Introduction

Research on Chinese society, economic institutions, and particularly agriculture continues to attract considerable attention in Japan. A number of fascinating essays appeared over the past few years which have linked legal history with agricultural history. Rebellion and the role of religion in it also continue to exert a forceful influence among Japanese scholars. As in the United States, however, Japanese research on Chinese women’s history tends almost exclusively to concern the 20th century. One significant development is the appearance of more studies in the field of Chinese women’s history. This was not an altogether ignored field in Japan before 1983, but it was virtually ignored in the Shigaku zasshi summaries. The Shigaku zasshi periodization is a lingering remnant from an older time.