The process of contemporaryization in Japan has spearheaded the metamorphosis of women's roles within Japanese society. Throughout its history, Japan has emphasized strict gender roles. In fact, the social position and status of women in Japanese society can actually be attributed to the philosophy of Confucianism: a system of social and ethical philosophy. Such an idea and emphasis on this lifestyle fostered a disregard for women's participation in Japanese society and public affairs, as well as their overall societal status. There are undoubtedly vestiges of these Confucian influences within Japanese society today. However, despite vestiges of such a philosophy, women's public roles changed significantly from their servile responsibilities during the prominent Tokugawa feudal period. Throughout Japanese history, there has been a failure to respect gender roles and expectations – particularly in relation to women and the subsequent emergence of the “moga” (modern woman). This illustration of "moga" served as a close-up of the complex, kaleidoscope-like maze of the metamorphosis of women's roles within Japanese society and history. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayThe Tokugawa period (1603-1868) not only served as the driving force in making Japan a force to be reckoned with count in the East, but this period of significant tranquility also shaped Japanese gender expectations... and continues to influence them today. Confucian ideas – when analyzed more closely and carefully – seemed, at their core, to assault and erode women's ability to hold significant power in Japanese society. Therefore, such philosophy emphasized hierarchy and patriarchy. Therefore, Japanese women settled for servile citizenship under the influence of a belief so widespread in Japan. This philosophical thinking is particularly visible in the story of Musubi, a tale of a Tokugawa samurai written by Katsu Kokichi that provides an invigorating close-up of Japanese society, customs, and life. In this captivating story, Kokichi provides compelling detail to support the importance that Confucian ideas play within Japanese society. Kokichi illustrates that even Japanese schools must convey Confucian values, such as loyalty and the virtue of respecting one's parents, elders, and ancestors. Confucian values ​​were emphasized in the minds of young children; ideas that they will consequently bring with them into adulthood and that will ultimately affect Japanese society as a whole. Thus, such notions and philosophies formulated the values ​​of Japan's county and its people during the Tokugawa period. Additionally, the philosophy of Confucianism, a system of social and ethical philosophy, is reflected in the division of Japan into a marked four-tiered class system: samurai, artisans, farmers, and merchants. Each class expressed its own ranks and hierarchical levels; very evident among the ruling samurai: a member of a powerful military caste in feudal Japan, thus validating the magnitude of importance that Confucian philosophies play within Japanese society. And much more, each class certainly had its own gender roles and expectations to live up to. A close examination of the role of women in Tokugawa Japan reveals both the complexity and complexity of therelationship between the country's restrictive rules and its women. As modernization took shape in Japanese society, women's roles eventually evolved and took a different form as well. The image or illustration of the moga, or "modern girl", illustrates the place of the Japanese woman in the modern world. However, moga undoubtedly often caused great distress, given the threat that liberated and freedom-seeking women posed to the moral Confucian values ​​of Japanese society. The feudal system of Tokugawa Japan was well preserved by the policy of seclusion or “closed country” (sakoku). Such a system certainly contributed to keeping Japan in a state of almost complete isolation. Certainly, Japan's isolation and lack of contact with other nations, cultures and peoples greatly preserved the country's feudal rule. It was in fact within this system that the Confucian way of life, particularly unique to the Tokugawa period, emerged in all aspects of Japanese life: economic, political and social. Thus, in this isolated feudal era of Japanese history, a rigid and inflexible class system emerged. This extends to the idea that the Tokugawa period proved to be a time in which Japanese women experienced limited rights. The beliefs and values ​​of this era pushed, in a sense, Japanese women to assume their domestic and family responsibilities by playing the role of a wife. As Japanese society considered a woman's most important role to be a loyal and obedient wife, they were therefore silenced and expected to contribute to their own lives, including domestic, educational, and political affairs. Restrictive Values ​​Japanese women were expected to follow, which unfortunately led to a lack of mobility in pursuing opportunities outside of domestic responsibilities. On the other hand, Japanese men received a thorough education, as society considered their right, and were able to participate in leadership roles. Meanwhile, the average woman in Tokugawa, Japan completed her household chores and looked after her children until they were old enough to go off on their own. Thus, having children, in some sense, seemed to be considered a patriotic duty of the Japanese woman. In a certain sense, the Japanese woman appears to be the face of the moral foundation of Japan. If the image of the traditional Confucian family breaks down, not only the home, but also society, will break up. His moral foundation would then become unstable... cracked. Ergo, was domestication as honorable a duty for women as Japanese society claimed? The Meiji Restoration (1868–1912), which took place immediately after the Tokugawa feudal period (1603–1868), represented Japan as a country that embraced emerging modernity. The fall of the Tokugawa shogunate preceded the beginning of a restructuring of the Japanese economy, politics and society. The Meiji Restoration was a time of industrial development and social change. The Meiji Restoration represented a breakdown of conventional Japanese thought, not an emergence of modern Western European thought. The emergence of modern Western European perspectives attracted the attention of thinkers like Fukuzawa Yukichi who emphasized gender equality and the system of monogamy. Fukuzawa Yukichi is often considered one of the first figures to speak out about women and their position in society. Fukuzawa had early advocated the importance of women's education as well as improving their position in society. Fukuzawa founded scientific journals such asMeiroku Zashi. In the journal, Fukuzawa criticizes Japan's stance toward a strongly patriarchal society and emphasizes women's independence and liberation. Although short-lived, Meiroku Zashi undoubtedly became an important forum for discussing matters relating to civilization and enlightenment. Such a formidable stance on Fukuzawa's part quickly marked the beginning of women's formal education and the opportunity for women to explore opportunities beyond the domestic realm. The Taisho era, following the start of the modern Meiji era, which took place between 1912 and 1926, is a fascinating period in Japan's illustrious history. The Taisho era continued the process of modernization of Japan. This period not only encouraged a shift from Japan's formerly isolationist ideals toward the adoption of an expansionist personality, but also pushed for greater economic and political developments. With Japan's increased international appearance and domestic liberalism, modernization flourished in the country. The Taisho era was undoubtedly an electrifying time for the Japanese people and even more so for its women. And more than that, it was an era marked by industrial innovation and enthusiasm. Japan has experienced an acceleration in social expression and, with the change of era, Japanese women have undoubtedly evolved too. It was the time of the moga, the modern woman par excellence; a liberated individual who represented a new sense of freedom. It soon became clear that modernism and imperialism could not go hand in hand, notably thanks to literary scholars such as Jun'ichirō Tanizaki through his novel Naomi. Tanizaki writes renowned literature that presents a scandalous world, emerging sexuality and degrading desires. Through this text, Tanizaki draws inspiration to illustrate the changing Japanese woman. Naomi reflects the complex and differentiated transformation of women in Japan. Tanizaki opens this literary text with an image of the Taisho woman through Naomi, a character whose text shares the same name. The changeable Japanese woman, like Naomi, was seen as something of a nuisance during Japan's transition to the modern era. Naomi, the main character, highlights her opposition – and undeniably the resistance of Japanese women – towards the “outdated” traditions of Japan. In the text, Naomi delves into the world of the emancipated woman, a woman that Japan had barely known. Much like the new roles women discovered in Taisho Japan, many rejected the traditional "good wife, wise mother" lifestyle that was heavily emphasized. in Japanese society. Instead, they began to welcome the idea of ​​moga. Just like Naomi's character, who sported short hairstyles and hemlines, so did Japanese moga, with a limitless outlook on life. Naomi is a woman with few hesitations. She liked “Western activities” like going to the movies and reading “Western magazines.” She is the perfect example of moga with. Throughout the novel, she manages to take control of her relationship with Jōji, starting as a formerly subordinate young woman to become a dominant woman. Thus Tanizaki, through Naomi, establishes the idea that women in Japan began to participate in a social and cultural revolution that was established to break traditional norms. Both the Japanese “moga” and the main character Naomi hated the restrictions of traditional expectations for women. settle down and fulfill the roles of a good wife and a wise mother. Tanizaki uses Naomi as a metaphor for changing gender roles in Japan: Naomi refused to be subjected to a "traditional" marriage with her husbandJōji. The character of Naomi is a literary manifestation of the transformation and revolution of Japanese women's gender roles during the Taisho era. In the novel, Naomi transforms into a modern woman, when, for example, she returns to her husband after a certain period of separation, she appears before him as a "black shape like a bear" which: "bursts into the room from the darkness outside. An unknown young Western woman stood there, dressed in a pale blue French crepe dress.” Naomi is no longer recognizable to Jōji, much like the unrecognizable transformation of Japanese moga. Now, Naomi's transformation into a "Western" woman is symbolic of the Japanese woman's desire, perhaps even since the Tokugawa period, to manifest a life in a less rigid society. Thus, through the text Naomi, Tanizaki illustrates the modern transformation of the Japanese woman and encourages us to reflect on the search for one's identity in a changing world. It is fascinating to observe the evolution of gender roles in Japan after the war, particularly that of Japanese women. changing role in contemporary Japanese society. The emergence of post-war Japan offered Japanese women the opportunity to pursue more “scandalous” jobs, such as comfort women. After Imperial Japan's defeat in World War II was accompanied by an aura of denial of its capitulation. State authorities encouraged the construction of “comfort” facilities – including brethren, bars, cabarets, and restaurants – to, in a sense, “comfort” the military occupiers because they were “ haunted by defeat. In the postwar period, women were mobilized as sex slaves and prostitutes by police and employment agencies, right-wing politicians and fascist organizations. The initiative aimed to protect the Japanese “national body,” a concept of identity and unity. With the country's loss, this initiative helped Japanese authorities establish a new sense of community. In some ways, gender and sexuality were mediated by Japanese women's bodies, serving as important constituents in the conflict between the fall of the Japanese empire and the rise of the Japanese empire. American empire, thus paving the way for the emergence of nationalism in post-war Japan. The culture of leisure served directly affected the social status of women who worked in the pleasure district. It is interesting to note how female sexuality was condemned before the war through the image of the “moga”, but today their sexuality seems to be used openly – and in high demand. This is undoubtedly a step forward from the traditional role of “good wife, wise mother” that was once the norm in Japanese society. It is inevitable to take into account women and Japan's history of change. Author Sayaka Murata meditates on a more contemporary Japanese society through her literary work: Convenience Store Woman. In this novel, Murata illustrates how the role of women continues to evolve even in the 21st century. Although there remain unspoken rules in Japanese society about what jobs a woman should do, Murata challenges these expectations. Throughout a brief history, the Japanese woman has had the opportunity to be a mother, a wife, and a comfort woman. Murata conveys the notion of newfound female freedom in his novel through the main character Keiko Furukura, who intrigues those around her by working in a convenience store. Murata, through Convenience Store Woman, questions what Japanese society considers to be an acceptable career for a woman. In the novel, Keiko loves working in a :.