Two Sides of the Suffrage in Japan

Four months after the end of World War II, in December of 1945, Japanese women were granted suffrage. With the general election set in April of 1946, women were expected to exercise their voting rights for the first time in history. While this was a significant milestone for women in general, it was also achieved suddenly and during a period when most Japanese women were not ready for such a role. This paper aims to illuminate the contrast in adapting to new political rights between the Japanese suffragettes and an average Japanese woman in the context of the first post-war general elections. The paper argues that on the one hand, suffragettes who sought women’s rights even before the war, promptly and successfully adjusted to the aftermath of the war. On the other hand, an average Japanese woman lacked political education and was largely still influenced by tradition and her submissive role. Furthermore, as Japan found itself in a state of disarray, questions of food and survival were often more pressing, leaving most Japanese women indifferent to voting, and politics overall.