This past August, we lost two remarkable women: the film actress and author Keiko Kishi and the avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama. Both lived extraordinary lives and left behind significant legacies, passing away at the ages of 93 and 97, respectively.

Ms. Kishi became a major star through the film Kimi no Na wa (Your Name), a work that turned the Sukiyabashi bridge into a “pilgrimage site” and captivated the entire nation, with audiences rooting for the protagonists' happy reunion. Although she appeared in numerous films as a talented actress, she flew to France at the peak of her career after meeting the French director Yves Ciampi. There, she deepened her connections with figures such as Jean Cocteau, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Yves Montand. She also witnessed the actions of young people during the May 1968 protests in Paris, which inspired her to dedicate herself to the causes of freedom and justice—a commitment that later led to her work supporting developing nations as a UNFPA (the United Nations Population Fund) Goodwill Ambassador.

She continued to demonstrate her versatility in her later years by writing novels that became bestsellers. While her marriage to Director Ciampi ended in divorce, she attributed her determination to live life on her own terms to her wartime experiences—specifically, the Great Yokohama Air Raid of May 1945. Witnessing homes burning after being hit by bombs and seeing so many people perish in air-raid shelters, she reportedly decided then and there to live exactly as she pleased. Living life her own way meant standing up for her principles. In an interview she said, "I simply cannot tolerate things like discrimination or the abuse of women and children." She also said regarding her acting roles, "I never wanted to play characters who fawned over men or were swayed by power."

Everyone knows Keiko Kishi as the glamorous actress who portrayed beautiful women in films like Kimi no Na wa (Your Name) and Yukiguni (Snow Country). However, it is a great pity that her strong convictions and philosophy as an independent woman tend to be overshadowed by that glamour.

Yayoi Kusama is now an undisputed giant of the avant-garde art world, with museums everywhere vying to acquire her work. Yet, in her youth, she suffered from mental illness involving visual and auditory hallucinations, and it is said she took up the paintbrush to battle that sense of isolation. Her life opened up when, at the age of twenty-seven, a fortunate opportunity allowed her to fly to New York. There, she mingled with renowned artists like Georgia O'Keeffe, joined the anti-Vietnam War movement, and gradually gained recognition through street performances that involved painting polka dots on her body. It was precisely because she was in America that she could execute—and find acceptance for—her bold, fresh performances. Her various experiments, which transcended conventional boundaries, earned acclaim and transformed her into a global icon. After returning to Japan, she leveraged her international renown to build fame at home. She held frequent solo exhibitions, saw her large-scale sculptures displayed across the country, and was ultimately awarded the Order of Culture.

With her trademark shock of bright red hair that constantly surprised the public, she was a woman who held "unwavering convictions regarding anti-war and anti-establishment sentiments" (Shinano Mainichi Shimbun, August 28, 2026).

The two women share many commonalities, including a strong will to live life on their own terms, a commitment to the anti-war cause, and a rebellious spirit against anything that sought to constrain them.

Above all, a pivotal shared experience in both their lives was their time spent abroad—Kishi in France and Kusama in the United States. Living abroad, learning about different ways of life, mingling with experts in their respective fields, and likely struggling with language barriers—all while maintaining the tense resolve that backing down meant failure—these days of challenge and growth surely transformed the rest of their lives.

This may seem like a sudden shift in topic, but it brings to mind the current Takaichi Cabinet’s policies restricting foreign nationals. I feel they are moving in the exact opposite direction. Observing their approach—limiting foreign residency and business activities, and narrowing the scope for foreigners to thrive in Japan—it appears they are choosing a path completely different from the environment that nurtured these two women.

The fact that it was life abroad, rather than life within Japan, that transformed these two exceptional women demonstrates that one cannot fully develop by looking only inward at one’s own country. This goes without saying, yet the current government is attempting to curtail exchanges with the outside world.

Looking outward does not necessarily mean physically moving to and living in a foreign country; after all, not everyone has that opportunity. Even while remaining in Japan, one can experience profound personal growth through interactions with people from abroad who bring diverse perspectives. Working together offers countless chances to gain insights and ideas, or ways of thinking, that one might never have conceived otherwise. Whether learning by going abroad or learning from those who come here, the goal is to foster a natural flow of mutual exchange where the distinction of "foreign" versus "domestic" ceases to be a barrier. People grow by realizing the sheer diversity of the world: there are good people and bad people; there are those who think straightforwardly and those who take a more cynical approach. We develop by recognizing this variety of lifestyles, thoughts, and values. Even if geographical borders exist, we must not build borders within our hearts.

Policies that reject foreign nationals only serve to raise and harden the barriers within people's hearts. In such an environment, a second or third Ms. Kishi or Ms. Kusama will never emerge.

I would like Ms. Takaichi to reconsider.

Original article in Japanese (2026. 09. 01)
https://wan.or.jp/article/show/12623