Close-up of women planting seedlings in flooded paddies in  Ohara, outside of Kyoto, in the fall of 1963.  In those days, each seedling was planted by hand and placed in the ground.  In the present day, the planting is done using small machines, which is much more efficient.

When looking at postwar Japan, focus often is placed on urban Japan.  However, this scene, of a woman working in the fields, was very common (and remains very common).  What are the implications for ideas about gender role?  Teaching suggestion:  Place this picture in a presentation with pictures of other women fulflling differen roles both half a century and today and ask students to share their observations regarding gender roles in Japan.  Ask them to seek out statistics to further understand how dominant these different roles were/are.

Photo courtesy of Gail Bernstein.