The legends of the matriarchal society of ancient Japan were populated by queens and empresses, goddesses and priestesses. But starting from around the 5th century, with the introduction of Buddhism and Confucian thought, women were confined to a subordinate role.

However, in the following centuries, some aristocrats achieved excellence in the literary field and there was no shortage of samurai warriors who stood out for their courage in battle.

In the nineteenth century some women rebelled against the imposed rules, earning a space in fields closed to them, such as the theatre. Today, those who best interpret the spirit of the time, often going against all traditional models, are the many multifaceted protagonists of art and literature, fashion, music and the world of comics. Not to mention the two last empresses, both of bourgeois origins, who marked the beginning of a new era.

Reasons of interest

• 60 extraordinary figures, a surprising anthology of unique personalities, who have left their mark on the history of Japan
• From ancient heroines to today's women active in various fields: literature and comics, fashion and music, art and social media...
• In each character, a model in which to recognize oneself or a breaking element
• A full-field portrait of the woman
• Texts written by a scholar of Japanese history and literature, which capture the reader's interest and make even the most distant stories understandable