The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-07-08
Ferment of Democracy
Rouses Women of Japan
From Slumber of Ages

These strange portents from the
schools of the Orient are not all to be
credited to the students. Some Of
the teachers are advocating reforms
for women that would do credit TO
even the most radical Occidental.
Shu Miyata, prssident Of the 6eiJo
higher school, for instance, In plan
ming to have his girl students wear
trousers instead Of the imupounorial
kimono. Tho heavy "obl." worn
around the waist with the kimono.
prevents proper muscular Develop
nant. no says. Professor Mlyata
has no fear that adoption Of West
ern dress viii affect the department
Of tho women adversely.
Disobedience Of the japanese maid
has been = thing almost unhcsrd OF.
But the other day Full Uyeda, a
pupil at the Japan Art School for
Women. bobbed her hair in regular
Greenwich style. as a protest against
her fathers disapproval OF her liberal
instructor.
In many Of the lower schools,
cooking and nursing classes. modelled
on American schools, and using for
eign equipment, have become a reg
uIar part Of the curriculum.
Plenty Of women In Japan work In
factories. pun the street carts and
pole the big canal boats. These
workers, too. are beginning to think.
and to speak what they think.
Miss Taxa Takanashi. niece OF
Baroness Shibusawa, and former stu
dent at Chicago and Stanford univer.
sites, who has Just returned to ia
pan to take up social service. in COM
nenting on a recent meeting OF
Tokyo factory women. said:
Several women spoke--the first
instance. believe, where our work.
ing women have expressed any sem
timent related to their employment
1t is the beginning. and I hope their
interest increases"
Organizations Of labor unions for
women. especially to raise the status
Of the telephone and factory girls. Is
being urged by the more radical FEM
inists, altho unionism Is not yet per.
mitted even among male employees.
Abolition OF police restrictions over
women interesting themselves in pol
itics, is also to be urged by pro-
moters OF The New Woman, a
monthly magazine soon to be issued
in Tokyo.
japanese women are beginning TO
compete with men ia positions here
tofore reserved for men only. The
authorities recently granted ships
master license to Miss Otono Hanado,
pioneer in that field.
Mrs. Yaoi Yoshioka, director OF the
Tokyo Girls Medical college, sounds
the note of national and information
al responsibility. as well as inde-
pendence. for Japanese women.
The fact that Japan's trad and in
dustry are inferior to those Of Amer
lea and Europe" she said, "is due not
entirely 10 lack Of sufficient effort
on the part Of our men, but Is also
partly due TO lack Of effort by our
women"
ut Is important for women TO be.
como self.supporting members Of the
community: they should not be CON
tent with being mere parasites on
the men,"
Already these modern women OF
japan are beginning to look beyond
their own borders as a sphere of in
fluence.
Calling on her countrywomen to
rouse themselves for the big tasks
ahead. Mrs. yoshioka says they are
''burdened with the great mission
Of leading not only the women Of
Korea, hut Of China rs well, toward
the unity and cooperation Of all ORR.
entail peoples"
Demands for equality, school girl
strikes, bobbed hair and trousers, fac.
tory women conferences. social SER
vice and political ambitions-surcly
the "unchanging east" is changing
rapidlyl