Some 21,000,000 women are to be emancipated politically and be given the right to vote in the forthcoming general elections. Enfranchisement of women is of great significance in that it not only enables the will of womanhood to be reflected in politics but undermines the feudalistic ideas and morality hitherto prevalent regarding the so-called "weaker" sex. It implies the renunciation of the old idea of regarding women as inferior to men and the disavowal of the antiquated notion of confining women's activity within the household. Under the new Election Law, women are put on an equality with men, it being legally recognized that they have as good a right as men to participate in the government of the country. The change thus brought about in the status of Japanese womanhood is really revolutionary.

However, most Japanese women have not yet come to appreciate the value of their newly acquired right. So unappreciative are they that we hear it whispered among them that a little more sugar or rice is far preferable to suffrage. Deplorable though such attitude is, it may not be altogether unnatural, as the enfranchisement of women in Japan is the result of a directive issued by the Allied Supreme headquarters and not the fruit of their efforts.

The women suffrage movement has no, of course, been entirely absent from Japan. It has been going on for the past twenty-five years, as a matter of fact, though it has never gained much force due to its inefficient leadership. Especially since the latter days of the China Affair this movement has practically disappeared under the pressure of reactionary influences at home. In view of this poor record of the movement many people in this country entertain grave doubts as to the issue on the ground that the time is stilly premature for enfranchising Japanese women whom they believe to be not yet sufficiently awakened politically.

The other day, Mr. Horikiri, the then Home Minister, told the present writer of what he had heard from a certain influential man from his native prefecture of Fukushima about the prospects of polling by woman voters. According to Mr. Horikiri, this person of local influence who recently visited Tokyo ventured to forecast that 50 per cent of all woman voters would abstain from voting and that of the other 50 per cent, 30 per cent would vote for the same candidates as their fathers or husbands, 15 per cent would vote of their free will and 5 per cent would lead their fathers and husbands to vote for the candidates of their own choice.

American women were given suffrage in 1920 and it is on record that from 50 to 60 per cent of them abstained from voting in the first couple of elections. In Japan, the fact is patent that at prefectural and municipal assembly elections, abstentionists usually amount to from 40 to 50 per cent of the total voters. The occurrence of numerous abstentions does not denote any serious evil except that it means that the will of these abstentionists does not become reflected in politics. Nor does any particular evil attend the voting by women for the same candidates as their husbands or fathers. The very fact of their voting will by good training for them.

Further, I am inclined to think that the enfranchisement of women will in itself be productive of fairly good effects on the election and its results. That is, political parties and candidates will be moved to carry on their election campaigns in such a way as is calculated to catch as many woman votes as possible. They will take up earnestly the problems bearing on livelihood, children, domestic matters, the elevation of the position of women and other items in which women are particularly interested and will endeavor to solve them satisfactorily. The published policies of both the Socialist Party indicate that they are actually following such a course.

Nothing is further from my intentions, however than to contend that Japanese women may well be left as they are. I strongly feel the necessity of mobilizing all available organs to impress on woman voters the need for their unfailing and effectual exercise of their newly acquired right.

On November 3 last, we formed an organization called the New Japan Womanhood League (Shin Nippon Fujin Domei). The new organization aims at the complete acquisition of woman suffrage, the abolition of all laws and systems disadvantageous to women and the efficient exercise of the suffrage bestowed on women. The movement it launches has for its principal object the political education of women so as to ensure the proper exercise of their franchise.

For reference, I may give the platform of the new organized League as follows:

"1. To bring politics and the kitchen into direct connection so as at once to stabilize the national livelihood and to promote the rationalization and cooperation of the home life.

"2. To emancipate women from feudalistic restraints of various kinds and from the plutocratic control, and while working for the development of their ability, to strive to elevate their economic, social and legal position."

"3. To heighten the political consciousness of women and to build a new Japan, really democratic and peaceful, in cooperation with men.

"4. To respect international justice and to contribute to the establishment of permanent world peace and the development of human culture.

"In carrying out the above-mentioned aims we intend to stand impartial to all parties and factions so that we may at any time cooperate with any party or organization as the occasion demand."

Organized for the purpose as has been described, the New Japan Womanhood League may as well be called the Woman Voters' League. It is an extension of the erstwhile Woman Suffragist Movement.

In America, after they acquired suffrage in 1920, the moderates in the woman suffragist movement formed the Woman Voters' League and the militants in it organized the Women's Party, thereby keeping their movement in the their respective ways.

The Women's Party referred to is not a political party. Its activity is directed toward attaining equality with men in the economic, social, legal and other spheres other than political. The movement of our New Japan Womanhood League combines, so to speak, the functions of the above-mentioned two American women's organization.

Pending the forthcoming general election, however our League will devote itself to the political and election education of women. To this end, a special committee has been appointed to work out concrete plans.

Our plans may be divided into those which will be carried out by us and those which we wish to ask the Government, radio, the press and various other organs to carry out. As our League has only just been brought into existence, it cannot be expected to accomplish a great deal by its own efforts. However, it can make each of its members organize a small meeting of women or a sort of neighborhood assembly or can hold public meetings under its own auspices in big cities to arouse women's interest in the exercise of their franchise, or it can dispatch its trained speakers to various meetings at the request of their promoters. It an also publish pamphlets or a journal as its organ.

To various organizations the League intends to appeal for cooperation for the execution of the plans of its own drafting. For instance, it will ask the Broadcasting Corporation to provide a special radio program for the political education of women. It will also request the good offices of the authorities concerned to organize for the same purpose meetings of women with each street of towns and cities or the district within this jurisdiction of each primary school as one unit.

As it is equally necessary for men to be educated politically before the election, it is advisable for the voters of each family to come together after supper every day for instance, and, with its master as chairman, discuss matters relative to the election. The master or senior members of the family would then try to gain as much political knowledge as possible beforehand to avoid cutting a poor figure when asked at such gatherings questions which they cannot answer properly. If, as the result of such family conferences, the views of all members are found in agreement, they may all vote for one and the same candidate. If otherwise, each can vote for the candidate whom he or she likes best. In any case, the father or the husband must not force his choice on his children or wife.

To encourage likely women to run in the election and then to launch a campaign for recommending such candidates to voters will also be useful for the political education of women. It will, no doubt awaken and stimulate the political consciousness of the women generally. From this point of view, we hope many good women of ability will stand for election. As to whether our League will associate itself directly with such a political movement, not definite decision is yet reached, however.

Ichikawa, Fusae. "Women Urged to Bend Efforts to Utilize Franchise Rights. Nippon Times. January 28, 1946.