Saito Sumiko's Struggle in Horse Racing during the Showa Era: A Case Study of Gender Inequality and Social Constraints

This paper focuses on Saito Sumiko, a female jockey in Japan during the Showa period. It aims to analyze the underlying reasons for the difficulties she encountered in the horse racing field, thereby revealing the gender inequality in society at that time and its implications for modern gender equality issues. By analyzing historical documents, news reports and other materials, it elaborates on Saito Sumiko's journey from aspiring to become a jockey to the ultimate shattering of her dream. The study finds that under the social atmosphere of male superiority and the horse racing operation background with military priority at that time, the Imperial Horse Racing Association of Japan ignored the significance of female jockeys due to the purpose of military horse breeding. Traditional social concepts restricted women's social participation, and there were many prejudices and discriminations against women in the horse racing world, and a lack of institutional support. As a result, although Saito Sumiko strived to pursue her dream of becoming a jockey, it was difficult to achieve. Compared with Hiratsuka Raicho, a Japanese writer active in the same era, differences in the times, fields of activity and social support led to their completely different development trajectories. Saito Sumiko's experience highlights the constraints of social structures and institutions on women's development, providing an important historical reference for attaching importance to ideological reform and institutional support in promoting gender equality in modern society. Future research needs to further explore historical materials, conduct comparative and witness analyses, etc. to deepen the exploration of its historical significance.