Japanese Masculinities

Catalog description

The History of Japanese Masculinities (Hist Jpn Masculinities) integrates the cultural phenomena of gender into Japan’s political and social history, tracing the evolution of male and female roles in society from the 700s through to the present. Starting with the shaman female leaders of Japanese protohistory through to the matrilocal society of the Heian period, from the erudite male heroes of the classical period to the rise of a patrilineal warrior class, we will investigate the influence of Shintoism and Confucianism on gendered societal norms. From there, the class will pivot to the Edo period’s pacifistic scholar warriors, the subversive power of urban pleasure districts, the evolution towards the “modern boy” (moboi) and “modern girl” (moga), as well as the hypermasculinization of Japanese nationalism during the Pacific War. The class will conclude with an investigation of the postwar role of the salary man, contemporary gendered challenges behind Japan’s “aging society,” and movements like androgenous jendaresu-kei (genderless style) popular today.