gisw13_chapters

Akiko and teacher Nomaki Masako (whose onlinename is Nomarin) set up personal websites withthe aim of actively criticising feminism. In addition,reactionary bloggers, including Bruckner05,Mt. Fuji 2000 and Nameneko (“licking cat”), werealso active.Feminist bashing also occurred on 2channel, 4the biggest Japanese text board, and many peopleengaged in editorial battles over terms suchas “feminism”, “gender” and “gender-free” onWikipedia. Attacks on feminism spread to socialnetworking websites in Japan such as mixi 5 as well.When the mass media reported on “gender-free”-related subjects, conservatives posted many criticalarticles on 2channel and other websites.Activities by scholars in gender and women’sstudies were few and far between on theinternet. There were only a small number of counterargumentsto the conservative backlash publishedonline, such as Ida Hiroyuki’s blog, and a resourcecalled “Q&A: Present point of argument involvinggender equality” on the website of the Women’sStudies Association of Japan.Results of the backlashIn April 2004, the cabinet office indicated that itwas better not to use the term “gender-free”, a decisionthat was supported by the Gender EqualityBureau. This was evident in the second Basic Planfor Gender Equality drafted in December 2005.Moreover, the bureau issued an administrative circularto municipal governments instructing themnot to use the term. After the notice, the term“gender-free” disappeared from administrationsponsoredprojects at both the national and locallevel. That is, the administration propagated the“gender-free” concept, and then the administrationitself denied and erased it.Dialogue with backlashersTomomi Yamaguchi and Masami Saito, who arefeminist researchers, interviewed the “backlashers”and tried to understand the background andthinking which resulted in the action. They alsomet local citizens and feminists who confrontedthe backlash, and listened to their experiences andthoughts. They were able to understand how thephenomenon called the “backlash” had been builtby listening attentively and carefully to the words ofthe people who played key roles in the anti-feministmovement.4 www.2ch.net5 mixi.jpCurrent situationMany people are concerned that Japanese societyand politics have been drifting to the right in recentyears. In the general election in December 2012,voters gave the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) alandslide victory, ejecting the Democratic Party ofJapan from power after three years.Abe Shinzo, who is the president of the LDP,was elected as the prime minister. He is viewedas a right-wing nationalist. When he first becamethe prime minister in 2007, he said that the socalled“comfort women” were not coerced intobecoming sexual slaves by the former JapaneseImperial Army during World War II, and repeatedthis in 2013, when he became prime minister forthe second time.His views are reflected elsewhere. HashimotoToru, the mayor of Osaka and co-leader of the JapanRestoration Party, has also denied that Japan abductedand trafficked women for frontline brothelsduring World War II based on the will of the stateauthority.Given these developments, it seems that thestruggle for gender rights in Japan may be enteringa new phrase – and it is this that activists need totake into account.ConclusionsWomen’s movement organisations have used ICTspractically, being ignited by the Fourth World Conferenceon Women in 1995. Although the internethas had a positive effect on organisations that workinternationally, many of the organisations and activistswho work locally appear to be “internet fearful”,and there are few who use it actively.Moreover, the backlash against feminism becameintense, mainly driven by the conservativemedia from the end of the 1990s to the 2000s. Conservativemedia and organisations used the internetproactively, and negative and distorted accounts offeminism increased in the 2000s.Although many feminists avoid direct dialoguewith backlashers, Yamaguchi and Saito interviewedboth the feminists and the backlashers actively, andmade the origins of opposing ideas clear.The confrontational interactions between conservativesand feminists are unproductive. A positiveway of thinking is needed, wherein both sides try tolearn, look for common ideas, and improve society.The confrontation might have been unnecessary, butwas the result of continuing disputes based on surmiseswithout talking to each other face to face.It is necessary for feminists to re-examine theirpositions, including developing an understanding153 / Global Information Society Watch