Japanese Perspectives on Feminism

Film is one arena where feminist topics and debates become visible, and this is also the case in Japan. This research explores the Japanese local perception of the feminist themes portrayed in Promising Young Woman, often called one of the most significant “post-MeToo” films, which intersects with two significant trends in contemporary feminist discourse: the third wave (or post-feminism) and the fourth wave. Like the protagonist in Promising Young Woman, Western (White) middle- and upper-class feminists have been dominantly represented in contemporary feminism academia and media. The contrast between feminist discourse in the First World (West) and the one in the Third World has been emphasized in previous research, but Japan’s case has often been excluded, due to its global position, which belongs neither to the West nor to the Third World. To tackle such an academic gap, this study seeks to answer the following research question: How do film audiences in Japan perceive and engage with feminist themes in Promising Young Woman, and how do these perceptions intersect with the representation and position of women in Japanese society in the context of feminism? With a theoretical backbone of feminism, active audience and transnational audience, this study conducts a thematic analysis of comments from film audiences in Japan on Promising Young Woman, sourced from the largest Japanese film review website, Filmarks. The researcher separates the discourses analytically by looking for two topics: (A) Engagement with feminist themes and (B) Transnational meaning-making of feminist themes. For the category (A), the researcher identifies the themes of: (a) (Affirming and) politicizing feminist themes, (b) (Affirming and) depoliticizing feminist themes, (c) Disaffirming feminist themes and (d) Reflecting feminist themes in everyday life. The category (B) is divided into the themes of: (e) Collectively engaging with feminist themes (f) Personally engaging with feminist themes and (g) Emotionally engaging with feminist themes. Overall, the analysis reveals that trends of “feminist affirmations” and “cinematic politicization” are widely observed in comments. Additionally, audiences tend to reflect their lives and surroundings through the feminist themes portrayed in the film. The implication of this research is that audiences become active participants in feminist activism by making these comments. In Japan, a collective society where people deeply value harmony within people, a digital platform like Filmarks seems to work best for them because it allows users to freely express their thoughts. This anonymity encourages engagement without fear of negative consequences, fostering a space where individuals can challenge patriarchy.