Hiratsuka Raichō

Lore & Background

Hiratsuka Raichō was born in Tokyo in 1886, the second daughter of a high-ranking civil servant. She was educated at Japan Women's University in 1903, where she was influenced by European philosophy, Zen Buddhism, and the works of Ellen Key, Henrik Ibsen, Spinoza, Meister Eckhart, and Hegel. In 1908, she attempted a double suicide with her married teacher, Morita Sōhei, in the mountains of Nasushiobara, Tochigi; the pair survived, but the incident drew widespread public criticism.

In 1911, after graduating, Hiratsuka founded Seitō, Japan's first all-women literary magazine, adopting the pen name Raichō ('Thunderbird'). The first issue opened with the words, 'In the beginning, woman was the sun,' referencing the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu. The journal soon shifted from literature to women's issues, including sexuality, chastity, and abortion, and featured contributors like poet Yosano Akiko. Despite media backlash and censorship, Hiratsuka defended her ideals in essays such as 'To the Women of the World' (1913), rejecting the role of women as 'good wife and wise mother.' The journal folded in 1915, but Hiratsuka continued her activism.

In 1920, after investigating female textile workers in Nagoya, she co-founded the New Women's Association with Ichikawa Fusae. Their efforts led to the repeal of Article 5 of the Police Security Regulations in 1922, which had barred women from political organizations and meetings. A controversial campaign to ban men with venereal disease from marrying, which aligned with eugenics, was unsuccessful. In the 1930s, she joined the cooperative movement, and after World War II, she became active in the peace movement, traveling to the United States in 1950 to request a neutral, pacifist system for Japan. She founded the New Japan Women's Association in 1963 and continued writing and lecturing until her death in 1971.

Reader's Guide

Hiratsuka Raichō is primarily remembered for her leadership of the Seitō group, which established her as a leading figure in Japan's early women's movement. Her magazine sparked public debate on women's roles, sexuality, and independence, influencing figures such as Korean feminist Na Hye-sok and anarchist Itō Noe. Her political activism, including the successful campaign to overturn restrictions on women's political participation, marked a significant legal victory. However, her involvement in the eugenics movement remains a point of controversy. In the postwar era, she shifted focus to peace activism and founded the New Japan Women's Association, which remains active today. Her legacy is that of a foundational feminist who challenged societal norms and state censorship, though her methods and alliances sometimes drew criticism. Her work continues to be studied for its impact on Japanese feminism and social reform.

Did You Know?

• Hiratsuka attempted a double suicide with her married teacher in 1908, which drew widespread public criticism.
• She founded Japan's first all-women literary magazine, Seitō, in 1911.
• Her 1913 essay 'To the Women of the World' rejected the conventional role of women as 'good wife and wise mother.'
• In 1950, she traveled to the United States to request a neutral, pacifist system for Japan after the outbreak of the Korean War.