Hi, ladies!!
Kiyoko Endo and her lover Iwano left for Osaka in April, 1911, because of Iwano’s new job as a writer at Osaka shimposha. Their strained relationships were still the same as before. In September, under the leadership of Raicho Hiratsuka, a new women’s literary journal seito was established. Endo had already become a member of staff, and carried her first novel entitled Otaka on the October 1911 issue. By 1915, she gave about 20 essays and novels in seito.
In spring of 1912, Iwano finally divorced his wife, and in September they went back to Tokyo after Iwano resigned from his post. The following year Kiyoko gave birth to her first son, Tamio. But even after having their child, their disagreement continued.
…I am a little bit bored with Endo’s repeating personal remarks against her lover Iwano, and don’t understand why she published such a naked facts and thoughts. But it’s a very interesting material about marriage system, sex and women’s position.
So, see you next. Bye!
10 comments:
Dear Cherry and friends
Good evening! How are you?
Although I sent some messages about what I heard today to our bulletin board, I should have written some information in English for the sake of my practice.
Of course, I should avoid mentioning some names to protect their privacy.
Let me add some interesting historical facts and idea about Japanese Christianity.
All had come from the terrible historian, Dr. O, whose profound knowledge had amazed me.
The main question he asked was how Japanese Christians lived in the real world. He criticized that historians in Japanese Christianity have only focused on theological aspects or Christians' belief. They are too religious to see the history of Christianity without separating it from their own religious history. Rather, he insists that historians should see the reality Christians faced. Then, he enumerated examples that have been expected to be done in the future.
The first example was about the emperor system of Japan. How did Japanese Christians see it? The question naturally analyzes the relationships between Christians and the royal family. While many Japanese Christians were socialists, they were steeped in xenophobic patriotism. In addition, Christian philanthropic works had been encouraged by royal family members such as Empress Teimei. How did Christians see such a fact?
Dr. O also encouraged us to ask what happened in colonial missionary works, for example, in Hokkaido. Then he emphasized that Buddhism, Shintoism, and Christianity started mission almost at the same time. Both Buddhism and Shintoism learned strategies that Christian missionaries were taking. Buddhist societies started women's associations, Sunday Schools and even railway station missions following the examples of Christian missionaries.
The next aspect was about wealthy families, wealthy villages and the wealthy country. The story reminds me of Irokawa Daikichi's Meijino Bunka. Like this book, his argument was that we can also research villager-led liberal democratic movements. In this context, Kubushiro Ochimi was exemplified as a Christian whose patriotic cause made her bring and project news slide (jikyoku gento) in a small village.
Likewise, it was asked what kind future Christians dreamed through the Local Improvement Movement. Some pursued a new style of community, others dreamed simply to become rich through religion.
Most interpreted Christianity according to their familiar ethics and traditions and thus nonchurch movements became prevalent. One of the most prominent Christians was Ynaihara who preached around the country on weekends at his own expense because he considered mission as his hobby. What a lavish style of working!
But that's, indeed, a part of Japanese Christianity.
Good night.
Hi, ladies!
When I read the story of Kiyoko Endo, I think she is a product of Taisho democracy.
Well, the story about the women’s uprising, which was just like a desperate fighting of female mice against a big greedy CAT, was also deeply involved in Taisho democracy, I think. It occurred in Uozu, a fishing town of Toyama. Before talking about the incident, I’d like to introduce my home town, Toyama prefecture today. Probably many people may imagine that Toyama is a mountainous district with snowfall, recalling the Japan Alps including Mt. Tate and Kurobe ravine. Of course they are very attractive tourists’ sites, but they are only a part of Toyama. Toyama has a fertile broad plain, too. Please look at a map. I was grown up in the middle of the plain, and I can recall the fields of yellow gold rice even now. Farmers of Toyama are very proud of the quality of their rice. Toyama has rich seafood, too. Toyama bay holds a variety of marine resources. Anyway Toyama is blessed with natural food and resources.
Uozu is a town of fishermen but is very close to the farm area. So I guess it was not so difficult for them to get rice, even though those days. Why did such a severe shortage of rice come up? This is the point. The idea of democracy and political situation were deeply related with this social incident. One by one, I’d like to write about the incident more from now on. Today I wrap it up. See you soon, ladies!
Hello, Cherry and ladies
I’ll list miscellaneous information about Tsuneko Gauntlett and George Edward Luckman Gauntlett. I guess few ordinary people know their name other than some scholars, however, the couple contributed to modern culture in Japan.
Edward Gauntlett who had been from Wales in the UK came to Japan in 1890 as the organist of the Canadian Methodist missionary. He taught English, Latin, and stenography at high school, commercial high school and university in Okayama, Kanazawa, Yamaguchi, and Tokyo.
He was an instructor of calligraphy and Esperanto. He opened Sunday schools wherever the Gauntletts lived. He was an expert and player of the pipe organ and installed a pipe organ at Hongō chūō kaidō in Tokyo.
He developed the musical talent of Kōsaku Yamada who was Tsuneko’s younger brother and later became a famous conductor in early Shōwa period.
Edward Gauntlett explored Akiyoshidō in Yamaguchi Pref. with Bunjirō Umehara, a Japanese mining engineer when the Gauntletts lived in Yamaguchi Pref. He introduced Akiyoshidō to the Japanese public and the rest of the world. He also reported the scientific finding to the Royal Society of Geography in the UK.
Tsuneko and Edward Gauntlett got married in 1898, which was the first legitimate marriage of a Japanese woman and a foreign husband. Tsuneko became a UK citizen then. Tsuneko assisted her husband mission work and raised children until 1916 when the family came back to Tokyo.
During Okayama days, they enjoyed table tennis, tennis, and choir with local people, fellow missionaries, and Christians.
Tsuneko invented kappōgi (an apron with long sleeves) and shingen-bukuro (a cylinder-shaped cloth bag with drawstring) for women.
She stopped wearing kimono and started wearing yōfuku, western style clothes. She made the western clothing herself by correspondence course in dressmaking. She served homemade bread to the then Crown Prince (later Emperor Taisho) and Edward presented his illumination (a poem in calligraphy) when the prince visited Okayama. Tsuneko was involved in the formation or activity of the Tokyo Girl Guide (Scouts) in the 1920s.
As such, the couple’s contribution to Japanese modern culture diversified. I was surprised at their energetic work and talent to make western culture and customs become popular.
It is getting late. I have to go to bed. See you tomorrow.
Hello, Cherry and ladies.
Alice, thank you for your precious information about an exhibition of Uemura Shoen, her son, Shoko and her grandson, Atsushi.
Today I went to the Takashimaya department store to see their paintins with my husband.
Now I'm Uemura Shoen who is telling you my story.
I was by no means the same type of “new women” or liberated women who began to appear in the Taisho period. They were also traditional women who seek individual freedom as one of women’s rights.
By contrast, I did not belong to the same category of ordinary womanhood. I had to play a role of man. I should become a professional painter with an established career.
I'm not interested in new woman at all, partly hecasue I feel I have to get into men's role and have to compete with a man.
I had to seek the path of professional painters’ world dominated by men. I worked very hard, devoting everything to painting. My commitment to the study of painting astonished everyone.
My first teacher was Shonen Suzuki when I was 15. Three years later, with the permission of Shonen, I began study with Bairei Kono, who was one of the most respectable artists in Kyoto. He unfortunately passed away two years later after I joined his all men and professional group.
After Bairei’s death, I began my training with Seiho Takeuchi, one of the four most prominent students of Baire when I was 20. He emphasized to one’s direct observation of nature, so he inspired students to sketch.
I often went on sketching trip with mostly male students. Can you guess what an awkward situation I was in on an overnight trip? I had to prove myself in the men’s world. I had to be strong. In other words, I virtually abandoned ordinary womanhood. For example, I gave up a traditional hair style, putting my hair up elaborately. Instead, I wore simple kushimaki, plain hair style to save time to do my hair.
Good evening.
My name is Ellen MacRae.
Before starting this, I should decide (or remember?) how old I am.
When I came to Japan in 1888, I was 43 years old.
Let me see…
43+121
Oh, well. 164!!
I am the oldest, ain't I?
By the way, thank you for inviting me as a guest speaker here today.
I really appreciate your giving me an opportunity to tell you about my life.
Actually, my work in Tokyo, which I proudly took, was not appreciated by either the Japanese leaders or SPG bishops and priests.
I love Japan, but it is true that I lost my reputation through the first job I took in Japan.
Japan is for me a bitter sweet memory.
When I was invited by the foundation committee of Tokyo Jogakkan, I had been the principal of the Church of England High School for Girls, Baker Street. I had been the position for 9 years. I had been also teaching science at the school in London.
Although girls of my generation had no access to tertiary education in Victorian England, women who were educated in France or Germany often got teaching jobs. Since my family was relatively wealthy, I was educated in France, Germany, and in my country England.
I'll tell you more details later.
Good night.
Hi, ladies!
We had a splendid time together at Plum’s house, listening to the lecture about how to write an essay by Bev. Of course we are taught the same things over and over again by Plum. We listened to same instruction in English. I appreciate the enthusiastic supports of the both mentors.
Now, I have become one of the members of the women’s rice riot, which happened in Taisho era. My name is Rice, not Lice. Please call me Rice from now on.
Well, you are surely surprised to hear the word, “women’s riot”. But we were very angry at the skyrocketing price of rice, and we knew the place where the stacks of rice were piled. The wealthy rice wholesaler wouldn’t sell rice to the ordinary market. Rice had become an object of speculation. The rice wholesaler was earning huge money by speculating with rice. The shortage of rice was not caused by natural disasters such as flood damage or draught. We couldn’t stand more, because we saw the rice there and couldn’t buy them. The reality infuriated me and my fellows around the neighborhood. We couldn’t put up with it like this any longer. (Continued to the next.) Bye, friends!
Dear Cosmos,
Hi!
As talk show hostess. I have a question. You said it was women's riot. Why women's? Why not men's?
Did they have time more than men?
Were they more angry than men?
Dear Cosmos,
woops. I should have address Rice.
Yes. I want to ask you, Rice.
Hi Cherry and friends,
It was a beautiful day, but getting hot in the daytime.
I enjoy reading your fascinating introductions, Margaret Sanger, Kiyoko Endo, Shoen, Macrae, and Rice in Toyama. I feel as if you are living now traveling from the past and I cannot wait your next stories about your lives. I like the phrase “To be continueｄ…” It is very thrilling.
Thank you and good night.
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