What is Japan’s philosophical expression on genders, and how has it changed and evolved throughout history?

By Yolia
  • 300

    The Beginning

    Throughout all of Japanese history, the female gender was always considered less than the male gender. Males had much more privileges than females, such as power, property, voice, etc. Females were only considered as disposable property, and they were not allowed, if any, significant power in the monarchy. To this day, woman in Japan are still continually battling these long lived traditions.
  • Period: 300 to 710

    Kofun Period

  • 593

    The First Empress Regnant

    Empress Suiko was the first of eight woman who took the role of empress regnant. She was assigned to ascend the throne because the power struggle between two different clans became exceedingly violent She reigned from the year 593 to the day she passed away on the year 628. Although she was the empress, the two princes of the clans held all the power. Surviving and reigning to the day she passed away of old age proved that she was not powerless and had considerable political skills.
  • 794

    Equality

    Women were beginning to be treated more equally to men.
    Women were given the rights to:
    - Inherit land under their own name
    - Be educated
    - Take a lover (if discrete)
  • Period: 794 to 1185

    Heian Period

  • Period: to

    Edo Period

  • Inequality

    In late Edo period, women’s rights were taken away and men were becoming more dominant in society. The idea was enforced by a book called “Learning for Women” made by the author, Kaibara Ekken. The book promoted expectations of women that should be met.
  • Period: to

    Meiji Period

  • Women's Legal Rights

    Industrialization and urbanization reduced the authority of fathers and husbands.
    The Meiji Civil Code of 1898 denied women legal rights and gave them to the household heads, which were males.

  • Murdering for Infidelity

    It is no longer legal for men to murder their wife for infidelity.
  • Period: to

    Heisei Period

  • After WWII

    After WWII, women were slowly gaining more rights and closing the gap of inequalities of the genders.
    - Women were finally given the rights to vote.
    - Education institutions for women were being made
    > these institutions promoted equal pay for women
    > often still expected to quit school and work for motherhood