Japanese Girls and Women Revised and Enlarged Edition

"Japanese Girls and Women" by Alice Mabel Bacon is a study of Japanese culture that looks at the lives of women in late 19th century Japan. It shines a light on their traditions and the parts they play in society, giving readers a look into how they grow up, get educated, marry, and what society expects of them. The book wants to show the importance of women's views and what they go through, something that is often missed when talking about Japanese culture, and explains how they have helped their families and communities. The story begins by showing how special Japanese girls' childhoods are, with parties and customs for their birth and naming. It talks about important ceremonies, like the "miya mairi," that celebrate important times in a baby's first years and how cultural rules affect how they are raised. While these times are happy, the author also shows the limits and worries that girls have, setting the stage to explore bigger ideas about education, marriage, and how women's roles are changing in Japanese society as the book continues.