💜Raicho Hiratsuka is the pioneer of feminism in Japan. As a woman who is Japanese and feminist myself, this book is really important to me. I was surprised and glad to have found out Raicho and I share a lot of similarities, such as being outspoken but still introverted, hoping the person you are calling will not pick up the call. I am disappointed about the stereotype that Japanese woman are submissive and quiet. We should never forget about Raicho, and I want to be the next Raicho. Even if you aren’t Japanese, if you are interested in feminism and social issues in Japan, I really recommend you read this book and immerse yourself into the world of Raicho and feminism in Japan!
📚”In the beginning, woman was truly the sun. An authentic person. Now she is the moon, a wan and sickly moon, dependent on another, reflecting another’s brilliance.”-Hiratsuku Raicho
Raicho Hiratsuka (1886-1971) was the most influential figure in the early women’s movement in Japan. In 1911, she founded Bluestocking (Seito), Japan’s first literary journal run by women. In 1920, she founded the New Women’s Association, Japan’s first nationwide women’s organization to campaign for female suffrage, and soon after World War II, the Japan Federation of Women’s Organizations.
Available for the first time in English, In the Beginning, Woman Was the Sun is Raicho Hiratsuka’s autobiography of her childhood, early youth, and subsequent rebellion against the strict social codes of the time. Hiratsuka came from an upper-middle class Tokyo family, and her restless quest for truth led her to read widely in philosophy and undertake Zen training at Japan Woman’s College. After graduation, she gained brief notoriety for her affair with a married writer, but quickly established herself as a brilliant and articulate leader of feminist causes with the launch of the journal Seito. Her richly detailed account presents a woman who was at once idealistic and elitist, fearless and vain, and a perceptive observer of society.
Teruko Craig’s translation captures Hiratsuka’s strong personality and distinct voice. At a time when interest in Japanese feminism is growing in the West, there is no finer introduction to Japanese women’s history than this intimate, candid, and compelling memoir.
