workingclasshistory:

On this day, 1 September 1911, five women published the first issue of Japan’s first all-women literary magazine, called Bluestocking (青鞜 Seitō), which is credited with kickstarting the feminist movement in the country. In it, poet Akiko Yosano wrote: “The day has arrived when the mountains are about to become active… The mountains have simply been dormant for awhile … Believe only this: Now all the women who lay dormant are rousing themselves.” The issue was banned for containing a short story about the breakup of an arranged marriage, but was still a commercial success. Other issues were banned for containing erotic stories expressing female sexuality or for calling on women to marry for love. The magazine became increasingly radical, moving primarily from publishing literature to openly rejecting traditional gender roles, calling for legalised abortion, free love and criticising capitalism. In 1915 editorship passed to anarchist Noe Ito, but it was forced to close the following year by authorities who penalised distributors who carried the publication. https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/1200927243425757/?type=3