Gender and Sexuality Studies

Abstract

In recent years, people’s awareness of women’s rights has developed in Japan through the rise of several feminist movements. However, some feminists seem to avoid using the label “feminist” to describe themselves, even though they support ideas that feminists aim to achieve, as seen in other countries as well. This research explores feminists’ perception and relationship with the label “feminist” and examines what the use of feminist label means to feminists themselves in Japanese contexts, conducting interviews with Japanese self-identified feminists in the ages of 20s. The findings highlight multiple and entangled aspects that would impact feminists’ identities and attitudes toward the feminist label both positively and negatively, as well as their struggles to pursue feminist lives in Japan.

Biography

Momoko Kagesawa completed her Master’s degree in Women’s Studies at the University of York in 2022. For several years, she has been actively engaged in many feminist activisms and various social/political movements, both independently and as a member of an activist group, in Japan and the UK. She has also been continuing her research, organised several lectures and seminars about Women’s/gender issues at the university and the grassroots feminist community, and attended and presented her works at academic conferences. Now she is preparing to proceed to Ph.D. in Women’s/Gender Studies.