International Symposium “The Philosopher and the Princess: Freedom, Love, and Democracy in Cold War Japan”
Date: Sunday, May 19, 2019 13:30-16:30
Venue: Multi-purpose Hall, Hisao & Hiroko TAKI Plaza, Ochanomizu University
Japan’s rising affluence in the 1950s and 1960s, the expansion of girls’ education, the increase in women’s magazines, and the rise of middle-class consciousness led women to imagine new possibilities. What new choices did women have? What would it take to realize dreams of freedom, self-discovery, and love? This symposium engages with these questions by discussing the influence of two legendary figures—French feminist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir and Crown Princess Michiko, women who posed radically different models of self-expression, sexuality, and social engagement. Viewing attention to these women through a Cold War lens, we can also ask how ensuing discussion of the philosopher and the princess positioned Japan itself amid the transnational dynamics of the 1950s and 1960s.
This symposium brings together feminist scholars with diverse expertise in literature, gender studies, and social science as presenters and commentators. We invite debate and discussion from the audience.
Coordinator： Jan Bardsley (Specially Appointed Professor, IGS)
| Keynote Speech | |
| Julia C. Bullock (Associate Professor, Emory University) | “Beauvoir in Japan: Japanese Women and The Second Sex” |
| Jan Bardsley (Specially Appointed Professor, IGS/Prof. North Carolina Univ. Chapel Hill) | “Romance Revisited: The Royal Wedding of 1959 Viewed Sixty Years Later” |
| Discussant | |
| Aya Kitamura (Lecturer, Tsuda University) | |
| Gaye Rowley (Professor, Waseda University) | |
| Moderator | |
| Fumie Ohashi (Associate Professor, IGS) | |
Simultaneous interpretation available (English-Japanese)
Prior registration required (Admission Free) Registration Form
Organizer: Institute for Gender Studies (IGS), Ochanomizu University
Event Report (IGS Report)