The Family of Modern Japan in General Magazines

Abstract

This paper analizes the images of family by utilizing seven kinds of general magazines published in Meiji era as materials. From beginning of Meiji, we can find in the magazines that people criticize traditional family ethic and try to establish democratic and westernized one. And in the third decade of Meiji, the concept of domestic home becomes to flourish in the magazines. In the articles we can find people of Meiji have longed for industrialization and modernization after Western countries even if it should destroy traditional family ethics in Japan. In fact, they recognize traditional families are dysfunctional to modernization.After that, however, familial characteristics came to change gradually. The concept of domestic home have been united with norms of sexual devision of labour and now it is almost a new version of Confucianism. Women are expected to be good housewives and home has become the place of women and children. In other words, home seems to change into private and feminine one at this times.We are surprised to know people intensely consider family and home as basis of constructing “New Japan” in Meiji. People tend to extend familial intimate feeling to loyalty to the State. These two kinds of feelings become integrated to one. Through the magazines we can find the paradox that modern and westernized concept of “home” in early Meiji has changed and come to serve the absolutism and nationalism of Meiji goverment and the old ethics of Confucianism.