2024 Volume 22 Pages 6-15
This article analyzed Tokuyo Nikaido's perspective on women’s body. The analysis targets were historical documents and her practice records about “physical beauty and attire”.
As a result, those were summarized “women’s body as an embodiment of mother and maternal love” and “healthy beauty”.
And saw her two practices about attire based on “physical beauty”. One was her practice in Nikaido Gymnastic School. She had encouraged students spruce up and invited beautician Hisae Yamamoto for class. The other was appearance of Tokuyo Nikaido. She had had vigorous and mightily body, and energetic red cheeks. Her attire had been odd. It had been wearing a wig on shaven-headed and strange clothe with holes. On the other hand, Mikiko Nikaido had said that Tokuyo Nikaido had wear a ceremonial dress for seeing game held with the emperor in attendance and had come to dormitory. This testimony shows Tokuyo Nikaido wanted to show people appearance put on respectable clothes.
The background of these action may have backlash from society and patriotic pleasure under the Imperial system.
