Source: Propaganda and the Home Front: Japanese Women’s war poetry of the 1930s and 1940s – CHL – ANU
Abstract: Presenting annotated translations of Japanese women’s free-style war poetry, we will demonstrate the multiplicity of women’s voices writing about the 15 Years War (1931-45). We will demonstrate a shift from pro-war propaganda through to anti-war works and finally explore a number of poems that express hope for a new world beyond the darkness of war. Including works from well-known women poets such as Yosano Akiko, Fukao Sumako, Nagase Kiyoko and Kurihara Sadako, we also include lesser-known poets to show the breadth of women’s engagement in war poetry.