Reviews of Women in Japan


Women in Japan conveys a clear sense of the diversity of women’s attitudes and aspirations and points to changes in the social expectations that are placed on women in contemporary Japanese society.
                                                      Rebecca Nickerson
                                                      News and Reviews, Fall 2003
                                                      Asian Educational Media Service
                                                      University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign


Anyone who thought Memoirs of a Geisha was a good book must see this film. It is a perfect antidote to the West's desire to see Japanese women and women in Japan as the docile essence of femininity or  the subservient victims of a male-dominated society. The film successfully brings to our attention a variety of personal histories, strengths and choices of women for whom work is an integral part of their lives. Awareness of this diversity is essential to an understanding of contemporary society.
                                                      Laura Miller
                                                      Associate Professor, Anthropology
                                                      Loyola University of Chicago


It's current (filmed in 2001), interesting, professionally made, and available in a very viewer-friendly bilingual format. Who could ask for more? I used this production in both my media literacy and gender studies classes, and in each case, it got very positive response from students.
                                                      Kathy Riley
                                                      GALE Newsletter, Summer 2003


Shattering western myths of Japanese women as good wives or geisha girls, the illuminating documentary Women in Japan: Memories of the Past, Dreams for the Future tells the story of six very different women challenging stereotypes about what it means to be female in Japan.
                                                      UNC-TV Online
                                                      University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill


Introduces six women of diverse ages, backgrounds, and occupations. Each woman is from a different region of Japan, and each has spent a significant part of her life abroad. This documentary includes candid conversations about how these travels led these six to their present work, and how their international experiences affected their sense of identity and their beliefs. Interspersed with historical footage and scenes of contemporary Japanese life.
                                                      East Asian Science & Technology
                                                      University of Maryland