Feminist Discourses in Low-Fertility Japan: Motherhood in Cultural Criticism and Fiction

By investigating and comparing contemporary social science scholarship and popular works of Japanese fiction available in English translation, this paper explores to what degree feminist responses to and descriptions of motherhood diverge, overlap, or focus on different themes. The scholarship explored in this paper actively uplifts the voices of women and listens to how they embody motherhood. Through this act of empathetic listening, women who are currently shamed, excluded, or dismissed might find more personal fulfillment in their role as mothers. Just as importantly, these works also push against essentializing stereotypes that all women should become mothers, allowing space for women who do not want to become mothers and opening a path to a personal identity, self-fulfillment, and happiness outside of the current maternal model.