Breastfeeding, Folklore, and Nature

This article focuses on depictions of breastfeeding that move beyond idealization and/or realistic depictions of breastfeeding, and do not necessarily elicit an empathic, personal connection with the reader, but rather, I argue that it is via their engagement with Japanese folklore and nature, that they create the necessary distance to critically explore the question of breastfeeding within a feminist framework. I analyze the fantastical treatment of breastfeeding through its fictional representation in two short stories: “Higanbana” (彼岸花 Spider Lilies, 2014; trans. 2014) by Oyamada Hiroko, and “Enoki no isshо̄” (エノキの一生 Enoki, 2019; trans. 2020) by Matsuda Aoko. One of the representative features of the writing of both Oyamada and Matsuda is how they bring together fantastic events within realistic settings, blending realism and science fiction, the human and the non-human, the ordinary and the extraordinary. In the selected stories, both authors play with traditional beliefs and popular stories passed by word of mouth as well as feature personification and imagery of plants, flowers, and trees. This literary quality—problematizing “nature” and folklore while blending fantasy and reality—can be read as a subversive strategy for potential feminist critique. Hence, I read their depiction of breastfeeding in terms of it being fantasy grounded in reality, focusing on unraveling affects of shame and disgust, often associated to breastfeeding, and moving towards a reproductive justice framework.