Pioneers of the women's movement in Japan, Hiratsuka Raicho and Fukuda Hideko seen through their journals, Seito and Sekai fujin

Hiratsuka Raichô's (1886-1971) statement, "In the beginning woman was the Sun," in the opening editorial of 'Seitô ' is generally regarded as the first Japanese "women's rights declaration." However, in January 1907, more than four years before the publication of 'Seitô' Fukuda (Kageyama) Hideko (1865-1927), one of the most remarkable activists in Japan's early phase of feminism, also published a magazine, 'Sekai fujin' (Women of the World), aiming at the emancipation of women. While Raichô's 'Seitô' started as a literary magazine among bourgeois and elitist women, Hideko's ' Sekai fujin' was published with the assistance of male socialists. Both magazines fought against the traditional family system, which was tormenting women in those days. However, 'Seitô' had a larger impact on society partly because of the public criticism against the group members. This thesis studies the significance of the two magazines, the social background which gave rise to them, and the two outstanding activists in the Japanese women's movement, Hiratsuka Raichô and Fukuda Hideko.