Manga: A Gendered Issue
In 2009, the Cabinet Office of Japan, a part of the government, conducted a survey asking 5,000 people to comment on whether or not they felt Japan was a gender equal society. Only 3,240 accepted to take part in the study. These are the results for the first two questions. Next to each area, the percentage distributions are listed for each of the possible responses:
In the majority of the areas listed as well as looking at society overall, men were overwhelmingly perceived to have favorable treatment. The only areas where they failed to have favorable treatment were in education and neighborhood councils, NPOs, etc. In none of the categories were women seen to have favorable treatment. Again, this research was collected in 2009, only 4 years ago. Japan is an economic powerhouse and an influential developed nation, yet it still remains a patriarchal society. Gender inequality affects all aspects of life for its people and is proliferated through the media, legislation, and customs. Manga, a huge segment of Japan's publishing industry, is not immune to these misogynist influences. For instance, in the shojo manga market, 99% of the manga artists are female yet 75% of the editors are male. Even a genre dedicated to a female audience must go through male scrutiny. This is just one example of the power imbalance between men and women in Japan.
The goal of this website is to show that the misrepresentation of female characters in manga exemplifies the patriarchal society of Japan. The sexual objectification of women in manga and the different standards to which female and male characters are held indicate how manga plays a role in the perpetuation of gender inequality.
Manga is not mindless entertainment. It is a reflection of the Japanese status quo.
The goal of this website is to show that the misrepresentation of female characters in manga exemplifies the patriarchal society of Japan. The sexual objectification of women in manga and the different standards to which female and male characters are held indicate how manga plays a role in the perpetuation of gender inequality.
Manga is not mindless entertainment. It is a reflection of the Japanese status quo.