Stereotypes of Japanese women in the Meiji era in Tsuda Umeko: Osatsu ni Natta Ryuugakusei
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33633/jr.v7i2.12796Keywords:
Japanese women, Osatsu ni Natta Ryuugakusei, Roland Barthes, semiotic, stereotype, Tsuda UmekoAbstract
This study aims to identify the stereotypes of Japanese women in the Meiji era as represented in the film Tsuda Umeko: Osatsu ni Natta Ryuugakusei. The movie tells the story of Umeko’s struggle against patriarchal culture and fighting for women’s rights in Japan. This research uses a qualitative method with Roland Barthes’ semiotic approach. The object of study is the movie Tsuda Umeko: Osatsu ni Natta Ryuugakusei, with data collection conducted through listening and note-taking techniques. The analysis is based on three main concepts in Barthes’ semiotics: denotation, connotation, and myth. Through the analysis, three strong stereotypes of Japanese women in the Meiji era were found, namely: 1) women are subordinate; 2) women are dependent on men; and 3) women are given limited access to education. From these three constructions of women’s stereotypes, it can be concluded that this movie reflects the patriarchy that was deeply rooted in the Meiji era. Therefore, it is necessary to change the mindset of society so that women are no longer positioned as subordinate parties but are given the space to develop and be equal to men, both in the domestic and public spheres.References
Anderson, M. S. (2011). A Place in Public: Women’s Rights in Meiji Japan. Harvard University Press.
Aono, A., & Kashiwagi, K. (2011). III. Myth or fact: Conceptions and realities of Japanese women/mothers. Feminism and Psychology, 21(4), 516–521. https://doi.org/10.1177/ 0959353511422927
Barthes, R. (1968). Elements of Semiology Roland (8 ed.). Hill and Wang.
Barthes, R. (1972). Mythologies. The Noonday Press.
Belarmino, M., & Roberts, M. R. (2019). Japanese gender role expectations and attitudes: A qualitative analysis of gender inequality. Journal of International Women’s Studies, 20(7), 272–288.
Bernstein, G. L. (1991). Recreating Japanese Women, 1600-1945. University of California Press.
Croft, A., Schmader, T., & Block, K. (2019). Life in the Balance: Are Women’s Possible Selves Constrained by Men’s Domestic Involvement? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 45(5), 808–823. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167218797294
Del Barrio, M. Y. F. (2023). The representation of women in Japanese television advertising. A content analysis of female roles and stereotypes. Doxa Comunicacion, 2023(36), 183–209. https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.n36a1731
Eweje, Gabriel., & Nagano, Shima. (2021). Corporate social responsibility and gender equality in Japan.
Firdaus, M., Majdin, M., & Fathil, F. (2024). Democratic Institutions in Early Meiji Japan : Westerners ’ Perceptions and Views. 6(4), 128–141.
Fujita, M. (2022). Tsuda Umeko: Osatsu ni Natta Ryuugakusei [Video recording].
Haditsah, N. F. (2023). Perjuangan Perempuan di Era Meiji pada Film Tsuda Umeko: Osatsu ni Natta Ryugakusei. Universitas Nasional.
Heilman, M. E. (2012). Gender stereotypes and workplace bias. Research in Organizational Behavior, 32, 113–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.riob.2012.11.003
Ishii, K., & Jarkey, N. (2002). The housewife is born: The establishment of the notion and identity of the shufu in modern Japan. International Journal of Phytoremediation, 21(1), 35–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/103713902201436732
Karlidag-Dennis, E. (2020). Gender Justice, Education and Equality: Creating Capabilities for Girls’ and Women’s Development. Research in Educational Administration & Leadership, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.30828-real-2020.2.10-1324118
Kawamura, S. (2011). Marriage in Japan: attitudes, intentions, and perceived barriers. Dalam OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University.
Khalmurzaeva, N. T. (2021). Stereotypical Questions In The Organization Of The Process Of Teaching Children By Japanese Mothers. The American Journal of Social Science and Education Innovations, 03(05), 513–520. https://doi.org/10.37547/tajssei/volume03issue05-90
Marshall, R. (2017). Gender inequality and family formation in Japan. Asian Anthropology, 16(4), 261–278. https://doi.org/10.1080/1683478X.2017.1374606
Maulida, A., Sawindra, I., & Rostineu. (2023). Stereotip Peran Gender di Zaman Edo yang Terpatahkan Oleh Tokoh Asa dalam Drama Asa ga Kita. Izumi, 12(2), 136–146. https://doi.org/10.14710/izumi.12.2.136-146
Nabila, S., & Noviana, F. (2021). Marginalization of Women in Higuchi Ichiyou’s Nigorie Short Story: A Feminism Studies. Japanese Research on Linguistics, Literature, and Culture, 3(2), 133–140. https://doi.org/10.33633/jr.v3i2.4675
Noviana, F. (2020a). Gender Inequality in Japanese Fairy Tales with Female Main Character. E3S Web of Conferences, 202. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202020207053
Noviana, F. (2020b). Representasi Maskulinitas Modern Laki-Laki Jepang dalam Film Perfect World Berdasarkan Semiotika Barthes. LITE: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, dan Budaya, 16(2), 250–266. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.33633/lite.v16i2.4105
Noviana, F. (2023). How Gender is Stereotyped in Children’s Story “Watashi wa Oneesan” in Japanese Language Textbook for 2 nd-Grader Elementary School. 544–550.
Noviana, F., Avilla, M. T., & Wibisono, N. A. (2023). Objectification and Resistance of Women Against Patriarchal Shackles in Anime Haikara-san ga Tooru Movie 1: Benio, Hana no 17-sai. Japanese Research on Linguistics, Literature, and Culture, 5(2), 83–95. https://doi.org/10.33633/ jr.v5i2.8503
Osako, M. (1978). Dilemmas of Japanese Professional Women. Social Problems, 26(1), 15–25. https://doi.org/10.2307/800429
Saifudin, A., & Noviana, F. (2023). Analisis semiologi Roland Barthes pada teks lirik lagu nanatsu no ko karya Noguchi Ujo. IZUMI, 12(2), 109–122. https://doi.org/10.14710/izumi.12.2.109-122
Shizuko, K. (2013). Ryōsai Kenbo: The educational ideal of “good wife, wise mother” in Modern Japan. Dalam Intimate and the Public in Asian and Global Perspectives (Vol. 1). https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.50-5758
Supiandi. (2025). Media Dan Stereotip Gender : Kajian Feminisme Terhadap Representasi Perempuan Dalam Industri Hiburan Indonesia. 7(1), 1–17.
Taylor, S. J., Bogdan, R., & DeVault, M. L. (2015). Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods: A Guidebook and Resource. Wiley.
Tomida, H. (2021). The Emergence of Women’s Higher Education in Japan, With Special Attention to the Japan Women’s College. The Hiyoshi Review of the Humanities, 36, 217–244.
Ueno, C. (1987). The position of Japanese Women Reconsidered. current anthropology, 28, 575–584. https://doi.org/10.1086/203592
Yamasaki, A. (2012). Handicrafts and gender in modern japan. Journal of Modern Craft, 5(3), 259–274. https://doi.org/10.2752/174967812X13511744764408
Downloads
Additional Files
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Sofiana Dwi Nur Laili, Fajria Noviana
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors of Japanese Research on Linguistics, Literature, and Culture's journal must agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) before and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
