regrettable that she was not allotted time enough to explain more thoroughly about these matters, because these are the very points that require a fundamental shift in labor and labor movements from a feminism point of view.

I thought Feminism after the 1970s has helped clarify these two points: First, that wives with no income have been convinced that they share the same interests with their husbands, who are sole bread-winners in the family, but actually they may not. And second, that the notion that homemakers and working women have opposing interests cannot be true. The two major concepts – that the patriarchy containing the micro authority and the idea that labor within the family, which used to be regarded as family obligation, should be regarded as labor even in a family whose members are supposed to share completely the same agenda and interests – are answered by these two points mentioned above. Furthermore, the gender arguments should be a ground-breaking tool to question the legitimacy of how to differentiate labor from non-labor.

But when I listened to the talks in the symposium I realized that I may have been mistaken about these two. It seemed that such issues mentioned above have lost their importance along the way in talking about women’s diversity or a gap between a certain type of women and another type of women. It is true that women’s identity in the 1970s may be different from that of the present, so it would be better to give this theme a second thought on a different occasion. But the new recognition about the labor structure back then could lead us to a valuable mutual understanding, couldn’t it? Feminist arguments that start tentatively may make a certain case, and they have been an effective tool to make those who are in different or even in opposing positions to work together and to acquaint those who would never meet otherwise.

What was shocking to me was a cynical and less compassionate tone when the symposium participants talked about homemakers and their lack of imagination and generosity toward those who are in a slightly different position from them. I also didn’t understand the point of critics of so-called homemaker feminism.

I wondered what “My Choices” meant in the title of this symposium. I hope it didn’t mean self-responsibility, the often-used-word of today.

I think our lives can be characterized as swimming in an ocean, a constant struggle against random waves of all sizes and strengths, and it is our delusion that there is a freedom for us to make choices in our life. The reality is that we pick what looks the best among the skimpy choices available, which are greatly limited by the social structure and one’s fate. In making a choice, we are not allowed to have time to contemplate, and we are barely able to see which is better to pick. Plus, in many cases such a choice is more influenced by the interests of someone else who is closely related to you, rather than your own interests. Then we end up having children, or having no children, being married or unmarried, becoming a homemaker, getting a divorce, living with someone who is not a recognized spouse, living alone, giving labor without being paid or having no opportunity to get a decent job. No one is immune to becoming one of them.

On the other hand, we have been driving the society to change by exercising our very limited freedom. I think Feminism is a label given to an aggregation of such actions by numerous individual women. This phrase “My Choices” used in the symposium title represents such choices. The standpoint of Feminism should be our compassion to someone else’s life that could well be our own.

The Women’s Center seems to have a similar kind of problem regarding its position about “the labor” and “homemakers,” so I would like to give this more thought eventually.

Original Article by Kumiko Ida on the WAN Website (Nov. 30, 2011)

http://wan.or.jp/reading/?p=5396

Translated and Adapted by Yoshiko M.

Unwillingly Signed Divorce Paper: A Case of Non Japanese Couple with Different Nationalities

2011-11-30T14:53:00.011+09:00

Question:

I am a graduate student from country A. I have a husband, who is from country B, and a child, who is two years old. My husband and I met each other as foreign students and got married in Japan. The three of us still live in Japan.

My husband is not interested to take care of the child and has started to complain, “I want more free time,” and “I cannot get relaxed because of the kid.”

The other day, he asked me to sign my name to a divorce paper, saying that even though it is not legally effective, it makes him feel easy and free.

I signed the form without any intention to get a divorce as I was afraid that if I refuse it would adversely affect our relationship.

I hope it will not cause any problem just to sign a divorce paper as he says, but is that true? (Ms. D in Osaka)

Reply by UCHIKOSHI Sakura

You are both foreign residents in Japan, one from country A, and the other from country B. If both of you are qualified for stay in Japan for academic purpose as a teacher or a researcher (as is specified in the annexed table 1 of the Immigration Control Act) and have been living in Japan for more than five years, you are considered to have “a habitual residence” (a place where you usually live) in Japan.

If a married couple have different home countries (or their nationality is different from each other) and have the same habitual residence, the law of their habitual residence is applied (refer to Article 27 and 25 of the Act on General Rules for Application of Laws). Therefore, in your case, the laws of Japan should be applicable.

If your husband goes to city office and hands in the divorce paper without your consent, it will be accepted and formally processed. You can ask for arbitration or bring the case to court afterwards (refer to Article 17 and Clause 1, Article 18) , it will be very difficult for you to establish that the divorce is invalid.

There is a system to avoid such difficulty in advance by submitting an application for nonacceptance of a divorce paper, but since neither you nor your husband have family register in Japan, you can not apply for such nonacceptance.

I advise you to get the signed divorce paper back from your husband before it becomes too late. If all he wants is to feel free, why don’t you talk with hin to find other solutions than divorce.

Original article on the WAN website　(November 21, 2011)
http://wan.or.jp/help/law/

Translated and adapted from the WAN website by FUKUOKA.A.A

Women's Peace Prize in 2011

2011-11-30T13:38:00.004+09:00

This year's Nobel Peace Prize is one of great milestones for women activism.

The Worldwide Women's Action Network (W-WAN) is pleased to post related information, provided by Betsy Kawamura who is the founder of Women for Non Violence (www.w4nv.com) in Norway, for celebrating two big events in this fall: womens’ peace prize and the launch of W-WAN’s weblog.

*****

Women's Peace Prize

Saturday, December 10th the Nobel Peace Prize will be handed out in Oslo City Hall. At 5.30 p.m the same afternoon thousands of us will be gathered at Youngstorget to celebrate the laureates with appeals and cultural events before finally assembling to the traditional torchlight procession to the Grand Hotel.

This year, FOKUS Forum for Women and Development will organize the march together with the Norwegian Peace Council, which is an umbrella organization for Norwegian peace organizations.

«We hope that Norwegian women can highlight their empowerment in a joint-tribute to these three wonderful laureates who strongly symbolize women as change-agents in countries of war and conflict,» says the CEO of FOKUS, Gro Lindstad. She also states that this year's award to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman is a great recognition of the important work being executed by women to create peace. The award sets off the importance of clarifying, implementing and strengthening United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.

After years of struggle and persistent advocacy by the international women's movement, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security in 2000. It was the first time in UN history that the Security Council adopted a resolution where women were recognized as active agents of change and not just victims of war and conflict. The goal of Resolution 1325 is to increase women's participation and influence in efforts to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts; to strengthen their protection and to safeguard their human rights in conflict and post-conflict situations. This resolution requires the full integration of women in peace processes through the inclusion of gender perspectives in peace-building work, before and post-conflict.

«In many cases men negotiate the peace processes and establish the basis of institutional reconstruction in areas affected by war and conflict,» says Hedda Langemyr, director of the Norwegian Peace Council. Women have a very central position in civilian reconstruction work, but this is a task that is not credited in the same way, neither by the major stake-holders nor international donors.

Langemyr claims that women must play a more central role both in diplomacy and in the structural arena of peace-building, in addition to promoting women’s civilian engagement. The Peace Prize revitalizes the hope that this is possible.

Resolution 1325 is first and foremost civil society's profitable decree. Attitudes are formed and skills are most often developed and exchanged amongst grassroots women via their informal networks. The interaction between local women's groups and international organizations exemplified by FOKUS is a critical contribution. The international women's movement can draw knowledge, solidarity and resources, but the courageous women's work at local levels is even more critical to achieve peace. Resolution 1325 has aided in establishing some global norms on women’s rights and realizing peace agreements. Furthermore, it has recognized the special needs of men and women in peace and reconciliation processes, and their different perspectives and priorities.

«There is still much work to be done in this field, but we see clear progress, » says Gro Lindstad. This year's Peace Prize is a gratifying example of how the world's most prestigious prize can help illuminate women's engagement internationally. The prize has consistently proven that without the participation of women, sustainable peace is difficult to create.

This year's laureates

All three Nobel Peace Prize winners have incorporated the spirit of UN Resolution 1325 in their work. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was the first Head of State who actively used the resolution in rebuilding war-torn Liberia. Her administration has strengthened women's rights in all areas, including in legislation that protects women's dignity and clamps down on criminal activities that women are particularly vulnerable to. Johnson has also created a special unit police-force to investigate sexual violence after the civil war in her country.

Grass-roots` activist Leymah Gbowee also from Liberia, mobilized women in the struggle against war and terrorism through effective non-violent action. The result was that Charles Taylor was summoned to the negotiation table and was subsequently forced to resign. Gbowee’s history of women's non-violent struggle and mobilization has been portrayed in the documentary film, "Pray the Devil Back to Hell", which has had great success globally.

«This woman is a particularly good example of what non-violence, civil resistance and willingness to change lead to; and Gbowee is the candidate that most clearly fulfills the criteria that Nobel in his life-time wished to emphasize,» said Hedda Langemyr.

Yemeni Tawakkul Karman, like Gbowee has mobilized women at the grass-roots` level. She founded the human rights group, Women Journalists without Chains in 2005 in Yemen. Women have played a key role in the revolt against President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his authoritarian regime. The Nobel Prize for Karman is an inspiration, mobilizing more women to take to the streets to protest. On October 26th this year, women burned their veils in protest against the brutal regime of President Saleh.

Karman's goal is to create a non-violent revolution by popular resistance that has emerged in Egypt. Her clear, peaceful line encourages women to walk out into the streets to protest against the violent regime's abuses.

«We are very pleased with this year's Peace Prize, » says Hedda Langemyr and Gro Lindstad. All three laureates have emphasized non-violent peace work, democracy, freedom of expression, and the importance of women's participation in their communities. The Prize is also an award to civil society's efforts and peace movements around the world. Many years have lapsed since the prize was awarded to individuals who have both represented Nobel's will and advocated on behalf of its principals. Langemyr and Lindstad conclude that this award therefore provides hope that future prizes will be given in a closer manner to the intentions of Alfred Nobel.

*Translated by Kamila Wisz from Norwegian texts that can be found on Nye Meninger: http://www.nyemeninger.no/alle_meninger/cat1002/subcat1041/thread202524/#post_202524.

[Source: http://norgesfredsrad.no/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Articles-translation-final-version.pdf ]

*****

For your reference, please visit:

1) http://nobelpeaceprize.org/en_GB/announce-2011/ and

2)http://www.unwomen.org/2011/10/un-women-applauds-nobel-peace-prize-award-for-women-leaders .

Posted by Shin YAMAAKI

The 1st National Exam for Certified Care Workers under EPA to be Held in Jan.2012.

2011-11-23T01:34:00.013+09:00

     The Association of Japanese Language Education (AJLE) has a working group to support nurses and care workers who are candidates for certification in Japan under the Japan-Indonesia Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). This article mainly focuses on the current situation of the candidates for care workers, as the examination system differs for nurses and care workers.

     The first group of care workers sent to Japan under the EPA for certification training arrived in the summer of 2008 and, after six months of education in the Japanese language, they are now being trained at social welfare institutions. The candidates are required to have working experience in Japan of more than three years to be qualified to take the examination. Since their stay in Japan is restricted to four years, they have only one chance to take the examination and obtain certification. If they succeed, they can be employed in Japan as welfare professionals, but if not, they are forced to leave Japan.

     Nurses, on the other hand, are required to have nursing experience in their home countries and those who are qualified can take the national examination soon after they arrive in Japan. Three examinations have already been given to those candidate nurses, but the ratio of successful applicants was as low as 1.2% in 2010, slightly increasing to 4% in 2011. As a result, 60% of the candidates of the first year immediately went home.

In case of care workers, they receive the Japanese language program, but because the government of Japan limits its period to six months, they are required to work at hospitals and welfare facilities before they acquire sufficient Japanese language. As a result, the candidates have great difficulty in communicating with patients, who tend to be overwhelmingly elderly and in getting accustomed to the frequent use of jargon and abbreviations used on the job.

That is the situation where the Indonesian candidates must take the national examination on an equal footing with the Japanese examinees. And that is why we have been asking the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to use easier to understand Japanese expressions and vocabulary on the national examinations, taking into account their limitations of Japanese capability. However, it is unlikely that they will change the level of the Japanese questions in the near term.

There was no prospect of our request having any positive effects until I had a chance to meet Professor UENO Chizuko in August at the conference of the European Association for Japanese Studies in Tallinn, Estonia. She reminded me of the group Garuda Supporters (GS), an organization promoting exchanges between Indonesia and Japan, and thanks to the help of several people concerned, I was finally able to contact a person working at the secretariat of GS. GS was also active in working with other support organizations to propose a fundamental change of the EPA system itself.

In order to somehow improve the situation in time for the upcoming examination in January, 2012, three groups, GS, Kansai Indonesia Friendship Association, and our AJLE working group offering Japanese language support for these workers, decided to issue an emergency proposal concerning the national examination to certify EPA care workers and nurses.

The proposal is composed of the three requests as follows: first, kana (phonetic symbols) should be printed alongside Chinese characters on written examinations; second, the time for examination should be extended; third, the EPA candidates should be examined separately in a different room from other examinees.

That is the minimum request. This special assistance given to the non-Japanese examinees without the knowledge of Chinese characters should not be regarded as preferential treatment. We should note the gap between the regular examinees using Japanese for more than twenty years and those who are learning Japanese for less than four years while acquiring knowledge and skills about care in the fields of a foreign country.

Recently, the EPA project for educating nurses and care workers has been extended to Vietnam, and is expected to attract more candidates to come to stay in Japan for education and training. Yet if the situation in Japan as a recipient country for these health care workers stands as it does now, there will be more and more discouraged candidates.

The people of the host institutions appreciate the fact that the candidates, who tend to have been raised in extended families in Indonesia (and the Philippines as well) are very well accepted in their field because of their sincere care they provide their clients and patients. The positive effect on these health care workers by the Japanese staff has also been observed in many cases, and yet, the candidates cannot live up to the expectations of their hosts as they fail in the national exam and go home.

Obviously the EPA related examination system has many inherent faults. The system will be reexamined and things will be improved for future candidates, but something must be done immediately and continued support is required so that the existing 752 candidates for certified care workers and the 328 institutions receiving them for training can avoid unfortunate outcome despite their great efforts.

Original article by ENDO Orie
on the WAN website　(November 9, 2011)
http://wan.or.jp/reading/?cat=2

Translated and adapted from the WAN website by FUKUOKA.A.A.

What’s Going on in Schools and Homes and on Streets? ----3rd Symposium on Victims of Pornography and Human Rights of Women and Children

2011-11-16T21:54:00.007+09:00

The Association for Victims of Pornography and Sexual Violence has been raising questions about Japan's social conditions where the violation fo sexual rights and the wide-spread of pornography do not receive enough attention.

This year we are organizing our 3rd symposium to consider the environment in which children are being raised as well as the sexual harassment and abuse in schools and local communities.

The symposium will be held in a large hall of Toui-kenpo Kaikan, Shinjuku, Tokyo, between 13:30 and 17:00 on November 20, 2011.

For location see:

http://www.toui-kenpo.or.jp/member/05_sinsei/pdf/T1K_MAP.pdf

Speakers include KANEKO Yumi, a school nurse who is promoting sex education that focuses on the human rights implications of sex and gender, TACHIBANA Jun, an editor and writer who is active in collecting the voices of teenage girls who hang out aimlessly in Shibuya, and HAYAKAWA Satoshi, who is working in a foster home, supporting the children who have been sexually abused. This symposium will provide a chance to both learn about those problems and discuss solutions to them.

Contact us:
hpsv＠app-jp.org

Original Article on the WAN website (October 30, 2011)
http://wan.or.jp/information/index.php/event_show?id=1214

Translated and Adapted from the WAN website by FUKUOKA A.A.

Sociologist Chizuko Ueno’s Online Seminars

2011-11-02T00:30:00.000+09:00

ChizukoUeno, an author of many well-known books, Japan’s foremost feminist, sociologist,and former professor of the Graduate School of the University of Tokyo, startedseminars we can watch online.

Sinceshe retired from the university, she has been active as the managing directorof Women's Action Network (WAN).

Hercurrent research interest is "how single men and women can live alone fora long time and die at home."

Thefirst Ueno Seminar presented by WAN was held on August 5th.

Videosare accessible from here at http://wan.or.jp/ueno/?cat=11 (inJapanese only).

Written by Atsuko Ishikawa

Join Us! - Women's Organization against Nuclear Power

2011-11-01T03:02:00.000+09:00

We launchedWomen's Organization against Nuclear Power. (You can find the list of who"we" are in the original website but it's only available inJapanese.) The kick-off meeting starts at 1:30 p.m. on November 23^rdin Tokyo .

The Fukushima nuclear power plants’ accident teachesus that human beings cannot control nuclear power plants. Operating powerplants in Japan, theearthquake-prone archipelago, is extremely risky and we don't have anysolutions to the disposal of radioactive waste. Now is the time to changeJapan's energy policy, where nuclear power generation has been promoted. Let’srealize denuclearization.

Now is thecritical moment. Fellow women, let's cooperate.

Support Women'sOrganization against Nuclear Power!

The Japanese flyeris here.

If you supportus, fax or e-mail us.
You can also becomea supporter from our website.
Please make adonation through bank transfer if possible.
The units of donationare 1,000 yen.
We are going touse your contribution for the activities and administration of theorganization.

Thank you.

TEL: 03-6550-1111

FAX: 03-6551-1111

e-maildatsugenfem@gmail.com

URLhttp://datsugenfem.web.fc2.com/

Please use thefollowing application form to support the organization.

-------------------- Application Form --------------------

I Support the Women's Organization Against Nuclear Power.

Name:
Address:
Tel:
E-mail:
Your Organization or Title (Optional):
Can we reveal your name? Yes or No

The Amount of Contribution (Optional)
The Number of Units:
______________ yen

Original article on the WAN website.

Translated and adapted by Atsuko Ishikawa

Where a Women’s Lib Activist Met Creative Works on Homosexual Themes -- report on the Yaoi/BL Symposium

2011-10-31T05:31:00.002+09:00

The word yaoi in Japanese refers to a genre of creative works whose theme is male and male gay relationships, and yet ones that target female audience. It is also called “BL,” which stands for “boys love.”

On October 2, at the campus of Osaka University, a symposium on Yaoi/BL was held for the second time following the last year. The title this year was Female Writers of JUNE Fictions  the Era of Azusa Nakajima’s Courses on Fiction Writing.

JUNE (pronounced joo-neh), is a magazine with yaoi works, which was published from 1978 to 1996. The famous author and critic Azusa Nakajima, also known as Kaoru Kurimoto, had a series of articles on how to write fictions in the magazine. From this series that had evaluated fictions submitted by its readers, many yaoi writers emerged as prominent authors.

In the symposium that attracted audience of various ages, panelists discussed what Azusa Nakajima's courses on fiction writing meant to JUNE’s female authors.

One of such authors is Fumiko Nomura, also known as women's lib activist Fuyumi Nakano. For me ((translator’s note: the original article's writer)), the interview with her was the highlight of this symposium.

Nomura's fictions have been highly recognized and published as books. What did JUNE mean to her? Basically, works published in JUNE provided her with sexual fantasy necessary for masturbation. She would get excited, for example, with a sadomasochistic relationship described in a particular work. However, having affinity with that kind of sexual relationship conflicted with the thought behind women's lib activities in which she engaged in her real life. That contradiction between having fantasy with a dominant/submissive sexual relationship and being a women’s lib activist would torment her.

According to Nomura, she came to understand why she grew fond of that kind of sexual fantasy: as she was completing her last fiction Good-bye Misty Love, she realized that, because she had hated male dominant society that had discriminated against women, she had been soothing her anger by describing a male and male dominant/submissive relationship where the dominant male eventually collapses.

Having completed the last fiction while she was away from Japan and knowing the direction of her anger, Nomura went back to Japan with determination to confront the reality of the society that she lived in.

Original article on the WAN website.
Translated and adapted by Naoko Hirose

Women's Korean Wave vol.21 Definitely Neighbors (Part 2 of 2)

2011-10-21T20:10:00.022+09:00

Women's Korean Wave vol.21 Definitely Neighbors (이웃집 웬수)
written by Yeong-ae Yamashita

(You can read Part 1 here.)
The protagonist is Yun Jiyeong (actor: Yu Hojeong). Jiyeong, a housewife, and her husband Kim Seongjae (Son Hyeonju) lose their son in a traffic accident while they are quarreling. Shocked by the loss, the couple gets divorced. She soon gets a part-time job at a restaurant, where she meets its owner and chef, Chang Geonhui (Sin Seongrok). Later, their relationship becomes intimate. Meanwhile, her husband gets to know Kang Mijin (Kim Seongryeong), a designer, and begins dating with marriage in their mind.

Although each one of the divorced couple now has her or his own life, both are the parents of an infant girl. Because of this, they cannot cut their connection to each other. One day, Jiyeong finds that Seongjae's uncle moves in next door. Seongjae also moves into his uncle's house to become a good father to his daughter.

In the beginning, whenever the divorced couple meet, they have an argument. Their relationship changes little by little. When Jiyeong has to work late, Seongjae and his uncle look after the girl.

As for each other's new boyfriend/girlfriend, both pretend to be indifferent but they couldn't help saying something on the matter to each other. Their dialogues express their complicated feelings.

Mijin, a widow and a single mother, cannot understand why Seongjae lives next door to his ex-wife. She has never got divorced. When she has questions, she asks them frankly. She gets along with Jiyeong. The dramatist Choe says that Mijin is her ideal woman.

On the other hand, Jiyeong learns a lot while she raises the infant daughter and becomes independent. When she was married, she was too obedient to say anything to her mother-in-law. After getting divorced, she became self-assertive gradually. After seeing her own senile mother, she reconciled with her father and stepmother.

Her romance with Geonhui, whose father is a big hospital owner, looks like a fantasy but is described well as what makes her grow. One thing I am discontented with about the drama is the way Geonhui calls Jiyeong ajumma. Ajumma means an older married woman who has children. It also implies an uneducated woman who cooks and takes care of children.

In a Korean custom, names two people address each other change according to their relationships. Even after being intimate, Geonhui and Jiyeong do not change names they call each other, which do not match later episodes especially when they talk about love. It may suggest that their relationship is never closer than the one defined by how they address each other's name.

Interestingly enough, the way they talk to each other is polite but has some variations if you listen carefully. For example, Jiyeong uses casual peer-to-peer language to appease Geonhui when he woos her, or when she preaches him. By calling him "you" (너), she stresses that she is older than him and should be given precedence over. Although the way she calls him changes, Geonhui's way of talking does not change. You cannot see such variations on Japanese subtitles at all.

Original Article on the WAN website (October 5, 2011)

Translated and adapted by Atsuko Ishikawa

Women's Korean Wave vol.21 Definitely Neighbors (Part 1 of 2)

2011-10-20T20:10:00.002+09:00

Women's Korean Wave vol.21 Definitely Neighbors (이웃집 웬수)
written by Yeong-ae Yamashita
Definitely Neighbors is a Korean drama series which sheds light on a divorced couple facing various events and going through complicated feelings with a light touch. SBS aired it on weekends in 2010. The number of episodes is 65.

Korean dramas in general relate divorce with "adultery" or "revenge" but you will never see either of them in this drama. Rather, it characteristically focuses on the reality of the surroundings of those who experienced divorce.

What made dramatist Choi Hyeonkyeong write this? She says, "those who got divorced don't want to talk about their divorce very much. So they are not able to overcome their pains. Not only that, but also divorce hurts children the most. If it's so, dealing with this topic straightforwardly would heal their pain. Through this drama, I would like to present how an ideal divorced couple would be."

Korean society had seen a rapid increase in divorce rate since the year 2000. The highest divorce rate was recorded in 2003 but the rate still ranks at first or second among the OECD countries. To suppress the divorce rate, the Korean government introduced a legal system that made divorce procedures more complicated in 2006.

Aired under such social circumstances, actors in the drama obtained some conspicuous awards. Its audience rate was always more than 20 %. It has already broadcast in Taiwan and in Japan. DVD will be released soon.

Original Article on the WAN website (October 5, 2011)

Translated and adapted by Atsuko Ishikawa

Kusama’s Body Festival in 60s

2011-10-10T01:21:00.001+09:00

An art exhibit named Kusama’s Body Festival in 60’s, which features the artist Yayoi Kusama's works in that decade, is being held in Tokyo.

o August 6, 2011 (Sat.) - November 27, 2011 (Sun.)
o The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art
o 3-7-6 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
o Tel: 03-3402-3001

The exhibit website: http://www.watarium.co.jp/exhibition/1108kusama/index.html (in Japanese only)

The artist's official website has an extensive English section: http://www.yayoi-kusama.jp/e/information/index.html

Original Article on the WAN website (October 6, 2011)

Translated and adapted by Naoko Hirose

A View on the Two Female Members in the Noda Cabinet

2011-09-21T18:25:00.004+09:00

Since the historic political shift from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) in 2009, Japanese politics has seen three prime ministers and thus three sets of Cabinet members. On September 2, 2011, the newly appointed Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda formed a Cabinet, which includes two female members: Yoko Komiyama, the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare, and Renho, State Minister in Charge of Government Revitalization, Civil Service Reform, Gender Equality and Japan’s Declining Birthrate.

The first DPJ Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama had two women in his Cabinet, and his successor Naoto Kan also appointed two female members, although the latter two were both dismissed later in a Cabinet reshuffle. The resurgence of female politicians should therefore be welcomed, especially as Komiyama was promoted to what is considered a major post in the government from the position of Vice Minister and is now in charge of the DPJ’s proposed comprehensive tax and social welfare reform.

What is debatable, however, is the manner in which the media has dealt with the Gender Equality post. News that Renho had been appointed to the post was initially not mentioned at all on the major Internet news sites that covered the new Cabinet appointments. Later, the reports of Renho’s Cabinet responsibilities cited only “government revitalization” and “civil service reform,” and a few others put “Japan’s declining birthrate" before "gender equality." Even Asahi Shinbun, one of Japan’s most widely circulated newspapers, mentioned “gender equality” only in a small footnote.

The first press conferences, only available on the governmental website, show the two female members views on issues well:

http://nettv.gov-online.go.jp/prg/prg5239.html?c=12&a=1

http://nettv.gov-online.go.jp/prg/prg5248.html?c=12&a=1

Komiyama, who apparently avoided the term “gender equality” in deference to the Japanese political convention of sectionalism at the press conference, certainly understands what are crucial under the current circumstances. On the other hand, Renho raised the issue of work-life balance but did not even mention the third Basic Plan for Gender Equality that has been under construction. Her knowledge and understanding of gender issues in Japan seems to leave room for improvement.

Moreover, at the press conference, not a single question was asked with regard to gender equality. While such disappointment has become almost customary by now, we should keep a critical eye on the media. Undeniably, the Noda Cabinet faces numerous issues including employment, social welfare and tax, all of which are closely linked with gender.

Original Article on the WAN website (September 3, 2011)

Translated and Adapted by Aya Kitamura

Support Center for the Victims of Sexual Violence in Osaka

2011-09-19T18:05:00.003+09:00

The Sexual Assault Crisis Healing Intervention Center Osaka (SACHICO) is the first one-stop center in Japan to provide 24-hour care and support for victims of sexual violence. Care-workers, police, and lawyers work together to provide medical and psychological care in one location, allowing for a quick response to incidents, while minimizing the victim's physical and psychological damage. This is the summary of an interview with the representative of the center, Haruko Kato. 

How was the SACHICO established? 
I have been working as an OB/GYN doctor since 1975, and encountered the issue of sexual violence through my work. I started a study group with doctors such as OB/GYNs, pediatricians, and psychiatrists to discuss what we could do. We came to realize that we needed to create a one-stop center where we could provide comprehensive care for the victims of sexual violence, including medical, legal, and psychological support. In June 2009, we created a network and began preparing for the establishment of SACHICO. The members consisted of 28 doctors, medical law specialists, lawyers, counselors, and grassroots feminist activists. We established the center within the Hannan Chuo Hospital in Osaka in April 2010.

How could you get understanding from the hospital?

This hospital was created with funding from the Dowa laws (laws designed to improve living conditions for the burakumin, Japan's largest minority group). The staff in the hospital tends to have high awareness for human rights and many are interested in medical care for those who are at risk. I think this is why we could create the center within this hospital. There are several merits about having the center within a hospital. A hospital can provide a 24-hour support system. We also needed to be able to provide OB/GYN care. We were open for 24 hours for delivery already, which made the hospital an ideal location. Plus, because it was a hospital, there was a pretty good system for security to provide a safe place for the victims. We could also have the victims receive psychiatric or orthopedic care when necessary. It's also important to note that the hospital created SACHICO in a location separate from the regular OB/GYN office.

Can you explain a bit about the Center itself, such as numbers or services provided?
Within the past year, we received 1463 phone calls. There were 128 women, who came to our center. 78 were raped, 36 experienced other forms of sexual assault, 6 came because of domestic violence, and 8 came for other reasons. We found it extremely important for the center to be open 24 hours a day. Many clients called us or used our service during the night and/or weekends.

Also, 90.4% of clients revisited the center. We think this was partly because the center was separated from the regular OB/GYN office, and we respect the privacy of all those who use our facilities. We can also provide various kinds of care, including abortions and treatments in other departments. We also work with psychiatrists, counselors, lawyers, police, and child protective services.

What were the challenges you faced and goals for the future?
We have accomplished a lot important things, but there are still many things we need to improve. One of the most critical things is to have a larger number of trained staff members. Currently we have 40 staff members, but in order to have a center that is open for 24 hours, we need more people. Second, it is very difficult to run this center with limited resources. We hope to receive public funding for this project. Finally,we would like to be able to work with the police more effectively. There are still police officers who do not understand the seriousness of sexual violence. We hope more and more hospitals will provide the type of service we provide at SACHICO.

Original Article on the WAN website (July 6, 2011)

Original interview conducted and article written by Sakura Furukubo
Translated and Adapted by Eiko Saeki

Talk by Mika Noro: For Mothers Living with Radiation - Wisdom for Protecting Children's Lives

2011-09-19T17:37:00.001+09:00

Chihiro Museum (Tokyo) will hold a talk by Mika Noro on how to protect the lives of children affected by radiation. Noro's book, "For Mothers in Radiation: Wisdom to Protect Children's Lives - from Chernobyl to Fukushima" will be published on September 24, 2011.

Noro is the representative of the Bridge to Chernobyl (Cherunobuiri e no Kakehashi), an NPO created to provide aid for children affected by the Chernobyl accident.

Date: October 2, 2011

Time: 2:00 – 4:00 pm

Location: Chihiro Museum

4-7-2 Shimoshakujii Nerima-ku, Tokyo 177-0042

Telephone: 03-3995-0612

Original Article on the WAN website (September 17, 2011)

Translated and Adapted by Eiko Saeki

CINEMA: Yoshiko & Yuriko (dir. Sachi Hamano, 2011)

2011-09-18T23:41:00.000+09:00

Sachi Hamano's latest film, Yoshiko & Yuriko, will be screened at Eurospace in Shibuya from October 22, 2011. The film is based on the true story of the relationship between two women, Yoshiko Yuasa and Yuriko Chujo (later Yuriko Miyamoto).

Yuasa was a scholar and renowned translator of Russian literature, who, during the Taisho Period (1912-1924), was involved in a relationship with Chujo, an influential proletariat writer in wartime and postwar Japan.

Official website (Japanese)

Information about the film on the Eurospace website (Japanese)

Direction to Eurospace (English)

Other Venues and Dates

June 18- Shizuoka Mirano (Shizuoka)

September 7-11 Aichi International Women's Film Festival (Aichi)

September 17 Kansai Queer Film Festival (Osaka)

October 22 Kansai Queer Film Festival (Kyoto)

October 1-14 Kyoto Cinema (Kyoto)

October 18-21 Cinema Skhole (Nagoya)

October 19 Kagawa Rainbow Film Festival (Kagawa)

End of October- Dainana Geijutsu Gekijo (Osaka)

November 19-25 Cinema e-ra (Hamamatsu)

Original Article written by Chieko Nishiyama on the WAN website (August 23, 2011)

Translated and adapted by Eiko Saeki

Lecture by Chizuko Ueno in Kyoto: The Twelve Volumes of Feminism in Japan

2011-09-08T00:10:00.004+09:00

Chizuko Ueno, the director of Women’s Action Network and a professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo, will be speaking at the Nagaokakyo City Gender Equality Forum 2011 in Kyoto on January 21, 2012. The lecture is entitled “Passing the Baton” and features her experiences of coediting the twelve-volume feminist anthology, Feminism in Japan. The original series was published by Iwanami Shoten in 1994 and an augmented edition was completed in 2011.

Date: January 21, 2012

Time: 1:30 – 3:30 pm

Location: Nagaokakyo-shi Chuo Shogai Gakushu Senta (Center for Continuing Learning, Nagaokakyo City), Main Hall (third floor)

* The Center is located in front of JR Nagaokakyo Station.

Capacity: 200 seats

* Please fill out and send in the application sheet attached here. Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis.

* Childcare services are available. Please register by January 14.

Contact: Women’s Support Center, Nagaokaky City

Tel: 050-7105-8501

Original Article on the WAN website (September 4, 2011)

Translated and Adapted by Aya Kitamura

H-WAN: Help available at Women’s Action Network

2011-09-08T00:02:00.005+09:00

Women’s Action Network has finally launched its on-line consultation venue, H-WAN. Its first help project is “Kiyomi’s Counseling Room” led by Kiyomi Kawano, a renowned feminist counselor in Japan.

Kiyomi Kawano has worked as a counselor at psychiatric institutions and family service centers in Japan and America. She was the first to bring “feminist counseling” to Japan in the 1970s and the founder of a feminist therapy group “Nakama” in the 1980s. As a feminist-counseling pioneer, Kawano has supported the establishment of feminist counseling rooms across Japan, and is also a leading figure in studies on the mother-daughter relationship in feminist counseling.

In this digitalized era, the Internet enables women everywhere to voice their individual problems, which many others may silently share. H-WAN aims to draw attention to women’s issues, and will gradually expand its foci to health, welfare and law.

The service is provided on the WAN website and in Japanese only. For further details regarding postings on Kiyomi’s Counseling Room, please visit:

http://wan.or.jp/about/?page_id=54

Original Article on the WAN website (September 1, 2011)

Translated and adapted by Aya Kitamura

Open the Door! Kansai Queer Film Festival 2011

2011-08-31T13:19:00.002+09:00

The annual Kansai Queer Film Festival for 2011 is going to be held on September 17-19 at Hephall in Osaka and on October 21-23 at the University of Kyoto’s Nishibe Hall in Kyoto. This is the largest film festival in the Kansai region of western Japan, and aims to be a site for encountering the multiplicity of sexuality and love worldwide. The Kansai Film Festival is renowned for its diversity, and this year again the featured films encompass gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, and intersex themes.

In this its sixth year, the festival embraces the slogan, “Open the Door.” The schedule includes a total of twenty-nine films and twenty-five programs—some of which are free of charge—from Japan, Korea, Germany, France, Norway, Argentina, Spain, India, Canada, the US and the UK. Sixteen of the works are to be screened for the first time in Japan, and many more can only be viewed at this festival.

For more information, visit:

Kansai Queer Film Festival 2011

Original Article on the WAN website (August 29, 2011)

Translated and Adapted from the WAN website by Aya Kitamura

ART: The Donation of Vegetable for the Pregnant Woman in Fukushima

2011-08-12T11:37:00.002+09:00

Mikako Tomotari, a sculptor in Kyushu, began a project, "The Donation of Vegetables for Pregnant Women in Fukushima." This sustainable project for disaster relief is designed to deliver fresh vegetables to pregnant women in the areas affected by the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants. It is a system in which people purchase "donation cards" to donate money for purchasing and delivering fresh vegetables from Kyushu, which pregnant women in Fukushima can eat without worrying about the possible effects of radiation from the areas close to the power plants.

Through her work, Tomotari (an assistant professor in the Department of Design at Kyushu University) has been working on themes of the environment, disability, the body, community, and violence of the nation.

Website for Donation of Vegetables for Pregnant Women in Fukushima (Japanese)

http://www.design.kyushu-u.ac.jp/~tomotari/fukuoka.elf.html

Mikako Tomotari's website (Japanese)

http://www.design.kyushu-u.ac.jp/~tomotari/frame.html

Original Article written by Megumi Kitahara on the WAN website (May 1, 2011)
Translated and adapted by Eiko Saeki

What's New - August 12, 2011

2011-08-12T10:47:00.002+09:00

[Aug 11, 2011] BOOK: Challenging Ueno Chizuko, edited by Senda Yuki Eng J
[Aug 9, 2011] Issues on Nuclear Power Plants (11): Fukushima, seen by a documentary filmmaker (a notification of an event at the Chihiro Museum) J
[Aug 9, 2011] Asuka's Childcare Leave Diary (5): A new world J

What is W-WAN?

2011-08-12T10:35:00.002+09:00

Worldwide Women’s Action Network (W-WAN) is an English-language blog with articles selected and translated from the website of Women's Action Network (WAN), a Japanese non-profit organization. W-WAN aims to inform people worldwide of the activities and activism by and for women in Japan.

Worldwide-Women's Action Network

Seeking Solutions to the Issue of Comfort Women --- The 1000th "Wednesday Protest" in Seoul on Dec. 14, 2011

An Article on Japanese Super-Aging Society by Chizuko Ueno

Global Conference for a Nuclear Power Free World 2012 Yokohama --- A Great Success!

Poetry -- The Art of Looking Film Review by Kei Shimizu

From the Scene of Protesting the Construction of Kaminoseki Nuclear Power Plant

Feature Dialogue with Chizuko Ueno --Part III—

Feature Dialogue with Chizuko Ueno --Part II—

Movie Review: 'Houri no Shima' - Things Destroyed by Nuclear Power Plants

Feature Dialogue with Chizuko Ueno --Part I--

NPO SANKAKU PLANET lecture “Women’s Poverty from a point of view of Domestic Violence”

Has the concept of labor changed?

Unwillingly Signed Divorce Paper: A Case of Non Japanese Couple with Different Nationalities

Women's Peace Prize in 2011

The 1st National Exam for Certified Care Workers under EPA to be Held in Jan.2012.

What’s Going on in Schools and Homes and on Streets? ----3rd Symposium on Victims of Pornography and Human Rights of Women and Children

Sociologist Chizuko Ueno’s Online Seminars

Join Us! - Women's Organization against Nuclear Power

Where a Women’s Lib Activist Met Creative Works on Homosexual Themes -- report on the Yaoi/BL Symposium

Women's Korean Wave vol.21 Definitely Neighbors (Part 2 of 2)

Women's Korean Wave vol.21 Definitely Neighbors (Part 1 of 2)

Kusama’s Body Festival in 60s

A View on the Two Female Members in the Noda Cabinet

Support Center for the Victims of Sexual Violence in Osaka

Talk by Mika Noro: For Mothers Living with Radiation - Wisdom for Protecting Children's Lives

CINEMA: Yoshiko & Yuriko (dir. Sachi Hamano, 2011)

Lecture by Chizuko Ueno in Kyoto: The Twelve Volumes of Feminism in Japan

H-WAN: Help available at Women’s Action Network

Open the Door! Kansai Queer Film Festival 2011

ART: The Donation of Vegetable for the Pregnant Woman in Fukushima

What's New - August 12, 2011

What is W-WAN?

Poetry -- The Art of Looking　　Film Review by Kei Shimizu