ABSTRACT
Introduction One of the most salient changes in Japanese society over the last ten years is the position of women both in reality and in representation. The number of female workers increased from 27.01 million to 27.50 million from 1995 to 2005, and that of female employees from 20.48 million to 22.29 million.1 In direct proportion to the increasing number of working women, female characters in Japanese popular culture such as manga or TV dramas have shifted from being obedient, weak girls to strong, working women. This change is more clearly observed in works of female authorship, for women themselves are keenly aware of the change in their position in society. In works by female authors, we can see selfimages of Japanese women that male authors have never been able to express. Male points of view, as well as those of non-Japanese, often misinterpret what is really happening in women’s lives. Therefore, I would like to examine various female voices in Japanese popular culture, by focusing on works of manga and TV dramas by women.
