We just came back to Tokyo after spending two days in Kyoto where we met with Rebecca Jennison, professor at Kyoto Seika University in the department of humanities, division of culture and arts. Jennison has, among other things, worked on publications concerning Japanese art that has a feminist standpoint. To name just one: Imagination without borders: Feminist artist Tomiyama Taeko and social responsibility (2010, co-edited with Laura Hein). The publication is also an example of the difficulties that seems to be attached to the concept of feminism. The insertion of the word "feminist" in the title was done after lengthy discussions between the editors and the artist. What happens when an artist is labelled feminist?
Over dinner we talked about how the situation for feminism is and has been in Kyoto for the last couple of decades. Jennison has lived in Japan for about 30 years and has been a part of the continuing discussion about what feminisms can and should be under that time. She talked about the last couple of years as a backlash but as many others that we have spoken to during our time here, she hopes that the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami of 2011 will bring new, creative thinking.
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