The Awakening of the Japanese Woman
Writers, filmmakers, and the general public have, for some time, been intrigued with the possibility of A.I. (Artificial Intelligence); so much so that serious concerns have been explored and dramatized regarding the theoretical and imagined problems that could be encountered with its reality. The concern most commonly expressed about the development of A.I. is whether there could be a potential for self-awareness, and then an ensuing struggle for recognition. But, what should be of much greater concern to the Japanese public is the awakening of Japanese women's intelligence, and their potential to become a force for change. This very awakening may well be unfolding before the Japanese public, albeit very slowly, in the guise of an emerging, modern Japanese woman. It wasn't surprising when Japan's Health Minister Hakuo Yanagisawa degraded women, in his comments decrying the country's declining birthrate, by calling them "birth-giving machines". Though many sectors of the public were in an uproar, calling for Mr. Yanagisawa's resignation, I suspected it would never happen. The empirical evidence infers that many Japanese men feel as he does, and the majority of Japanese women would also concur that most Japanese men feel this way.
Leave it to a man to be blind to something clearly slapping him in the face! The Japanese woman has declared, "I don't want to be a slave to husband, house, and child." Women have said "Enough!" to caring for a husband who becomes a child after marriage, to the drudgery of housework, and to the non-support of Japanese fathers. Compounding these issues, women lack equal job opportunities and commensurate pay when they want to return to the workplace. It seems that a resolution should be drafted that enforces both equality and opportunity in the work place. Unfortunately, men don't see that as a solution, or they fear the repercussions from other men if they would offer, or support, such a proposal. However, some of the responsibility for change rests with women. Japanese women have vented their frustrations to me, and when they're finished I've respectfully responded, saying, "I understand your feelings, but I'm a foreigner. I can do nothing. What have you done to improve the situation?" Without fail, the answer I ALWAYS get is either a dumbfounded look, or the simple response of:nothing. Call me an American, but whining never solves anything. For the Japanese women who are so fond of all things American, they need only follow the rocky path carved out by women and African Americans in the U.S. The one thing men love, no matter what their culture is is money. It might be said that most men love money more than sex, because with enough money, sex can be bought. The Japanese woman's status of equality will change when Japanese man see an economic incentive. For example, if a large number of women in Minister Yanagisawa's prefecture were to band together and declare, "We will never shop again, anywhere, on any Thursday", the economic shock would be a reckoning force. Or, if women flooded his office with thousands of emails, the government's servers might come to a grinding halt. Change is always more likely to occur when an economic impact is felt.
There is a segment of the female population that professes interest in becoming a married homemaker and rearing children. However, it's sometimes difficult to determine if the true desire is to raise a family, or to escape the inequality and drudgery of the workplace. In all honesty though, it is a woman's body, not a man's that is designed for giving birth, and as such, the desire to have children is innate. But, to have that natural capability be compared to a machine demeans the responsibility that ultimately is a woman's. It's interesting to note that when people achieve success they give credit to mom first, and then, maybe, dad. So, this machine is pretty darn important! On a lighter note, perhaps Japanese men should be more wary of the awakening of self-awareness in Japanese women (machines) than the theoretical awakenings of any A.I.
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