Shirakawa Kinsui: Writing Biographies of Exemplary Women in the Age of Modernization
https://doi.org/10.24411/2500-2872-2018-10012
Abstract
Following the Meiji Restoration, Japan experienced an unprecedented wave of modernization. At the same time, many early modern cultural phenomena survived well into the Meiji era including the tradition of writing didactic biographies of exemplary women aimed at educating young girls. This article examines a collection of such biographies entitled Honchō tōshi retsujoden published by a female scholar Shirakawa Kinsui in 1879. It places her work within a broader historical context and identifies major themes explored therein. The article argues that, while rooted in orthodox Confucian values, the image of a woman Kinsui proffered possessed many qualities shared by men and women alike.
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Review
For citations:
Skovoronskikh M.V. Shirakawa Kinsui: Writing Biographies of Exemplary Women in the Age of Modernization. Japanese Studies in Russia. 2018;(2):72-88. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24411/2500-2872-2018-10012
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