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从零开始的女性主义
女性主义是什么？为什么我们需要女性主义？如何用女性主义进行思考？
围绕上述种种问题，日本著名学者上野千鹤子与知名漫画家田房永子，开始了一场从零开始的女性主义课堂。她们用幽默的语言、传神的漫画，回溯女性主义的发展历程，畅谈母女关系、性、工作、婚恋、育儿等日常生活中的议题，驳斥关于女性的刻板偏见。
这堂课不仅开启了一趟全新的旅程，更告诉我们：女性主义，不仅仅关乎女性，更关乎每个人的日常生活。
围绕上述种种问题，日本著名学者上野千鹤子与知名漫画家田房永子，开始了一场从零开始的女性主义课堂。她们用幽默的语言、传神的漫画，回溯女性主义的发展历程，畅谈母女关系、性、工作、婚恋、育儿等日常生活中的议题，驳斥关于女性的刻板偏见。
这堂课不仅开启了一趟全新的旅程，更告诉我们：女性主义，不仅仅关乎女性，更关乎每个人的日常生活。
192 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2021
40 people are currently reading
272 people want to read
About the author
Chizuko Ueno
129 books277 followersChizuko Ueno is a Japanese sociologist and Japan's "best-known feminist".
Her research field includes feminist theory, family sociology, and women's history. She is best known for her contribution to gender studies in Japan. As a public intellectual, she played a central role in creating the field of gender studies in Japanese academia. At the same time, her radical tendency and strong character has invited criticism (she described herself as "critical, assertive, and disobedient").
Ueno is a trenchant critic of postwar revisionism and criticizes the whitewashing of Japanese history, which she claims attempts to justify its colonialism, wartime atrocities, and racism both before and after World War II. In particular, she has defended the compensation of Korean comfort women who were forced into prostitution by the Empire of Japan.
Her research field includes feminist theory, family sociology, and women's history. She is best known for her contribution to gender studies in Japan. As a public intellectual, she played a central role in creating the field of gender studies in Japanese academia. At the same time, her radical tendency and strong character has invited criticism (she described herself as "critical, assertive, and disobedient").
Ueno is a trenchant critic of postwar revisionism and criticizes the whitewashing of Japanese history, which she claims attempts to justify its colonialism, wartime atrocities, and racism both before and after World War II. In particular, she has defended the compensation of Korean comfort women who were forced into prostitution by the Empire of Japan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
August 4, 2021
Okay I'm going for a review in English, there's too much I wanna talk about 😅 So I've bought this book along with some others while thinking about what I can use for my thesis but I wasn't able to include it as one of my resources in the end (I could have done it tho! 😭). I really liked this book overall. It talked a bit about history of the whole movement in Japan, about generation differences and how the idea of feminism changed with time as well. The whole thing is written in a form of a dialogue/interview, which was very refreshing and made it way easier to read than something more text heavy. It also includes some images, photos, etc. I love how this book accents are all in pink, it's like a statement on its own 😆 What I really like is that Ueno-sensei at some point of the book was like: yep, I became a feminist, because I was mad, so what? I also found very interesting how she said that every feminist is misogynist, but the point of being a feminist is fighting with this side of you. In the beginning she focuses a lot on mother-daughter relationship, how mothers can be the most toxic to young girls and about the stigma of not having kids, or not marring before 30 (which both of the authors agreed, that it's disappearing). She also talks about over-sexualisation in media and the difference in what is made for boys and girls (shounen vs shoujo manga for example). There is quite a bit talking about it in chapter 4 and they mention sexual harassment as well in it.
Overall? It's a great read for anybody interested in feminism overall. Structure of the book makes it really easy to read and break into parts, that you can read over time.
Overall? It's a great read for anybody interested in feminism overall. Structure of the book makes it really easy to read and break into parts, that you can read over time.
April 24, 2022
因为是对谈的形式所以非常易懂，也因为这样的形式所以谈论内容没有很强的逻辑关联性，想到哪里谈到哪里。我们缺的并不是女性主义/性别意识的普及文本/理论，而是这些内容的关注程度，往往去理解和尊重女性的人有一定的性别意识，他们在更好地完善自我，去做到更好，而改变现状需要是更多人去关注女性在家庭和社会中的牺牲和成就，而不是少部分人的不断完善。虽然自己能做到的也仅仅是“一人一杀”，但这确实也是非常有限的努力了，如果有更多公众人物愿意为女性主义发声……此外关于成为父母，父母有条件的爱，生育比不生育更利己，也是在本书中复习了。做了很多摘记，并逐条写了感想，收获颇多。
February 13, 2022
读这本书之前已经读过厌女和父权制与资本主义。对谈的形式和排版（重点加粗、加大字号）更方便读者阅读。
田房也加入了亲子关系的话题，提及的Toxic Parents: Overcoming Their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life也在之前有读到过，但依然有新的收获。
整个阅读体验十分顺畅，提到了这几本书的重要议题。对我而言是一个很好的refresher，也有新收获。
田房也加入了亲子关系的话题，提及的Toxic Parents: Overcoming Their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life也在之前有读到过，但依然有新的收获。
整个阅读体验十分顺畅，提到了这几本书的重要议题。对我而言是一个很好的refresher，也有新收获。
March 23, 2021
I’m so glad that I read this book!! It caused me a whole range of emotions. I was infuriated to learn about the fathers who raped their own daughters getting acquitted because of lack of evidences and other ridiculous reasons in 2019! Astounded by some of the remarks that Ms Ueno heard from her male peers and their sheer ignorance. Saddened by how much things haven’t changed on feminism and gender issues from back when she was a young feminist in 70’s. I also felt vindicated when I found out what I’ve been feeling about gender feminist issues were universal. I was always hesitant to call myself feminist because I felt like I don’t know enough about feminism to do so but near at the end of book Ms Ueno says being a feminist is a self claim policy, so anyone who says so is a feminist. I would love to lend this book to my friends and spread the awesome word of the OG Japanese feminist Ms Ueno! Highly recommend. Five stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2022
颇有点醍醐灌顶的感觉。对话轻松又深刻 女性主义到底是什么说的极透彻。
July 30, 2023
通俗易懂，一些观点的表达很精炼新颖，但整体信息量略少。也可能是因为里面的很多观点已经通过上野老师的采访了解过了。
启发：母女矛盾（亲子问题->社会性问题，母亲把对自己不幸的不满发泄在孩子身上/也把希望寄托在孩子身上/同时又希望寻求女儿的认可）、社会的A面与B面（A面-工作等公域的积极面/B面-家庭、育儿、疾病等私域面）、一人一杀（“声讨丈夫就是声讨男权社会”）、强者缺乏对弱者的想象力、女儿可以弑母但儿子无法弑母、需求等于欠缺、媒体的重要性、语言（定义）的重要性、女权是多样的不害怕争论的思想、“无论概念来自何处，都要物尽其用”、“女性主义是追求弱者也能得到尊重的思想”
启发：母女矛盾（亲子问题->社会性问题，母亲把对自己不幸的不满发泄在孩子身上/也把希望寄托在孩子身上/同时又希望寻求女儿的认可）、社会的A面与B面（A面-工作等公域的积极面/B面-家庭、育儿、疾病等私域面）、一人一杀（“声讨丈夫就是声讨男权社会”）、强者缺乏对弱者的想象力、女儿可以弑母但儿子无法弑母、需求等于欠缺、媒体的重要性、语言（定义）的重要性、女权是多样的不害怕争论的思想、“无论概念来自何处，都要物尽其用”、“女性主义是追求弱者也能得到尊重的思想”
January 10, 2022
有些地方可圈可点，比如“要用文化对抗文化”，“女性主义者是和自己内心的厌女思想作斗争的人”，“同性恋没有自己的恋爱脚本只能仿照异性恋。” 虽然很喜欢上野老师，但严格来讲未经沉思的内容是不适合成书的。
March 18, 2023
因为是对谈，所以深入浅出的聊到了很多女权主义被反复争论的好多议题。上野千鹤子真的是温柔又有力量的女性啊。而且还特别的down the earth。
February 17, 2024
[5⭐️]Chizuko Ueno is, without doubt, one of the greatest female writers, sociologists, and feminists in the (20th &)21st centuries.
As a young, growing female who aims to understand more about herself and the female group, nothing means more to me than reading this non-fiction at the beginning of 2024. Not to mention, it was put together by Chizuko Ueno.
This is an interview transcript on the topic of being a female in Asian cultures. Chizuko Ueno’s language has this magic to inspire, to encourage, and to empower.
I am and will be a feminist forever!
As a young, growing female who aims to understand more about herself and the female group, nothing means more to me than reading this non-fiction at the beginning of 2024. Not to mention, it was put together by Chizuko Ueno.
This is an interview transcript on the topic of being a female in Asian cultures. Chizuko Ueno’s language has this magic to inspire, to encourage, and to empower.
I am and will be a feminist forever!
February 12, 2025
【2025Book04】"从零开始的女性主义," Chinese edition of "上野先生、フェミニズムについてゼロから教えてください! (Ms. Ueno, Please Teach Me Feminism from Zero)." This book presents a conversation between Ueno Chizuko (a Japanese sociologist and Japan's "best-known feminist") and Tabusa Eiko (a Japanese comic artist).
Here are some thoughts I'd like to record:
(1) I agree with the vast majority of the opinions in this book. For example, the advocates of disability rights and women‘s rights should form a united front; there are various challenges women face in family life, society, employment, and childcare; women should assert their rights within marriage; and feminism is fundamentally rooted in liberalism, rather than social media witch hunts. This book also helped me reconcile a question I’ve long pondered: Can a person consume pornography while still being a feminist 😆? Ueno’s critiques of patriarchal traditions are often sharp and incisive—for instance, every time I read about how men instinctively categorize women in their minds, I feel so ashamed of myself. Meanwhile, I found some of Ueno’s perspectives in the latter half of the book a bit too radical, such as her critique that men’s “moe” points (things they find attractive) are too simplistic 😆 (though, as a man, I might not be the most objective judge on this issue). However, overall, I think this book does an excellent job of both introducing feminism and encouraging men to reflect on ourselves.
(2) I don’t know how the original Japanese version phrases it, but I believe the Chinese translation’s interchangeable use of "女性主义" (feminism) and "女权主义" (women’s rights advocacy) is problematic. "女性主义" (feminism) is clearly a more accurate translation. As Ueno herself states: "Feminism is not a philosophy where the weak try to become the strong. It is a philosophy that seeks (equal) respect for the weak." The core of feminism should be about ensuring that, regardless of the choices women make, social mechanisms guarantee their rights and provide a security net. However, the term "女权主义" (women’s rights advocacy) often gives the misleading impression of a power struggle, which can intimidate onlookers and be exploited by patriarchal societies. I believe this misunderstanding is one of the main reasons feminism has been stigmatized in East Asia. (Sidenote: in Chinese, the character "权" can mean "right (权利)" or "power (权力)." These two words even share the exact same pronunciation in Chinese. That’s why I feel "女权主义" (women’s rights advocacy) is misleading.)
(3) On the idea that "feminism is not a philosophy where the weak try to become the strong. It is a philosophy that seeks (equal) respect for the weak," I have another thought. I used to believe that everyone must put endless efforts into compensating for their differences from others in order to achieve equality—such as the idea that disabled individuals must be resilient and strong-willed. However, I now think that true equality lies in accepting personal differences and ensuring that everyone is respected and has access to opportunities suited to them. This is not just a personal responsibility but also a societal one.
(4) “Children who strive to meet their parents‘ expectations will not do what they truly want, but rather what their parents want them to do. These children also have their own suffering. They don’t know who they are, what they like, or what they want to do. No matter how reluctant they are, they force themselves to excel (at what they are asked to do). ‘What do you truly want to do? What do you genuinely like? What makes you happiest?’ These seemingly simple questions are ones they cannot answer. They have trouble grasping what truly matters at the foundation of their lives.” I deeply resonate with this passage. This is a quagmire faced by so many kids living in East Asia. In fact, if you replace “parents” with “society,” it perfectly describes me. Because of my physical disabilities, I’ve never truly considered what I want to do 🤔. I've always just followed what others told me I should do.
(5) I really love this passage: "We must return all the labels imposed on women and reclaim anonymity. Because we have been given far too many names: mother, wife, housewife, lady, maiden, virgin…"
I want to end with the final line of the book itself: "From now on, I will continue to firmly declare, 'I am a feminist.'”
【2025年的第4本书】上野千鹤子和房田永子的对谈录《从零开始的女性主义》。下面记录一些想法：
1. 我认同书里的绝大多数论述。比如残障平权和性别平权应当统一战线；女性在家庭、社会、就业、育儿中会遇到种种困境；女性在婚姻生活中应该如何坚持自己的权利；女性主义的根基是自由主义，而不是社交网络猎巫等等。这本书也再次帮助我对下面的问题达成了自洽：���个人能不能既消费色情制品，同时又是女性主义者😂。上野老师对男权传统的许多批评一针见血，比如每次看到男性会在心里给女性分类这个观点我都会羞愧得脚趾抠地。不过在这本书的后半段我觉得上野老师的少数观点过于激进了，比如她批评男性的萌点过于单纯😆（当然作为男性我不太可能客观看待这个问题）。但是我觉得总体来说这本书在女性主义启蒙和促使男性反思两个方面都做得很棒。
2. 我不知道日文原版书里是怎么写的，但是我觉得中文版里混用“女性主义”和“女权主义”不妥。“女性主义”明显是更符合原意的翻译。正如上野老师所说：“女性主义绝不是弱者试图变为强者的思想。女性主义是追求弱者也能得到尊重的思想。”女性主义的核心应该是争取不论女性做出怎样的选择，社会制度都能够保障女性*权利*并为之兜底。而“女权主义”这个翻译常常让人联想到某种意义上的*权力*之争，反而会导致一种令围观者望而生畏，进而被男权社会利用的误解。我觉得这种误解恰恰是导致女性主义在东亚被污名化的最主要原因之一。
3. 关于“女性主义绝不是弱者试图变为强者的思想。女性主义是追求弱者也能得到尊重的思想”我还有一点想法：我以前也觉得，每个人都应该拼尽全力去弥补自己与他人的差异，才能实现平等，比如残障人士必须身残志坚。不过现在我觉得，接纳个人差异，让每个人都能够获得尊重和适合ta的机会，才是真正的平等，也是社会的责任。
4. “满足父母期待的孩子不会做自己想做的事情，而是做父母希望他做的事情。那些孩子也有自己的伤痛。他们不知道自己是谁，喜欢什么，想做什么。无论多不情愿，他也会强迫自己做好一件事。你究竟想做什么？你究竟喜欢什么？做什么事情最开心？这些简单的问题他们都回答不上来。他们很难挖掘到事关人生根基的东西。”对这段话深以为然。我觉得把【父母】换成【社会】，说的就是我。我就从来没有想过自己真正想干什么😂，一直都是别人告诉我该干什么。
5. 很喜欢下面这段话：“我们要退回扣在女性头上的种种称呼，回到无名。因为我们实在有太多的名字。母亲、妻子、主妇、妇人、姑娘、处女……”
借用这本书正文的最后一句话结尾“今后我也会继续坚称‘我是女性主义者’”。
Here are some thoughts I'd like to record:
(1) I agree with the vast majority of the opinions in this book. For example, the advocates of disability rights and women‘s rights should form a united front; there are various challenges women face in family life, society, employment, and childcare; women should assert their rights within marriage; and feminism is fundamentally rooted in liberalism, rather than social media witch hunts. This book also helped me reconcile a question I’ve long pondered: Can a person consume pornography while still being a feminist 😆? Ueno’s critiques of patriarchal traditions are often sharp and incisive—for instance, every time I read about how men instinctively categorize women in their minds, I feel so ashamed of myself. Meanwhile, I found some of Ueno’s perspectives in the latter half of the book a bit too radical, such as her critique that men’s “moe” points (things they find attractive) are too simplistic 😆 (though, as a man, I might not be the most objective judge on this issue). However, overall, I think this book does an excellent job of both introducing feminism and encouraging men to reflect on ourselves.
(2) I don’t know how the original Japanese version phrases it, but I believe the Chinese translation’s interchangeable use of "女性主义" (feminism) and "女权主义" (women’s rights advocacy) is problematic. "女性主义" (feminism) is clearly a more accurate translation. As Ueno herself states: "Feminism is not a philosophy where the weak try to become the strong. It is a philosophy that seeks (equal) respect for the weak." The core of feminism should be about ensuring that, regardless of the choices women make, social mechanisms guarantee their rights and provide a security net. However, the term "女权主义" (women’s rights advocacy) often gives the misleading impression of a power struggle, which can intimidate onlookers and be exploited by patriarchal societies. I believe this misunderstanding is one of the main reasons feminism has been stigmatized in East Asia. (Sidenote: in Chinese, the character "权" can mean "right (权利)" or "power (权力)." These two words even share the exact same pronunciation in Chinese. That’s why I feel "女权主义" (women’s rights advocacy) is misleading.)
(3) On the idea that "feminism is not a philosophy where the weak try to become the strong. It is a philosophy that seeks (equal) respect for the weak," I have another thought. I used to believe that everyone must put endless efforts into compensating for their differences from others in order to achieve equality—such as the idea that disabled individuals must be resilient and strong-willed. However, I now think that true equality lies in accepting personal differences and ensuring that everyone is respected and has access to opportunities suited to them. This is not just a personal responsibility but also a societal one.
(4) “Children who strive to meet their parents‘ expectations will not do what they truly want, but rather what their parents want them to do. These children also have their own suffering. They don’t know who they are, what they like, or what they want to do. No matter how reluctant they are, they force themselves to excel (at what they are asked to do). ‘What do you truly want to do? What do you genuinely like? What makes you happiest?’ These seemingly simple questions are ones they cannot answer. They have trouble grasping what truly matters at the foundation of their lives.” I deeply resonate with this passage. This is a quagmire faced by so many kids living in East Asia. In fact, if you replace “parents” with “society,” it perfectly describes me. Because of my physical disabilities, I’ve never truly considered what I want to do 🤔. I've always just followed what others told me I should do.
(5) I really love this passage: "We must return all the labels imposed on women and reclaim anonymity. Because we have been given far too many names: mother, wife, housewife, lady, maiden, virgin…"
I want to end with the final line of the book itself: "From now on, I will continue to firmly declare, 'I am a feminist.'”
【2025年的第4本书】上野千鹤子和房田永子的对谈录《从零开始的女性主义》。下面记录一些想法：
1. 我认同书里的绝大多数论述。比如残障平权和性别平权应当统一战线；女性在家庭、社会、就业、育儿中会遇到种种困境；女性在婚姻生活中应该如何坚持自己的权利；女性主义的根基是自由主义，而不是社交网络猎巫等等。这本书也再次帮助我对下面的问题达成了自洽：���个人能不能既消费色情制品，同时又是女性主义者😂。上野老师对男权传统的许多批评一针见血，比如每次看到男性会在心里给女性分类这个观点我都会羞愧得脚趾抠地。不过在这本书的后半段我觉得上野老师的少数观点过于激进了，比如她批评男性的萌点过于单纯😆（当然作为男性我不太可能客观看待这个问题）。但是我觉得总体来说这本书在女性主义启蒙和促使男性反思两个方面都做得很棒。
2. 我不知道日文原版书里是怎么写的，但是我觉得中文版里混用“女性主义”和“女权主义”不妥。“女性主义”明显是更符合原意的翻译。正如上野老师所说：“女性主义绝不是弱者试图变为强者的思想。女性主义是追求弱者也能得到尊重的思想。”女性主义的核心应该是争取不论女性做出怎样的选择，社会制度都能够保障女性*权利*并为之兜底。而“女权主义”这个翻译常常让人联想到某种意义上的*权力*之争，反而会导致一种令围观者望而生畏，进而被男权社会利用的误解。我觉得这种误解恰恰是导致女性主义在东亚被污名化的最主要原因之一。
3. 关于“女性主义绝不是弱者试图变为强者的思想。女性主义是追求弱者也能得到尊重的思想”我还有一点想法：我以前也觉得，每个人都应该拼尽全力去弥补自己与他人的差异，才能实现平等，比如残障人士必须身残志坚。不过现在我觉得，接纳个人差异，让每个人都能够获得尊重和适合ta的机会，才是真正的平等，也是社会的责任。
4. “满足父母期待的孩子不会做自己想做的事情，而是做父母希望他做的事情。那些孩子也有自己的伤痛。他们不知道自己是谁，喜欢什么，想做什么。无论多不情愿，他也会强迫自己做好一件事。你究竟想做什么？你究竟喜欢什么？做什么事情最开心？这些简单的问题他们都回答不上来。他们很难挖掘到事关人生根基的东西。”对这段话深以为然。我觉得把【父母】换成【社会】，说的就是我。我就从来没有想过自己真正想干什么😂，一直都是别人告诉我该干什么。
5. 很喜欢下面这段话：“我们要退回扣在女性头上的种种称呼，回到无名。因为我们实在有太多的名字。母亲、妻子、主妇、妇人、姑娘、处女……”
借用这本书正文的最后一句话结尾“今后我也会继续坚称‘我是女性主义者’”。
December 6, 2022
每个母亲都是施压者，也是牺牲者
个人的即是政治的
哪怕力量微弱，也要尽可能地投一块石头，以期变成更大的声音！
如果真的存在不厌女的女性，她们就不需要成为女权主义者。
借用他人之言并非坏事，因为话语需要传承。从别人那里借过来，自己想明白了，然后成为自己的东西，这样就好了。
无论概念来自何处，都要物尽其用。
个人的即是政治的
哪怕力量微弱，也要尽可能地投一块石头，以期变成更大的声音！
如果真的存在不厌女的女性，她们就不需要成为女权主义者。
借用他人之言并非坏事，因为话语需要传承。从别人那里借过来，自己想明白了，然后成为自己的东西，这样就好了。
无论概念来自何处，都要物尽其用。
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2022
自分の中にあるミソジニーと闘い続いてきた人をフェミニストと呼ぶよ。
Those who fight the misogyny in themselves are feminists.
This is an excellent introduction to feminism in the Japanese context, written in a conversational format between Ueno and illustrator slash representative mom Eiko Tabusa. They cover a range of topics in a straightforward but jovial way.
I must say, though, that I preferred her other book, 女の子はどう生きるか 教えて，上野先生！, which has a clearer structure for ease in future leafing-through and simpler language, since it was written for younger folks. I also preferred the illustrations in that one. The upside of this one is that it was geared towards all Japanese people, whereas the other one was geared towards teenaged Japanese girls.
Another point that puts me off is that this book was clearly a collaboration between Ueno and Tabusa, who also provided the illustrations for it, but she is not credited as a co-author. Tabusa was also relegated to the title of 母親 (mother) ... not a person but a figurehead for all Japanese mothers of a certain generation ... you can even see this cropping up in other reviews, where Ueno is named but Tabusa is simply 母親 (the mother). But that's not very feminist, is it?
As a language learner, I found the natural shortcuts in the conversational style of speech difficult to understand or even just to read at times. 「-てました」とか。Being in the style of a dialogue, they use a variety of idioms that non-native Japanese readers may not be familiar with. Ueno also brings in a lot of highfalutin adjectives, kanji, and phrases that, according to the dictionary, I may never get to learn otherwise. Here's some examples:
悪さし放題 - having free reign to do bad things (?)
虫唾が走る - to be creeped out
慰安婦 - women working in military brothels, i.e., comfort women
知る人ぞ知る - known by a select few
使命感 - sense of duty or vocation
主体性 - autonomy
再定義 - redefining terms
名付けて - to christen
定石 - playing by the book
手間を掛ける - to take up someone's time
想定外 - beyond expectations
損害賠償 - restitution or damages
請求権 - claim right (lots of legal terms ...)
佃 - cultivated (!) rice field
絶句 - being lost for words
ガス抜き - venting (online especially)
無償化 - making something free of charge
所得格差 - income divide or wage gap
負い目 - feeling obliged
肩書き - title or rank
草の根 - grassroots
肩身の狭い - ashamed
救対の天使 - angel that is the opposite of salvation (did Ueno make this up?)
切っても切れない - inseparable
一発一生 - you got one life to live
性革命 - sexual revolution
無名通言 - anon
婦人運動 - women's movement
意識覚醒 - consciousness raising
恨みつらみ - pent-up resentment, grudges, hard feelings
家の恥 - brings shame on the house (never the man, though)
恩讐 - love and hate
知解 - being enlightened by virtue of knowledge (!)
虎の威を借る狐 - arrogance through borrowed authority (lit. a fox that borrows the tiger's authority)
石造化 - change what's set in stone (? not sure I got that one)
必死に抱く - rushing off
家庭内秩序 - domestic order
受け皿となる - to act as a receptacle
ずば抜ける - to tower over the rest
猛反対 - strong opposition
家父長制 - patriarchy
感満載 - full of feeling (Ueno's?)
過干渉 - excessive meddling (esp. by parents)
どつぼ - in a bad way
毒母 - toxic mother
Those who fight the misogyny in themselves are feminists.
This is an excellent introduction to feminism in the Japanese context, written in a conversational format between Ueno and illustrator slash representative mom Eiko Tabusa. They cover a range of topics in a straightforward but jovial way.
I must say, though, that I preferred her other book, 女の子はどう生きるか 教えて，上野先生！, which has a clearer structure for ease in future leafing-through and simpler language, since it was written for younger folks. I also preferred the illustrations in that one. The upside of this one is that it was geared towards all Japanese people, whereas the other one was geared towards teenaged Japanese girls.
Another point that puts me off is that this book was clearly a collaboration between Ueno and Tabusa, who also provided the illustrations for it, but she is not credited as a co-author. Tabusa was also relegated to the title of 母親 (mother) ... not a person but a figurehead for all Japanese mothers of a certain generation ... you can even see this cropping up in other reviews, where Ueno is named but Tabusa is simply 母親 (the mother). But that's not very feminist, is it?
As a language learner, I found the natural shortcuts in the conversational style of speech difficult to understand or even just to read at times. 「-てました」とか。Being in the style of a dialogue, they use a variety of idioms that non-native Japanese readers may not be familiar with. Ueno also brings in a lot of highfalutin adjectives, kanji, and phrases that, according to the dictionary, I may never get to learn otherwise. Here's some examples:
悪さし放題 - having free reign to do bad things (?)
虫唾が走る - to be creeped out
慰安婦 - women working in military brothels, i.e., comfort women
知る人ぞ知る - known by a select few
使命感 - sense of duty or vocation
主体性 - autonomy
再定義 - redefining terms
名付けて - to christen
定石 - playing by the book
手間を掛ける - to take up someone's time
想定外 - beyond expectations
損害賠償 - restitution or damages
請求権 - claim right (lots of legal terms ...)
佃 - cultivated (!) rice field
絶句 - being lost for words
ガス抜き - venting (online especially)
無償化 - making something free of charge
所得格差 - income divide or wage gap
負い目 - feeling obliged
肩書き - title or rank
草の根 - grassroots
肩身の狭い - ashamed
救対の天使 - angel that is the opposite of salvation (did Ueno make this up?)
切っても切れない - inseparable
一発一生 - you got one life to live
性革命 - sexual revolution
無名通言 - anon
婦人運動 - women's movement
意識覚醒 - consciousness raising
恨みつらみ - pent-up resentment, grudges, hard feelings
家の恥 - brings shame on the house (never the man, though)
恩讐 - love and hate
知解 - being enlightened by virtue of knowledge (!)
虎の威を借る狐 - arrogance through borrowed authority (lit. a fox that borrows the tiger's authority)
石造化 - change what's set in stone (? not sure I got that one)
必死に抱く - rushing off
家庭内秩序 - domestic order
受け皿となる - to act as a receptacle
ずば抜ける - to tower over the rest
猛反対 - strong opposition
家父長制 - patriarchy
感満載 - full of feeling (Ueno's?)
過干渉 - excessive meddling (esp. by parents)
どつぼ - in a bad way
毒母 - toxic mother
August 3, 2024
omg it's like reading the story of my life lol. It's all the fucking same across different cultures.
嬰兒潮vs失落一代的女兒，價值觀矛盾：Modernity is constantly changing：曾經做家庭主婦是好的，做職業女性是不好的，如今“有事業有家庭的人生贏家”才是成功範式，但是如果想進行非主流的生活方式卻沒有明確的標準，面對的是荒野。非主流生活會面對大量社會懲罰，吃不上飯，找不到工作等。上一個代際旗幟鮮明的敵人是父母，是父權社會，但是當敵人不再旗幟鮮明，而是潛移默化的從内限制我們，要從内部找尋痛苦的根源，痛苦會有不同。
她爲何成爲毒母：雖然母親的性格問題存在，但是同樣不能忽視她們經歷的社會問題，那個代際的女人都應該有過不甘心的經歷。"我都是爲了你才xxx"=》孩子無法選擇父母，這種言論不過是讓孩子產生無意義的負債感和罪惡感的，普通的差勁母親。
如何打斷母親傳向女兒的暴力連鎖：如果二人是自由戀愛結婚，不應當把所托非人的責任轉嫁他人。換個丈夫問題或許仍然存在，不是性格或人際關係的問題，是個人所處的社會結構問題。父權制與資本主義。
“爲了你好”實際是“爲了我好”：上野老師同樣是選擇了逃避，離開家鄉，盡量不靠近，覺得自己除了離開沒有別的出路。
所有的母親都會施壓：在孩子面前她們是絕對的强者，甚至自由主義的母親會更露骨的施壓。上野老師是辜負父母的女兒，否認她們的生活方式，可能母親會對女兒心懷仇恨。“石像化的父親”：walking past arguing mother daugher without reacting。但變成石像也是一種暴力。
隱形的嬰兒潮父親：站在母親那邊是身爲丈夫的正確態度。
誰也敵不過名爲母親的女性：對母親說“媽媽，我實在離開這個家以後，重新養育了自己”母親回答：“那還不是因爲我教得好”【哈哈哈哈，釋然了，果真只是普通的差勁母親啊，我的也一樣，他覺得自己基因好】
個人的即政治的：婦女解放運動的口號：The personal is political. 人人都是利己主義者，想在外面亂搞但是原諒不了配偶在外面亂搞。
上野千鶴子如何成爲女權主義者：口中高喊推翻天皇和帝國主義的男人實際和自己的父權制老爹沒有兩樣，表面上并肩戰鬥，實際上是父權制幫凶。上野老師感受到了性別鴻溝之巨大，所以爲了泄私憤，成爲了女權主義者。【lol me too】
職業女性與家庭主婦的割裂：家庭主婦之所以越來越難儅是因爲職業女性變多了，話語權，家庭主婦感到了被剝奪感。
免費幼保割裂女性：practical ways to advance our political agenda，send polls to candidates and force them to take action etc
將戰場轉移到日常生活中的女性：現今的女性leave 丈夫的private life along，沒有打破個人邊界，做不到一人一殺。
女性職員從“新娘候選”變爲“戰鬥力”：工作如同會員制的相親，自己可能會make mistakes，但是公司不會【lol，church girls do this too】
一切的不重視都會影響孩子：滿足父母期待的孩子不會做自己想做的事情，而是做父母的期待。這些孩子也有自己的傷痛，不知道自己是誰，喜歡什麽，很難挖掘到事關人生根基的事情。
强行干涉孩子卻不干涉丈夫：不干涉丈夫卻干涉孩子，孩子只能得到conditional love。不符合範式的孩子會經歷什麽
東大陋習，叔味濃鬱：哎，美國大學中國留學生男人也一樣。
以兒子母親的身份思考性：女性可以弑母，認爲母親糟糕，男性做不到，到底是被偏愛的那個。
女權主義者=性保守的誤解：男人將男性視爲整體，以爲女性對自己沒有欲望便是對男人都沒有欲望。男性也如自動人偶，哪怕第一次見到對方，只通過觀察性徵便可以產生欲望。男性會對女性器官產生欲望，但是不會對女性人格產生欲望，唯有將女性還原成器官才可能產生欲望。
文化中蔓延的男女不匹配：聖女與蕩婦duality，當女人同時承擔激起性欲與斥責的角色會很奇怪，我們必須用文化來對抗文化。
女性只有參戰才算平等？：軍隊如果侵犯了男人人權，爲什麽不say no而是dragging women in it too。
我是女權主義者！：女權主義者自主申告，不分正統異端，不要阻止她人哪怕你不喜歡她們，然後互相藉鑒語言。
嬰兒潮vs失落一代的女兒，價值觀矛盾：Modernity is constantly changing：曾經做家庭主婦是好的，做職業女性是不好的，如今“有事業有家庭的人生贏家”才是成功範式，但是如果想進行非主流的生活方式卻沒有明確的標準，面對的是荒野。非主流生活會面對大量社會懲罰，吃不上飯，找不到工作等。上一個代際旗幟鮮明的敵人是父母，是父權社會，但是當敵人不再旗幟鮮明，而是潛移默化的從内限制我們，要從内部找尋痛苦的根源，痛苦會有不同。
她爲何成爲毒母：雖然母親的性格問題存在，但是同樣不能忽視她們經歷的社會問題，那個代際的女人都應該有過不甘心的經歷。"我都是爲了你才xxx"=》孩子無法選擇父母，這種言論不過是讓孩子產生無意義的負債感和罪惡感的，普通的差勁母親。
如何打斷母親傳向女兒的暴力連鎖：如果二人是自由戀愛結婚，不應當把所托非人的責任轉嫁他人。換個丈夫問題或許仍然存在，不是性格或人際關係的問題，是個人所處的社會結構問題。父權制與資本主義。
“爲了你好”實際是“爲了我好”：上野老師同樣是選擇了逃避，離開家鄉，盡量不靠近，覺得自己除了離開沒有別的出路。
所有的母親都會施壓：在孩子面前她們是絕對的强者，甚至自由主義的母親會更露骨的施壓。上野老師是辜負父母的女兒，否認她們的生活方式，可能母親會對女兒心懷仇恨。“石像化的父親”：walking past arguing mother daugher without reacting。但變成石像也是一種暴力。
隱形的嬰兒潮父親：站在母親那邊是身爲丈夫的正確態度。
誰也敵不過名爲母親的女性：對母親說“媽媽，我實在離開這個家以後，重新養育了自己”母親回答：“那還不是因爲我教得好”【哈哈哈哈，釋然了，果真只是普通的差勁母親啊，我的也一樣，他覺得自己基因好】
個人的即政治的：婦女解放運動的口號：The personal is political. 人人都是利己主義者，想在外面亂搞但是原諒不了配偶在外面亂搞。
上野千鶴子如何成爲女權主義者：口中高喊推翻天皇和帝國主義的男人實際和自己的父權制老爹沒有兩樣，表面上并肩戰鬥，實際上是父權制幫凶。上野老師感受到了性別鴻溝之巨大，所以爲了泄私憤，成爲了女權主義者。【lol me too】
職業女性與家庭主婦的割裂：家庭主婦之所以越來越難儅是因爲職業女性變多了，話語權，家庭主婦感到了被剝奪感。
免費幼保割裂女性：practical ways to advance our political agenda，send polls to candidates and force them to take action etc
將戰場轉移到日常生活中的女性：現今的女性leave 丈夫的private life along，沒有打破個人邊界，做不到一人一殺。
女性職員從“新娘候選”變爲“戰鬥力”：工作如同會員制的相親，自己可能會make mistakes，但是公司不會【lol，church girls do this too】
一切的不重視都會影響孩子：滿足父母期待的孩子不會做自己想做的事情，而是做父母的期待。這些孩子也有自己的傷痛，不知道自己是誰，喜歡什麽，很難挖掘到事關人生根基的事情。
强行干涉孩子卻不干涉丈夫：不干涉丈夫卻干涉孩子，孩子只能得到conditional love。不符合範式的孩子會經歷什麽
東大陋習，叔味濃鬱：哎，美國大學中國留學生男人也一樣。
以兒子母親的身份思考性：女性可以弑母，認爲母親糟糕，男性做不到，到底是被偏愛的那個。
女權主義者=性保守的誤解：男人將男性視爲整體，以爲女性對自己沒有欲望便是對男人都沒有欲望。男性也如自動人偶，哪怕第一次見到對方，只通過觀察性徵便可以產生欲望。男性會對女性器官產生欲望，但是不會對女性人格產生欲望，唯有將女性還原成器官才可能產生欲望。
文化中蔓延的男女不匹配：聖女與蕩婦duality，當女人同時承擔激起性欲與斥責的角色會很奇怪，我們必須用文化來對抗文化。
女性只有參戰才算平等？：軍隊如果侵犯了男人人權，爲什麽不say no而是dragging women in it too。
我是女權主義者！：女權主義者自主申告，不分正統異端，不要阻止她人哪怕你不喜歡她們，然後互相藉鑒語言。
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2025
My first read of 2025 is Mrs.
Veno, Please Teach Me Feminism from Zero" coauthored by Chizuko Ueno and Eiko Tabusa. Chizuko Ueno is a sociologist who is Japan's "best-known feminist"
She practically founded the discipline of gender and feminism in Japan and gained widespread fame in China after her 2019 commencement speech at University of Tokyo went viral. I learned about her from a movie (777) i watched last year and felt inspired to read one of her works.
I may have picked the wrong book, however, because this book is actually very basic and the discussion remained very surface level. I guess it's right there in the title - from zero.
The one thing that made me think is Ueno saying
"Feminism is not a ideology that wants to make women
'strong' like men. It's about the idea that the weak also deserve dignity and respect" and this is actually from her speech. I think that's a nice idea, but in reality there's probably some nuance there.
Maybe that's a nice end goal to have, but that goal won't get achieved without first obtaining power. Anyway, if you want to read her work, maybe pick another book
Veno, Please Teach Me Feminism from Zero" coauthored by Chizuko Ueno and Eiko Tabusa. Chizuko Ueno is a sociologist who is Japan's "best-known feminist"
She practically founded the discipline of gender and feminism in Japan and gained widespread fame in China after her 2019 commencement speech at University of Tokyo went viral. I learned about her from a movie (777) i watched last year and felt inspired to read one of her works.
I may have picked the wrong book, however, because this book is actually very basic and the discussion remained very surface level. I guess it's right there in the title - from zero.
The one thing that made me think is Ueno saying
"Feminism is not a ideology that wants to make women
'strong' like men. It's about the idea that the weak also deserve dignity and respect" and this is actually from her speech. I think that's a nice idea, but in reality there's probably some nuance there.
Maybe that's a nice end goal to have, but that goal won't get achieved without first obtaining power. Anyway, if you want to read her work, maybe pick another book
December 9, 2024
My favorite phrase in the entire book - "The personal is political".
It's a great intro feminism book. The conversation format between Chizuko and Eiko made it easy to follow. The discussions provided great insights into how histories and patriarchal social structures in Japan for the past 70 years influenced women's family relationships, self-identity, and social identity. There were many more discussions on how to be an activist when being a 'feminist' was associated with negative connotations in society.
A great educational read!
It's a great intro feminism book. The conversation format between Chizuko and Eiko made it easy to follow. The discussions provided great insights into how histories and patriarchal social structures in Japan for the past 70 years influenced women's family relationships, self-identity, and social identity. There were many more discussions on how to be an activist when being a 'feminist' was associated with negative connotations in society.
A great educational read!
July 4, 2023
一本对我来说颇有启发的书，而且漫谈形式使它变得随拿随读，更适合在碎片化的时间里被消化。
我非常赞同书中谈到个人的即政治的，每个人的个人经历其背后必定有其社会性的结构性的背景。从这句话为原点思考才能够令人更全面和客观地观察到每个个体的行为与经历的深层原因，而非止步于个人性格/命运不幸。
以此话为沿伸地思考女性在生活中所遭受的种种不公，本书逐一浅剖了父系社会下律法不完善、文化不友好、舆论娱乐大洗脑、媒体不作为的各种问题。并且还讨论了女权主义和女性本身性自由的关联——女权主义直女也同样对男人有性需求，也有被爱的需求，但不能是对垃圾有需求。
另一个值得一提的点是书中提到我们对异性恋、性爱的一切都是习得的。我们从文学艺术作品中习得两性关系，女性在被各种作品灌输面对男人的态度和面对自身的态度。我深以为然，读到此时突然想起了在生活中那些观察到其他人理所当然对男女关系和对恋爱的理解，有时他们相信，却同时并没什么相信的逻辑和理由。
总的来说，这是一本条理清晰，段落之间关联不强但其实仍有其底层逻辑，浅显易懂——如同标题：从零开始的女性主义——的好书。五星推荐。
我非常赞同书中谈到个人的即政治的，每个人的个人经历其背后必定有其社会性的结构性的背景。从这句话为原点思考才能够令人更全面和客观地观察到每个个体的行为与经历的深层原因，而非止步于个人性格/命运不幸。
以此话为沿伸地思考女性在生活中所遭受的种种不公，本书逐一浅剖了父系社会下律法不完善、文化不友好、舆论娱乐大洗脑、媒体不作为的各种问题。并且还讨论了女权主义和女性本身性自由的关联——女权主义直女也同样对男人有性需求，也有被爱的需求，但不能是对垃圾有需求。
另一个值得一提的点是书中提到我们对异性恋、性爱的一切都是习得的。我们从文学艺术作品中习得两性关系，女性在被各种作品灌输面对男人的态度和面对自身的态度。我深以为然，读到此时突然想起了在生活中那些观察到其他人理所当然对男女关系和对恋爱的理解，有时他们相信，却同时并没什么相信的逻辑和理由。
总的来说，这是一本条理清晰，段落之间关联不强但其实仍有其底层逻辑，浅显易懂——如同标题：从零开始的女性主义——的好书。五星推荐。
July 19, 2022
I never declare that i am a feminist, during the reading i realise these feminism thoughts already exist in my mind. The most of the parts is not meaningful for me, except the end, how to define feminism and feminists.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2024
提到的很多观点都是每个人需要了解的，比如：社会的AB面，女权主义者其实是和自己内心的厌女情绪作斗争，个人即政治的，母女关系，声讨丈夫就是声讨男权社会，生孩子比不生孩子更加利己主义，女权主义者不要害怕争论，性关系，夫妻之间、父母和孩子之间的权力关系，被误解是表达者的宿命，等等...作为入门书籍这种对话方式更轻松，更能普及一些最基本的概念，但要深入理解就需要专业书籍了。
有一点说的很有意思：无论恋爱还是性爱，他们都没有认真的完成‘深入对方领域、打破自我边界’这个步骤。哈哈。
有一点说的很有意思：无论恋爱还是性爱，他们都没有认真的完成‘深入对方领域、打破自我边界’这个步骤。哈哈。
December 7, 2021
女性主义入门 女性要思考➕反抗
December 15, 2021
很有趣的对话形式的记录，上野老师的话总是很有启发性。我很好奇为何会断代，书中似乎没有很好的解答（估计和历史背景context更相关）很喜欢“个人的即政治的”这个概念。
December 22, 2021
We all know "Feminist killjoy", but this book is so full of feminist joy!
December 29, 2021
The social phenomenon discussed are mainly from Japanese society, fun read.
January 2, 2022
花了几个小时就速度地看完了。
内容属于超级入门级别且基本都是在异性恋范围内，不过这是我除了伊藤诗织以外第一次了解到日本的女权主义运动且深刻地体会到了东亚女性共同的窘境...（毕竟之前学到女权主义运动的都极度美国中心）所以还是觉得挺有趣的。
内容属于超级入门级别且基本都是在异性恋范围内，不过这是我除了伊藤诗织以外第一次了解到日本的女权主义运动且深刻地体会到了东亚女性共同的窘境...（毕竟之前学到女权主义运动的都极度美国中心）所以还是觉得挺有趣的。
January 4, 2022
很好读，适合刚刚接触女性主义的人，但是又太浅了。
January 5, 2022
以为会被教导什么叫做正统女权主义，却并没有指责，反而有种被理解、接纳和拥抱的温暖的感觉。“女性与自我厌恶做斗争，就是成为女权主义者的第一步。”“女权是多样的，可以说一人一派，甚至更多。不同的思想会互相碰撞，但从不存在正统和异端之分。”读书笔记：https://www.douban.com/note/823385340...
January 7, 2022
很基础很好读。上野千鹤子对女权作了定义「女权是不怕争论的思想，是多样的，甚至可以说一人一派。」还提到日本女权历史传承的断裂，中国似乎也是类似情况。「对女性来说，女性主义就是自我和解的战斗。出生在这个世界上，没有一个女性不厌女。如果有人问我是否厌女，我会爽快承认。女性主义就是女人接受自己、爱自己的思想。如果有下辈子，我更愿意当女人。」完全就是我的心声啊。
January 12, 2022
thoughtful & light intro to feminism
January 12, 2022
Such a comprehensive and compelling crash course of what feminism is.
January 17, 2022
Easy to understand and inspirational. 的确是如书名所言适合从零开始了解女性主义的读者。
February 23, 2022
女性主义就是自我和解的战斗。
大约两个小时就读完了，也许更适合十年前的我？现在觉得Ueno的大部分观点其实都有读到、思考过。感谢她。
大约两个小时就读完了，也许更适合十年前的我？现在觉得Ueno的大部分观点其实都有读到、思考过。感谢她。
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