Ryōsai kenbo : the educational ideal of "good wife, wise mother" in modern Japan

Winner of the 2013 Choice Outstanding Academic Title Award The famous ryosai kenbo or 'good wife, wise mother' role of Japanese women was, in fact, not a traditional Confucian view but a modern construct - its first appearance in Japan being the latter half of the nineteenth century. Girls at the time were proud to fulfill their new role of contributing to not just the family but to the formation of the state. Koyama's discovery has transformed how we see modern women's history in Japan and East Asia as a whole.

Preface to the English Edition ... vii Preface ... xi List of Tables ... xv List of Key Words ... xvii Introduction: Approach to the Issues ... 1 1 The Formation of Ryosai Kenbo Thought ... 11 1. The View of Women in Edo-Period Instructional Texts for Girls (Jokunsho) ... 12 2. "Wise Mother" Theory in the Meiji Enlightenment Period ... 21 3. The Emergence of Ryosai Kenbo Thought ... 35 2 Ryosai Kenbo Thought and the Public Education System ... 53 1. The Emergence of a Discourse on "Home Education" ... 54 2. Home Education and the Public Education System ... 60 3 The Causes of Change ... 75 1. The Emergence of the "Woman Problem" ... 76 2. The Shock of World War I ... 89 4 The Reconfiguration of Ryosai Kenbo Thought ... 97 1. The Reform of Girls' Education ... 98 2. A New Image of Ryosai Kenbo ...120 3. Revision of the Girls' Middle School Act ...137 5 The Evolution of the Concept of Ryosai Kenbo in Morality Textbooks ...157 1. Morality Textbooks up to 1911 ... 158 2. Morality Textbooks between 1912 and 1920 ... 165 3. Morality Textbooks between 1921 and 1932 ... 168 Epilogue: The Meaning of Ryosai Kenbo Thought ... 181 Appendix 1: List of Morality Textbooks (Shushin Kyokasho) Consulted for this Study ... 187 Bibliography ... 193 Index of Persons ... 211 Index of Subjects ... 215