About Us

Following the end of the First World War, the Western powers entered a period of great prominence. In particular, during the 1920s, Western influence began to play a major role in reshaping the social, economic, and political structures of the East. Japan was one of the countries most visibly affected by this wave of change. From that time onward, Japanese society began to move beyond its former way of life and toward a more international outlook.

For many Japanese people, however, this transformation was not especially welcome. A deeply conservative society, Japan had long valued tradition and the customs of its people. Yet at the same time, many aspects of Western life brought a sense of novelty, excitement, and visual appeal to a group of Japanese women who found joy in learning, exploring, and discovering their own individuality with greater freedom. They began to step outside the old beliefs and values that had long expected everyone to be the same.

These women came to be known as modern Japanese women. Their personalities and lifestyles carried a strong Western influence, extending even to the way they thought and expressed themselves. They moved away from the traditional kimono and began wearing short skirts or even trousers like men, high-heeled shoes, bobbed hair instead of traditional Japanese hairstyles, and lipstick as part of their beauty. They also aspired to economic independence, entering the workforce outside the home, and began to consider greater equality in how Japanese women could express themselves.

Although their challenge to traditional ways of life conflicted with social expectations and was not accepted by conservative groups within the country, this major shift in women’s roles inspired people of that era to begin seeking out their own individuality — a spirit that has continued through the generations to the present day.