Uno scorcio dei convincimenti sul genere femminile o maschile della identità culturale giapponese

Gendered definitions of Japan’s cultural identity. Gender plays a significant role in defining Japan’s cultural identity. Eighteenth century nativist thinkers first associated gendered metaphors with Japanese culture. Kamo Mabuchi believed that the «effeminacy» imported from China had damaged the archaic «manliness» of Japan. But it was Motoori Norinaga’s praise of an alleged «feminine» nature of Japanese civilization that would particularly affect later opinions. Psychologists, for example, have gone as far as to say that the maternal character of Japanese society is harmful. Even feminist critics concede – the omnipresence of patriarchy notwithstanding - that Japan’s cultural identity shows feminine aspects.