Women of Maiji Japan
Resilience, Change, Challenges, and Misconceptions
By Yoko Moirya Stetson
The Meiji Restoration (1868-1912) transformed Japan, modernizing society. The exhibit in the lobby explores how women navigated these shifts, highlighting both opportunities and challenges, offering a fresh perspective on the Meiji era—one that reveals its complexities beyond the portrayals found in Madama Butterfly and similar Western narratives.
Women in the Meiji Era
Transformation and Challenges
In the 1870s, legal reforms allowed divorce under certain conditions and permitted international marriages, though nationality laws still favored paternal lineage. Japan’s 1898 Civil Code reinforced male authority but also sparked debates on gender roles, inspiring women to push for greater autonomy.
The Meiji Restoration era (1868-1912) modernized Japan but upheld patriarchal structures. Still, many women embraced new opportunities—pursuing education, business, and activism, shaping Japan’s future.
Breaking Barriers: Education Work, and ambition
In 1871, Japan sent its first female students abroad as part of the Iwakura Mission, including Tsuda Umeko, to study Western education and modern practices. Inspired by these advancements, the 1872 education reforms expanded literacy and career paths for women. As a result, mission schools flourished, providing more women with access to formal education and shaping future generations of leaders.
Women were central to Japan’s rapid industrialization, working in silk, textile, and emerging manufacturing industries. Under the Fukoku Kyohei (Rich Country, Strong Army) policy, factory expansion created new job opportunities, though conditions were harsh. Despite long hours, low wages, and strict contracts, women’s labor fueled Japan’s growing economy and global competitiveness.
These shifts challenged perceptions, inspiring movements like the WCTU, where women took leadership roles and advocated for rights. Activists like Sasaki Toyoju emerged, promoting women’s participation in education and public life.
The Reality Behind Western Narratives and the Role of Women
Nagasaki, Japan’s key port for Western trade, remained a hub for cultural exchange after the Meiji Restoration. Increased interactions led to cross-cultural marriages, such as those of Thomas Blake Glover and Tsuru, and Anton Johannes Cornelis Geerts and Kiwa Yamaguchi, which helped bridge Japanese and Western cultures. Their grandchild, Teiko Kiwa, later gained fame as an opera singer, becoming especially renowned for her interpretation of Madama Butterfly.
Global Parallels: Women and Modernization in the Late 19th Century
Women worldwide faced legal and social constraints in the late 19th century. In Japan, the Meiji Civil Code reinforced male authority, restricting women’s rights, while in Europe and the U.S., women also lacked property rights and fought for suffrage and education.
Modernization spurred progress, expanding education and work roles for Japanese women, much like in the West. However, narratives like Madama Butterfly often romanticized their struggles rather than recognizing their agency. Contrary to these portrayals, upper samurai daughters in the late 19th century often became teachers or found respectable means to support themselves, rather than meeting tragic fates.
The Meiji era was a time of both struggle and transformation for women. While many faced societal restrictions, others seized opportunities in education, work, and activism, driving gradual social change—an aspect often missing in Western portrayals.
Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing Japan, Madama Butterfly (1904) reflects the tensions between tradition and modernization. While some women adapted to new roles, others were caught between old expectations and emerging societal shifts.
As Japan modernized, women had to balance newfound opportunities with deep-rooted expectations—a nuance often lost in Western interpretations like Madama Butterfly.
In the End
Despite societal restrictions, the Meiji era opened doors for women in education, work, and public life. Japanese women actively contributed to economic and cultural shifts, laying the foundation for later reforms and challenging Western portrayals of passivity.
The Meiji Restoration transformed Japanese women’s lives, balancing new opportunities with societal restrictions. Their resilience was crucial to Japan’s modernization, offering a perspective beyond Western narratives.
