Flowers for Sexual Assault Victims

Collective Empowerment through Empathy in Japan's #MeToo Movement

Bibliographic Data

ID6355121
AuthorsMari Miura (0000-0001-9905-9915, Sophia University, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume17
Issue4
Pages521-527
Publication date2021-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePolitics & Gender (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1743-923X • E-ISSN: 1743-9248
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s1743923x21000258
OpenAlexW3203257003
LanguageEN
Citations received13
References cited1

The #MeToo movement in Japan is usually considered to have started slowly, and it remains far smaller and quieter compared with those found in the United States or South Korea. Few celebrities or high-profile figures have come forward to support the movement, and even fewer powerful men have been brought down as a result of allegations of sexual assault. The strategy of naming and shaming has rarely been used, but there is collective empowerment through empathy resulting from a nationwide grassroots movement known as “Flower Demo.” This movement has provided victims with a safe space to share their experiences. Those breaking their silence have appeared in various sectors of society, and this has raised the social consciousness of deep-rooted sexism inherent in Japanese society

Art · Consciousness · Criminology · Empathy · Empowerment · Grassroots · Movement (music · Poison control · Political science · Politics · Sexual assault · Silence · Social movement · Sociology · Suicide prevention · Asian Culture and Media Studies · Gender Studies · Japanese History and Culture · Law · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology