Last Updated on January 14, 2024 by Kittredge Cherry
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Reviewers wrote many enthusiastic new reviews of the 30th-anniversary edition of “Womansword: What Japanese Words Say About Women” by Q Spirit publisher Kittredge Cherry.
They praised it as “fascinating,” “delightfully insightful” and “meticulously researched.” Here are a few highlights:
Tofugu calls it “a delightfully insightful read…. It remains one of, if not the best, English language resources for learning about the women of Japan through the language they use,” This is the most detailed review of “Womansword” ever written — and that includes the original New York Times review.
Japan Times says, “Its overall narrative is still startlingly relevant. Cherry’s short, meticulously researched pieces are filled with lively descriptions and illuminating historical tales about words relating to women, illustrating how womanhood, femininity and the role of women are perceived in Japanese society.”
Cha: An Asian Literary Journal calls it “a joyful read and a fascinating introduction to gender tensions in Japanese culture through insightful sociolinguistic analysis.”
Asian Review of Books says, “Japanese is, or at least seems to be, an order of magnitude more gender-layered than English and ‘Womansword’ is an attempt to pick these meanings apart; it does so with clarity and good humour.”
JQ Magazine calls it “a fascinating read and a striking reminder of how language can reflect the general mindset and culture of society.”
South China Morning Post says it gives a “humorous dissection of Japanese take on genders… At a time when Western institutions are adopting gender-neutral language, author considers why Japanese language has gone the other way and contains so many gender-specific words.”
Joy o’ Kanji liked “Womansword” so much that they did a four-part series on it, including:
“Skillful compression of information into little essays, each taking an incisive look at Japanese culture from a different angle… I’m amazed at the level to which the writing compels me and stirs my passions.” — Joy o’ Kanji on “Womansword,” Part 1
“The book has umpteen things going for it,” — Joy o’ Kanji on “Womansword,” Part 3
SoraNews24.com says, “In this anniversary edition, the author notes some of the linguistic changes that have taken place that point to diverging stereotypes of the modern Japanese woman. Using Cherry’s book as a reference, let’s look at some of the Japanese terms that refer to women and see how they’ve changed over the past 30 years, and whether they’ve become more discriminatory, or less….”
“Womansword is a powerful, powerful book,” says the blog Japan: It’s a Wonderful Rife. They even suggest that I send a copy to Donald Trump! “The book provides short and interesting glimpses into Japanese society with linguistic, sociological and historical insight into damn near every aspect of Japanese society…Womansword slashes through the male-imposed rigorous Japanese laws and rules that women have to follow involving things such as: identity, girlhood, marriage, motherhood, work, sexuality and aging,” writes blogger Andrew Joseph.
Kyoto Journal (issue 87) says, “Wonderfully written and charming throughout, I had a smile on my face the entire time I was reading it. Even to a long-timer like me, it was full of surprises…. A delightful book.”
Subarashi