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(also Kaneko Shigeri and later Yamataka Shigeri, sometimes incorrectly referred to as Shigeri Takayama) was a Japanese feminist and founder of the League for the Defense of Women's Rights. In 1952 she also took part in 
(also Kaneko Shigeri and later Yamataka Shigeri, sometimes incorrectly referred to as Shigeri Takayama) was a Japanese feminist and founder of the League for the Defense of Women's Rights. In 1952 she also took part in Chifuren
Chifuren (also National League of Regional Women's Organizations or ) is one of the largest women's organizations operating in Japan. Chifuren is an umbrella organization of women's groups and the local women's groups or ''fujinakai''. Chifuren wor ...
, when it was formed, one of the largest women's organizations in Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
with more than 6 million members. She was also Chifuren's President.
Biography
Yamataka was born inMie Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Mie Prefecture has a population of 1,781,948 () and has a geographic area of . Mie Prefecture is bordered by Gifu Prefecture to the north, Shiga Prefecture an ...
. She began her career in Japan as a journalist. She worked at ''Kokumin Shinbun'' and ''Shufu no Tomo''. With Fusae Ichikawa
was a Japanese people, Japanese feminist, politician and a leader of the Women's suffrage in Japan, women's suffrage movement. Ichikawa was a key supporter of women's suffrage in Japan, and her activism was partially responsible for the extensio ...
, she co-founded the Women's Suffrage Union (Women's Suffrage League) in Japan in 1924. They hoped to extend suffrage to women, but when the government passed the Men's Suffrage Law in 1924, women were excluded. Despite this, the Women's Suffrage Union continued its work for many years.
After the end of World War II, Yamataka continued her political activism. She worked for war pensions to be granted to widows of war veterans, and for children's rights. On August 25, 1945, Yamataka co-founded the Women's Committee on Postwar Policy (''Sengo Taisaku Fujin Iinkai''). The co-founders were Fusae Ichikawa, Tsuneko Akamatsu, and Natsu Kawasaki. The first meeting was on September 11, 1945, with over 70 women in attendance. Among the priorities of the organization were: welcoming returning soldiers, improving food production, increasing household savings, gaining suffrage for women over 20, establishing the right for women over 25 to run for office, reforming the local and central governments, and allowing women to hold jobs in the civil service.
When women gained suffrage in Japan in 1945, Yamataka ran for public office and was elected twice (1962-1971) to the House of Councillors
The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers (Japan), House of Peers. If the t ...
, the upper house in the Diet of Japan
, transcription_name = ''Kokkai''
, legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet
, coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg
, house_type = Bicameral
, houses =
, foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...
, the country's federal government.
In 1952, Yamataka co-founded the National Federation of Regional Women's Organizations, known as Chifuren
Chifuren (also National League of Regional Women's Organizations or ) is one of the largest women's organizations operating in Japan. Chifuren is an umbrella organization of women's groups and the local women's groups or ''fujinakai''. Chifuren wor ...
, in Japan. She eventually became President and remained in this role until her death in 1977. Chifuren was also active in promoting consumer protection and household economy.
She was one of the signatories of the agreement to convene a convention for drafting a world constitution. As a result, for the first time in human history, a World Constituent Assembly convened to draft and adopt the Constitution for the Federation of Earth.
See also
*Feminism in Japan
Feminism in Japan began with women's rights movements that date back to antiquity. The movement started to gain momentum after Western thinking was brought into Japan during the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Japanese feminism differs from Western ...
*Women's suffrage in Japan
Women's suffrage in Japan can trace its beginnings to democratization brought about by the Meiji Restoration, with the suffrage movement rising to prominence during the Taisho period. The prohibition of women from political meetings had been abo ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yamataka, Shigeri Japanese feminists Women members of the House of Councillors (Japan) Members of the House of Councillors (Japan) 1899 births 1977 deaths Writers from Mie Prefecture 20th-century Japanese women politicians 20th-century Japanese politicians Japanese women journalists 20th-century Japanese journalists 20th-century Japanese women writers 20th-century Japanese writers Politicians from Mie Prefecture Japanese suffragists World Constitutional Convention call signatories Activists from Mie Prefecture