Abstract
In this article, I examine early modern Japanese girls' art education at Sekiso-sha, which was established in Kobe in the early Showa era and run by the painter Fumiko Kametaka. Most students were girls from affluent, upper class families in the region, and their art lessons were considered to be a luxurious addition to their education. Though those who excelled technically entered their work in public exhibitions, they never became professional painters. Their artistic activities were often called "feminine accomplishments." These girls were expected to become sophisticated mothers, not painters, as their future prospects were determined according to their class and gender. I would conclude that the activities of Sekiso-sha provided a form of art education which was thoroughly circumscribed by social norms of class and gender.
