Activities of the Japanese Patriotic Ladies' Association (Aikoku Fujinkai)

The Patriotic Ladies’ Association (PLA), ¹ which operated in Japan between 1901 and 1942, was one of the world’s largest women’s associations, with about seven million members at its height. Although its main purpose had been to use members’ subscriptions and donations to fund private pensions for the families and dependants of soldiers severely wounded or killed in action, its benefits were gradually made available to broader elements of civil society. This chapter analyzes its aims and activities over the long term, provides a diversified picture of it, and questions the implications of support given to military endeavors by women.