Women Wearing the Wind: Yoko Kirishima Opens the Era of "Independent Women" in the 1970s

Women Wearing the Wind: Yoko Kirishima Opens the Era of "Independent Women" in the 1970s

The 1970s in Japan was a time of great social value shifts as Japan's rapid economic growth came to an end. As the political and student movements came to a halt and people became more conscious of their individual way of life and sexual freedom, the appearance of Yoko Kirishima symbolized the atmosphere of the times. As an essayist, reportage writer, and author, she continued to speak out about the importance of women having "their own voice" in society.

In the early 1970s, Kirishima published a number of articles redefining the way women should live their lives through overseas reporting and child-rearing. Her writing style resonated with the image of the "new woman" created by the women's magazines of the same era, "Anne" and "Non-no," and established the concepts of free love, single mother, and career woman in everyday language. Her book, "Lullaby of the Mothers," depicts the struggles and hopes of living as a mother and a woman, and has gained support as a message that transcends the conventional view of a "good wife and wise mother.

At the time, the women's lib movement was spreading in society, especially among young women in urban areas, and Yoko Kirishima's comments were received within this context. She questioned "what freedom means" from the realistic viewpoint of a consumer, rather than from the language of the movement. The frank narrative she displayed in her TV programs and essays provided light and realistic guidance to women who felt suffocated in a male-dominated society.

In Kirishima's words, there was a quiet rebellion against the postwar Showa society that was still holding on to its moral values. Her portrayal of the "self-reliant woman" was not just about not being dependent on men; it was a symbol of mature independence, of "taking charge of one's feelings and living with them. Her presence in the 1970s was a form of Japanese feminism that embodied freedom through everyday choices, rather than shouting loudly for women's emancipation.