Worldwide WAN

The Worldwide WAN (W-WAN) introduces activities of Women's Action Network (WAN) and feminist movements, etc. inside and outside of Japan. We translate selected articles in the main WAN website from Japanese into English as well as other international languages including Chinese and Korean. We also publish W-WAN's original articles on this page.

Chizuko Ueno "Forty Years of Japanese Feminism"

2013.05.17 Fri

Chizuko Ueno, "Forty Years of Japanese Feminism: What it has achieved…and what it has not" April 22, 2013, 5:00pm International House 1414 E. 59th St. Chicago IL. 60637 The University of Chicago Committee on Japanese Studies is pleased to welcome Chizuko Ueno, Professor Emeritus of Tokyo University, for the 2013 Najita Distinguished Lecture in Japanese Studies. A sociologist by training, Professor Ueno is one of the leading feminist critics and

Labels: Lecture

2013.05.01 Wed

To Grow With The Child Who May Have Developmental Disabilities #2 By Akizuki Nanami Thursday, October 4, 2012 We sometimes hear that “disability is a personality.” It sounds good in words, but when I hear people who have no first-hand experience ever in this matter say this, I want to tell them, “It’s not so simple.” The bottom line is that the word, “disability,” insinuate some kind of “handicap” although we know it’s not referring to the “h

Labels: Reading

DVD Preview: Hollywood and Asian Women

2013.03.06 Wed

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Labels: Event Information

"Imposing Words": Embroideries by Ruri Clarkson

2013.03.03 Sun

Needlework has long been perceived as women's work. "Imposing Words: Contemporary Family Matters" by Ruri Clarkson exhibits embroidery works that sew together contemporary women's voices. The exhibition takes place from March 14 to 20, 2013, at Nidi Gallery (free admission). (C) Ruri Clarkson 2013From Press Release:Ruri Clarkson will present her new work “IMPOSING WORDS: Contemporary family matters” at Nidi gallery. Her exhibition will highlight

Labels: Art (A-WAN)

A Society Where We Can Turn “Disability” into “Individuality”

2013.02.26 Tue

Some people say “Disability is individuality.” The word sounds very pretty, but I feel it simplifies the problems too much when it’s used by people who don’t know much about the disabled. Those who are called “the disabled” are “handicapped,” at least, in some ways. But they don’t handicap themselves; rather, it’s their circumstances that handicap them. People with myopia, for example, would have great difficulty in their social life without ai

Labels: Other

2013.02.20 Wed

A divorce by agreement is possible in mediation? Reply by Attorney Ms. Sakura UCHIKOSHI ◎Although there is a method, it had better be positive. Both the husband and the wife agree on divorce by mediation, however two persons or either one may desire a divorce by agreement as feeling resistance etc. and submits a notification of "divorce by mediation." In each family register of the husband and the wi

Labels: Legal Advice

Opposition towards New Prenatal Diagnostic Test

2013.02.18 Mon

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Labels: Essays

Japanese Army’s Sexual Violence Panel Exhibition in China -- Brief Report on Prof.Qu Yajun’s Lectures in Japan: Part 2

2012.12.03 Mon

Following Part 1, here is the second report on the lecture by Professor Qu Yajun from Shaanxi Normal University, Xian, China, given at Nihon University on Sunday, November 11, 2012, entitled “Women, Peace, and a Nation’s Self-Examination.” AT the beginning of this lecture, Prof. Qu spoke about how she was impressed by the activities of a Japanese citizens group voluntarily collecting materials and oral testimony about the Japanese army’s wartim

Labels: Lecture W-WAN's Original Articles

Three Kinds of Women’s Discourses in Modern China -- Brief Report on Prof.Qu Yajun’s Lectures in Japan: Part 1

2012.11.30 Fri

Qu Yajun is a professor at Shaanxi Normal University, Xian, China, and director of both the Women’s Research Center and Women Culture Museum of the university. Despite the fact that the Japan-China relationship was in danger of being jeopardized by the Senkaku (Diaoyu) Islands dispute, with even cultural exchanges suspended in many cases, she visited Tokyo as originally scheduled to speak about women’s studies and her experiences in China.Prof.Q

Labels: Lecture W-WAN's Original Articles

Eulogies to Kazuko Takemura (8): Carmen Rial

2012.11.10 Sat

To honor the memory of the late Kazuko Takemura, a feminist famous for her activism as well as introducing theorists such as Judith Butler, Slavoj Zizek, Gayatri Chaktravorty Spivak and Trinh T. Minh-ha to Japan, WAN is posting a series of eulogies delivered by her fellow activists and scholars both from Japan and overseas.

Labels: Eulogies

The Choice of A Woman (2)　- Starting a jobless life In case of Ms. T -

2012.11.06 Tue

I spent a long time of my career in an organization. After I left the municipal office due to the mandatory retirement, I chose to be jobless. Reaching the age of 60, male co-workers, who retired at the same time with me, moved on to the second career.Perhaps, those male co-workers decided to be re-employed for economic reasons, but in my case, it seems I could manage to make my ends meet with my own pension and one from my husband who had retire

Labels: Reading

You Can See Yamato from Okinawa (Go Where Our Heart Takes Us: #32)

2012.10.31 Wed

By Mine Yagi 9/20/12 (Thursday) Okinawa Times: Dated 9/9 article on the Rally This year, marking the 40th year since Okinawa’s return to Japan, a rally was held on September 9th to oppose the deployment of Osprey.Participants exceeded 100,000. The Mayor of Naha (Takeshi Onaga) strongly criticized the action taken by the Japanese and the U.S. government by saying, “the way this deployment is handled is no different from that after the war when

Labels: Other

2012.10.24 Wed

One Out of Three Women with Disabilities Experience Sexual OffensesIt was reported that 1 out of 3 women with disabilities had experienced sexual offenses in their workplaces and institutions for disabled. Specialists claim that “special measures to deal with these problems are necessary because these women are taken advantage of for their inability to resist.”This study was executed from May to November 2011 by a group of women with disabilitie

Labels: Other

Call for materials for an E-zine Library!

2012.09.30 Sun

D-WAN (Documentary-WAN) is scheduled to archive booklets for and by women who cleared the path of Japanese feminism and open an online library in 2013 to pass on information to the next generation. To start, D-WAN sent out a call for materials for an E-zine library so that people can get specific and ongoing information about the preparation for the library. The library is going to carry essays on the history, significance, and episodes of Japan

Labels: Document (D-WAN)

Grassroots Women’s Movement to Change Society through the Power of Information Exchange

2012.09.30 Sun

WAN debuted at the summer forum of the National Women's Education Center of Japan (NWEC) holding a workshop on how women, especially local women, can perform key administrative roles in exchanging information.In the workshop, the Chief Director of WAN, Chizuko Ueno, made a keynote speech regarding how local women’s exchange of information can change society. Following Ueno’s lecture, a panel discussion was held to talk about achievements and pro

Labels: Event Information

The Tenth Retreat “Women’s Bodies / My Body”

2012.09.29 Sat

This tenth retreat will include a number of panel discussions and workshops on issues that concern women’s bodies, such as pregnancy, infertility, birth, contraception, abortion, reproductive technology, and sexual violence. Discussions also include problems that were revealed in the aftermath of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and problems surrounding nuclear power. Participants meet women from different generations and with backgrounds. When

Labels: Event Information

Symposium on the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake - Report from Women in Miyagi

2012.09.29 Sat

A year and half has passed since the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake. Women from the affected areas reported the current situations, what still needs to be done, and the importance of women’s perspectives in the recovery effort. September 17 (Mon), 1:45-5:30pm, reception to followBunkyo Kumin-Center, Large Conference Room (2nd floor)4-15-14 Hongounkyo-ku, Tokyo Map: http://www.city.bunkyo.lg.jp/gmap/detail.php?id=1754 03-3814-6731Fee: 1000 yenAcce

Labels: Event Information

Eulogies to Kazuko Takemura (7): Trinh T. Minh-ha

2012.09.29 Sat

Labels: Eulogies

Eulogies to Kazuko Takemura (6): Gayatri Chaktravorty Spivak

2012.09.22 Sat

Labels: Eulogies

Eulogies to Kazuko Takemura (5): Judith Butler

2012.09.16 Sun

Labels: Eulogies