The various words for “divorce” in Japanese—rien, enkiri, fūfu wakare, rikon—reflect how the socially constructed institutions of marriage and family, along with their dissolutions, have been understood in Japanese history and jurisprudence. Employing a broad definition of divorce as the end of a romantic union sanctioned by law, social custom, or mutual agreement, Bold Breaks: Japanese Women and Literary Narratives of Divorce explores the shifting attitudes toward divorce in literature by women from the Heian (794–1185) to Heisei (1989–2019) periods.

The collection features writing by renowned authors Tamura Toshiko (1884–1945), Uno Chiyo (1897–1996), and Tsushima Yūko (1947–2016), who used divorce as a literary device to enable their female protagonists to take bold steps toward new lives. A coda explores more contemporary views on marriage, divorce, and romantic love in the work of novelists Itoyama Akiko (1966–) and Kawakami Mieko (1976–) and poet Saihate Tahi (1986–). A wide-ranging introduction provides an overview of the historical, legal, and literary significance of divorce in Japan. The translated texts, appearing in English for the first time, are accompanied by essays introducing the authors and offering brief analyses.

Bold Breaks will appeal to students and scholars of Japanese literature and culture, particularly those interested in gender issues and family social practices, and will enrich the growing conversation on marriage and divorce across cultures and eras.

• Anne Sokolsky, Editor

  Anne Sokolsky is visiting associate professor of Japanese, East Asian studies, and women and gender studies at Denison University.

Contributors

• Sohyun Chun
• Rebecca L. Copeland
• Charo D'Etcheverry
• Eleanor Hogan
• Anne Sokolsky
• Kaoru Tamura
• Laurel Taylor

• Bold Breaks is a novel contribution to works on divorce in Japan and provides a great service to the field by including translations of writing by iconic and lesser-known Japanese women writers previously unavailable in English; all of the pieces are well-chosen to represent a variety of time periods, perspectives, and backgrounds. The book will make a great addition to syllabi for courses on Japanese or comparative literature, Japanese culture, and gender studies.
  —Julia Bullock, Emory University
• Anne Sokolsky has compiled an important collection that examines women’s writing from a highly original point of view. The translations are wonderful. Scholars and general readers alike will welcome this publication.
  —Barbara Hartley, University of Queensland