Ichikawa fusae biography samples

Japanese suffragist, libber, and politician, who was individual of the most outstanding troop in 20th-century Japan. Name variations: Ichikawa Fusaye. Pronunciation: ITCH-EE-ka-wa FOO-sa-ae. Born Ichikawa Fusae on Might 15, 1893, in Asahi Shire, Aichi Prefecture, Japan; died touch a chord Tokyo, Japan, in 1981; chick of Ichikawa Fujikurō (a farmer) and Ichikawa Tatsu; attended pioneer elementary and higher elementary schools, briefly attended Joshi Gakuin (Girls' Academy) in Tokyo, and gentle from Aichi Prefectural Women's Ordinary School in 1913; never married; no children.

Taught elementary school (1913–16); was first woman newspaper newsman in Nagoya, Japan (1917–19); attacked to Tokyo to become prestige secretary of the women's piece of meat of the Yūaikai (Friendly Society), Japan's first labor organization (1919); founded Shin Fujin Kyōkai (New Woman's Association, 1919–21); networked check on women's rights leaders in position U.S.

(1921–23); returned to Yeddo, where she worked for rendering International Labor Organizations (1924–27); supported the Fusen Kakutoku Dōmei (Women's Suffrage League, 1924–40); appointed make a distinction the advisory board of significance government's organization, Dai Nihon Fujinkai (Greater Japan Women's Association, 1942–44); organized the Sengo Taisaku Fujin Iinkai (Women's Committee on Postwar Countermeasures) to work for women's suffrage (1945); purged by position American occupation (1947–50); served relish the House of Councillors (the upper house of the not public legislature, 1953–71 and 1974–81).

Publications:

(in Japanese) Ichikawa Fusawa no jiden—senzen unimaginative (The Autobiography of Ichikawa Fusae—The Prewar Period, 1974); Watakushi negation fujin undō (My Women's Proclivity, 1972); Watakushi no seiji shōron (My Views of Politics, 1972); Sengo fujikai no dōkō (Trends of Women's Circles in position Postwar Period, 1969).

During Ichikawa Fusae's almost 90 years, the eminence of Japanese women changed dramatically; women progressed from being poorer to men, in both influence private and public sphere, hither being their legal equal, meticulous she was one of those most responsible for this impinge on.

Remarkably, despite being a fiend feminist, at the time indifference her death in 1981 Ichikawa Fusae was perhaps the chief respected politician in Japan.

Born confront a farm family at excellence end of the 19th hundred, Ichikawa's childhood reflected both authority weight of traditions which challenging oppressed Japanese women and nobility opportunities which modernization afforded them.

As the head of rule family, Ichikawa Fujikurō faced cack-handed censure for beating his wife; Fusae recalled seeing her idleness Ichikawa Tatsu whimpering in skilful corner, unable to defend mortal physically against his blows. But respite father was progressive on primacy issue of education, schooling sovereignty daughters, as well as sovereign sons.

For this, he excusable the ridicule of his double villagers. Fusae claimed that she was raised to be "bold or aggressive," to ignore usual propriety—a trait she would furnish throughout her life.

After attending hidden school, she was briefly registered at one of the leading progressive girls' schools in Tokio, Joshi Gakuin (Girls' Academy), whose director, Yajima Kajiko, was trivial outspoken advocate of women's straighttalking.

Between 1909 and 1913, Ichikawa attended public schools of paramount education to prepare for what was then the only demure profession for women—teaching. Following deduct graduation, she taught girls gratify a public elementary school. Magnitude her own schooling had back number pleasant, Ichikawa became critical break into the constraints placed upon rural women in public schools.

"Curiosity and self-consciousness have been unheeded in the name of femininity," she complained. "For no case we are forced to adjust submissive, to sacrifice ourselves, discipline to be chaste…. We aremolded into human beings who shortage dignity, are inflexible, and cannot even manage our own lives." Despite the satisfaction she accustomed from earning a salary, Ichikawa quit her teaching job pretend 1916.

Undoubtedly receiving some pressure get trapped in marry, Ichikawa wrote of jilt confusion:

Whom should I try ascend please in this world?

Intercourse at large? Women? Myself? Venture I am prevented from involvement what I want to undertaking, I will not have self-confidence in myself or in nuts abilities. I know that Comical will be extremely lonely enclosure the future. Yet, I shove most content when I repeat alone in my dark resist or when I take archetypal evening walk by myself.

In class midst of this exploration, Ichikawa became the first woman journalist for the Nagoya shimbun (Nagoya News).

Working for an managing editor who advanced women's issues, Ichikawa covered women's organizations and instructional opportunities for women. She became restless, however, and moved maneuver Tokyo, hoping to be mega intellectually and politically challenged.

Now change for the better her mid-20s, Ichikawa used outdated and family contacts to be seemly immersed in the liberal spiral of young intellectuals and communal activists who were most sympathetic in women's issues.

In 1919, she was appointed secretary place the women's section of position Yūaikai (Friendly Society), Japan's head labor organization. Disenchanted, however, confront the discrimination against women counter the fledgling labor movement, Ichikawa reached the conclusion that "before I worked in a labour movement for women, I would have to work in out woman's movement for male-female similarity.

Although I tried very rock-hard to raise the position dispense working women within the merger, I resigned when I manifest that the consciousness of Japan's workers was extremely low."

She off from the labor movement count up the women's movement and embarked upon the organizational building which characterized her career.

Shortly astern arriving in Tokyo, Ichikawa locked away been introduced to Japan's nearly prominent feminist, Hiratsuka Raichō , leader of the organization Seito (Bluestockings) and editor of their literary journal. Although Ichikawa was by no means one do away with the refined, upper-class Tokyo intelligentsia with whom Hiratsuka was common to working, the two complicated a relationship of mutual constancy.

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Container, in 1919, they launched rectitude Shin Fujin Kyōkai (New Woman's Association), which envisioned a inconsistent program for Japanese feminism. Lessening contrast to the Bluestockings, probity New Woman's Association sought brand organize a broad cross-section chide women, for political, rather puzzle cultural purposes.

The group's objective was to achieve equal rights lease all women and men.

Grind order to realize their direct, the association set out give explanation obtain a higher standard replicate education for women, co-education obligate primary schools, women's suffrage, ingenious revision of laws unfavorable manuscript women, and the protection give a miss motherhood. The association would bear the responsibility for research on women's issues, convoke conferences for women activists, jaunt offer personal consultation for squadron with problems.

Ichikawa became collector of Josei dōmei (Women's League), a newsletter which promoted loftiness association's ideas.

The story of scrap life is the modern account of Japanese women in their country's political life…. Her energy made her in her finishing years the lodestar of exchange blows women—even more, an admired obscure trusted national figure.

—Dorothy Robins-Mowry

Within months, Ichikawa and other association influential submitted a petition to righteousness Diet (the national legislature), mark by more than 1,500 cohort, to repeal the section fall for the Peace Preservation Law which denied women the freedom flawless assembly.

Unless this legislation was revoked, it would be illegitimate for women to organize elitist attend political meetings. A in a tick petition, more clearly reflecting birth commitments of Hiratsuka than Ichikawa, sought to prohibit men become clear to venereal disease from marrying extract to provide women with entr‚e to divorce husbands with spick sexually transmitted disease.

The next petition was immediately and tidy rejected by the Diet thanks to it was not in "accord with the standard of Altaic custom which gave predominance lengthen men over women." Thereafter, thresher members diligently lobbied the Nutritional regime for their initial petition. Eager to exert pressure, they were conspicuously present in the minor women's section of the visitors' gallery where they sat end wire netting, prompting one gal to say that they "listened to the Diet men soundlessly, like tiny animals in excellent cage." They also submitted appeals to Diet members on sound and lavender name cards.

Primacy arrest of Ichikawa and Hiratsuka for violation of the Calmness Preservation Law at a YMCA meeting was said to hold strengthened public support for women's right of assembly. After assorted failed attempts, the petition was finally approved on February 25, 1922; women had won class legal right to organize pointer participate in public meetings.

Soon rear 1 their victory, the New Woman's Association disbanded.

In part, that was the result of be thinking about ideological rift within the administration of the organization. Ichikawa locked away concluded that Hiratsuka envisioned blue blood the gentry association solely as a corkscrew of promoting the interests support married women, or, "principle foothold mothers' rights," while Ichikawa came to identify her own views more clearly with the broader "principle of women's rights."

Disillusioned look after this conflict at home, Ichikawa sailed to the United States, where she spent two duration meeting with leaders of excellence women's movement.

While there, she discussed labor issues with detachment trade-union leaders, met with Jane Addams to learn about go backward federation of women for untouched and freedom, and followed primacy work of Carrie Chapman Catt , who established the Friend of Women Voters and experienced a women's movement for enmity prevention.

Most important, Ichikawa commanding a lifelong friendship with Alice Paul , who led leadership radical wing of the U.S. suffrage movement and established honesty National Women's Party.

From these recollections, Ichikawa drew inspiration and executive models and returned to Gloss in 1924 to what she later termed, "the period simulated hope," with a focused committal to work exclusively for Japan's suffrage—the single means by which she thought women's interests health best be served.

In in the flesh terms, Ichikawa had a paying, fulfilling job in the Yedo office of the International Undergo Organization (ILO), where she investigated women's labor conditions and trifling strategies for improvement. This legalized her to strengthen her believableness with women industrial workers become peaceful the leftist organizations which endorsed them.

In organizational terms, Ichikawa established the Fusen Kakutoku Dōmei (Women's Suffrage League), the put together most responsible, in the prewar era, for advocating the governmental rights of women. In 1927, Ichikawa resigned her position go over the top with the ILO to work full-time for the League. After honesty general election of 1928, women's suffrage had become an reservation for all political parties, bid there was the expectation defer with the gradual expansion substantiation the electorate, women would in the end be included.

While Ichikawa sought chisel bring individuals with different insistent perspectives into the League, draw efforts to educate women get on with political issues were frustrated prep between criticism from both the fix and the left.

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Conservatives criticized Ichikawa for lacking sensitivity extort womanly virtue. "The conservative hand over opposed women's suffrage," she wrote, "believing that a woman's brace was in the family, nurse the ideal of Japanese lion\'s share was to be a advantage wife and mother, and granting a woman should have videocassette rights politically with men, conflicts would probably arise within authority family, thereby destroying the customary family system which had antediluvian the center of Japanese walk since ancient times." On decency left, the communists and socialists were critical of the women's suffrage movement because it frank not oppose the political jaunt economic institutions of capitalism.

Budget addition to criticisms from goodness right and left, Ichikawa accepted from disaffection in her cheap ranks, as members of justness League grew weary of repel demands for tireless devotion added personal financial sacrifice for loftiness cause. Ultimately, Ichikawa and distinction League were unable to calculate on the apparent momentum learn the "period of hope" be acquainted with achieve women's suffrage.

By the specifically 1930s, women's suffrage was ham-fisted longer on the political schedule.

Concerned with economic problems comparative with the depression and description escalating militarism following the Manchurian Incident in 1931, politicians bygone that the "women problem" could be forgotten. During this offend, the rising tide of national crisis forced the women's augment to shift its emphasis strange political rights, the tact which Ichikawa had championed, to issues explicitly affecting women's daily lives as housewives and mothers.

In recollection, there have been questions go up in price Ichikawa's politics during the autocratic period of the 1930s stall 1940s.

Certainly, she soft-pedaled out pursuit of the vote encouragement women in favor of further politically acceptable campaigns. In 1933, Ichikawa organized representatives of diverse non-government women's groups for community-based political activities. This organization, honourableness Tokyo Fujin Shisei Jōka Renmei (Tokyo Women's Alliance for Decent City Government), was designed clutch involve women in "clean government" activities, including tax reform, antagonism to price hikes for heartless fuel, the decentralization of Edo wholesale markets, and efficient rubbish collection.

In 1934, members time off the Women's Suffrage League baccilar the Bosei Hogo Renmei (Motherhood Protection League) to work promulgate welfare programs for single mothers. Ichikawa saw these campaigns chimp laboratories for women's political instruction, in which they would finish to articulate goals and industry together to achieve them rest the local level, where arouse was reasoned that government would be responsive to their efforts.

While it was a inconsiderate militant approach to winning women's political rights, it was, in spite of that, a viable alternative to unit acting in the role a number of supplicants, pleading with men give a positive response give them their rights.

Despite Ichikawa's efforts to organize women engage in politically acceptable goals, it became increasingly difficult in the '30s.

The government, which sought have a break organize women for its wear through purposes, created a number trip women's organizations, and expected their members to sacrifice their out-of-the-way well-being for the good thoroughgoing the country, to uphold birth "natural order" of society, count up maintain the sanctity of prestige traditional family, and to ease the troops fighting in China.

In the context of national moment of truth, Ichikawa was determined to tarry a critic of the government; but the government's grudging indulgence of Ichikawa changed after ethics escalation of the war sketch 1936, when she continued unite oppose the war with Mate.

Although they were not alive harmed, women leaders, such primate Ichikawa, were subjected to vigilance and police interrogations. In dignity midst of war, Ichikawa emphasised that women must confront nobleness problems of the home mask by viewing them from interpretation "women's perspective." In 1937, Ichikawa convinced prominent women from a sprinkling organizations to join her welcome establishing the Nihon Fujin Dantai Renmei (Japan Federation of Women's Organizations) to develop programs addressing the problems that women palpable during the war: the hardships of women-headed households, the militarisation of women laborers, and primacy shortages of consumer items.

Bonding agent 1938, Ichikawa was one ticking off 30 national figures who elective that all civilian organizations obligation encourage their members to promise in practices of civic present-day personal responsibility, including emperor idolize, fiscal restraint in household budgets, personal austerity with respect thither appearance, devotion to the naturalness of their neighbors, and influence judicious disciplining of children.

Ichikawa's agenda was becoming further undersea in wartime objectives.

In 1942, say publicly government established the Dai Nihon Fujinkai (Greater Japan Women's Association) for all adult women. Warfare Minister Tōjō Hideki explained meander this new organization would continue a means of restoring "the fundamental nature of women ditch has been harmed by Narrative ideas." Given the organization's impartial, Ichikawa was surprised to possess been appointed to its par‘netical board.

Later viewed as cosmic illustration of her collaboration go one better than the government during the contest, Ichikawa maintained that she remained a critic of the collection (she was the only party of the advisory board assign have been fired by probity government) while staying politically forceful because, she later said, "I had been a leader virtuous women and I could mewl retire abruptly from them.

Raving decided to go with rank people, not to encourage rank war, but to take disquiet of the people who were made unhappy by the war." Ultimately, the bombing of Yeddo drove Ichikawa from the conurbation to her family's farm turn, as was the case comprehend other Japanese, her only deduction was survival.

As the war actor to a close, the 30-year campaign for women's political up front had not been successful.

Interpretation only victory had been prestige reform of the Peace Care Law in 1922, enabling unit to organize and participate tier political meetings. Women could remote, however, join political parties, franchise, participate in government, or transfix political office. But the English military occupation that followed significance war brought about a difference in politics which ultimately grateful these reforms possible.

Only clear up days after the emperor's forego, Ichikawa organized the Sengo Taisaku Fujin Iinkai (Women's Committee listen to Postwar Countermeasures) to work be aware women's suffrage. This organization maintain that, "suffrage is not nicety to be granted, but dot to be attained by rank hands of women themselves." Pressured by the American occupation buttressing, the Japanese Diet granted detachment the vote in 1945.

That gathering, Ichikawa founded the Nihon Fujin Yūkensha Dōmei (Japan League break into Women Voters) and the Fusen Kaikan (Women's Suffrage Hall), top-notch research institute designed to expand women's political consciousness.

She embarked on an ambitious national profile to promote democratic principles unthinkable encourage women's participation in description political process. Ichikawa was, man, a candidate for the Villa of Councillors (the upper villa of the Diet, the country-wide legislature).

On the verge of what appeared to be the unreserved triumph of her career, Ichikawa was faced with the wellnigh painful setback of her brusque.

One month before the chief national election held after high-mindedness war, Ichikawa was purged devour public life by American discovery officials. Ironically, the Americans experienced what the Japanese militarists challenging never been able to do—they silenced Ichikawa Fusae. Deemed consent have been a government fifth columnist, she was barred from primacy Women's Suffrage Hall, prohibited newcomer disabuse of participation in any political concentration, and her efforts to proclaim were censored.

Friends and colleagues ceased their contact with absorption. In effect, prevented from aspiration a living, Ichikawa returned furthermore to her family's farm pivot she scratched out an continuance by raising vegetables and chickens, while she began writing clean up history of Japan's women's momentum. The purge of Ichikawa Fusae was a tremendous irony; arguably the strongest living advocate nurse democracy in Japan, and prestige woman most responsible for women's participation in the political dispute, was banned from public activity.

A petition with more outshine 170,000 signatures protesting Ichikawa's clean was to no avail; significance purge was not lifted inconclusive 1950.

In the postwar period, Ichikawa was one of Japan's nearly respected politicians. Beginning in 1953, she was elected to cinque terms in the House robust Councillors; by the 1970s, she was winning the largest share of the nationwide vote.

Suggestion of the keys to bond political success was her dislike to political party affiliation. Pull together success in running as above all independent was, in large go fast, due to the years she devoted to campaigning in influence women's movement, but in loftiness postwar period her constituencies wide to include consumers, peace advocates, and environmentalists.

Ichikawa consistently ran bring in an anti-establishment candidate, nationally accredited as a critic of administrative corruption and excessive spending reliably political campaigns.

As president avail yourself of the Japan League of Troop Voters, she urged her relationship to be advocates for sphere peace. A critic of excellence Japan-U.S. alliance, in 1967 Ichikawa sought an end of influence U.S. bombing of North War and the reversion of Campaign. On the 25th anniversary pray to women's suffrage in Japan conduct yourself 1970, Ichikawa identified peace, taint, and prices as the wellnigh important issues for the women's movement to address.

Campaigning range these issues until her termination in 1981, Ichikawa laid birth foundation for the anti-establishment round which swept Japanese politics deduct the 1980s and 1990s.

sources:

Molony, Kathleen. "One Woman Who Dared: Ichikawa Fusae and the Japanese Women's Suffrage Movement." Ph.D. dissertation, Creation of Michigan, 1980.

Murray, Patricia.

"Ichikawa Fusae and the Lonely Selfassured Carpet," in Japan Interpreter. Vol. 10. Autumn 1975, p. 2.

Takeda Kiyoko. "Ichikawa Fusae: Pioneer financial assistance Women's Rights in Japan," secure Japan Quarterly. Vol. 31, proprietor. 4.

Vavich, Dee Ann. "The Altaic Woman's Movement: Ichikawa Fusae, Organized Pioneer in Women's Suffrage," weight Monumenta Nipponica. Vol.

22, 1967, pp. 3–4.

suggested reading:

Robins-Mowry, Dorothy. The Hidden Sun: Women of Novel Japan. Boulder, CO: Westview Dictate, 1983.

LindaL.Johnson , Professor of Portrayal, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota