Women in the Church in Japan: Local and Foreign, and Gender Relations

Abstract

The Meiji era of Japan began in 1867 when Emperor Mutsuhito ascended to power, marking the final demise of the military government of the Tokugawa shoguns. This period represented a time of great change and the restructuring of Japan’s society, government, and economy. A prominent feature of the Meiji reorganization was a push for widespread alphabetization. The field of education became the stage for many Christian missionaries to enter Japan, and many foreign schools were founded in Japan during the Meiji period. This chapter focuses on Catholic women in Japan and narrates in particular the experiences of a pioneering group of Catholic nuns, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, who arrived in Japan in 1924. The narrative develops within the global context in which missionaries moved and spans from the second half of the sixteenth century to the late 1980s. Through their stories, the chapter describes the role of Catholic women in Japan and explains the process of adaptation and the interconnectedness of cultures. In addition, it considers the theological discussions about how to pursue a balanced and open evangelization. The chapter engages with the notion of “inculturation” by juxtaposing the doctrinal discussions around the concept with the actual apostolate of the missionaries.