Women, social change and realising political ideals - Religion and Politics in Contemporary Japan - page 166

their Buddhist practice and political participation. Yet, was empathy and
caring enough politically to change these women ' s lives in terms of their

final-year female students return from sh - shoku
katsud - , or seeking career track employment, and listened to the various
obstacles they felt they were facing as women, they also tried to remain
enthusiastic. It was clear that they derived this enthusiasm from their Bud-
dhist study and practice and the guidance from Ikeda to take pride in their
life, to try to avoid judging themselves according to the social status or ability
they might not have. However, it was also clear that they dreamed about jobs
in non-governmental organisations (NGOs), becoming lawyers, journalists,
diplomats, teachers, or social workers, dreams they may have to forego unless
political action is taken to change women

social roles? As I watched

is working experience.
While Ikeda is always providing examples of women

' s and men '

' is achievements in his

speeches the human rights activist Rosa Parks, the environmental activist

Hazel Henderson, the Kenyan 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari
Maathai, with all of whom he has had dialogue

-

there were notably few
immediate examples in their own environment. This may enhance the feeling
that women

-

s societal contributions may be possible overseas, but not in
Japan or with a husband who is Japanese. The perception that for Japanese
women living in Japan the choice between marriage and a career had to be
made still largely remained, but there were also generational changes. The
young women I spoke to were politically active in their support for Komeito,
and one greatly admired exception to the women around them who mostly
were housewives was Acting Chief Representative of Komeito Hamayotsu
Toshiko. She had managed to both have a career, and obviously a very suc-
cessful one at that, and raise her children. Interestingly, as already mentioned
in a previous chapter, she was also the most admired politician among the
young male supporters. This may re

'

ect the more paradigmatic changes in
values that seem to be taking place. They felt assured that with her in the
front line, Komeito was a force for good. Her status as a woman persuaded
supporters that she was less corruptible, less concerned with power politics
and more with

' caring ' for people. These are qualities that male politicians

may find harder to display but will need to if they are to enjoy the support of

Soka Gakkai members. The new leader as of 2009, Yamaguchi Natsuo,
indeed portrays this very image, more so than did any of his predecessors who
in comparison seem part of an older generation of men more in line with
older patriarchal attitudes.
Women s identity as housewives may give them legitimacy as forerunners

for and promoters of a more caring society, a legitimacy that their male
counterparts

'

find it harder to come by. Their experience as homemakers may

o er them the best platform from which to proclaim their ideals of social

democracy, caring and compassion for those in need. In this way, both
women politicians and women electoral campaigners and supporters remain
non-threatening with no aim of uprooting women

' s role as mothers. This

re ects the general trend of women ' s movements in Japan (Mackie 2003).