The Age of Innocence: Postwar Dainty Actresses (1945-1955)

The Age of Innocence: Postwar Dainty Actresses (1945-1955)

From the late 1940s to the early 1950s, Japanese cinema served as a symbol of reconstruction, offering comfort and dreams to audiences. As a reaction to the censorship and war-mongering films of the war years, audiences wanted soft emotions that would help them forget the war, and the film industry responded by focusing on the themes of "pure love," "rebirth," and "hope. In this atmosphere, the values of "neatness," "elegance," and "modesty" were superimposed on the national ideal image, and this was the reason why such actresses as Yoshiko Kuga, Yoko Katsuragi, and Setsuko Hara became so popular.

As Genpei Akasegawa says, "In those days, eroticism was sought in foreign films." In Japanese films, sexuality was suppressed, and instead, the beauty of the heart and sacrificial love were exalted. In contrast to Hollywood and French films, where physical attractiveness, such as that of Brigitte Bardot and Rita Hayworth, was at the forefront, the pain of defeat and ethical restraint were still deeply rooted in Japan, and "pure and maternal ideals" were sought in on-screen female figures.

Yoko Katsuragi, in particular, symbolized the purity of the new Japanese woman amid the spread of postwar urban life. Her quiet smile and modest gestures offered comfort to audiences during a period of social turmoil and ethical restructuring. This was shared by Setsuko Hara and Yoshiko Kuga, who were also active in the same period, and they left the impression in the hearts of postwar Japanese that "a pure and noble woman is the hope of rebirth.