”Good Wife Wise Mother”   良妻賢母 Ideology

Widely adopted Ideology in late Meiji-Taisho Era

The "Good Wife Wise Mother" ideology is a common Japanese term that expresses the ideal female figure who shows consistent commitment on household duties, in areas of childbirth, childcare, and supporting her husband throughout. This ideology was widely adopted by the state, after the First Sino-Japanese War in late Meiji Era, and maintained its significance even in Showa Era after Taisho.

It is important to note that, the ideal female figure of Edo Era prior to Meiji does not resemble the characteristics of the "Good Wife Wise Mother" Ideology. While the component of becoming a "Good Wife" existed in late Edo to the early Meiji, the idea was rather a Confucian ideology that limits the extent of ideology to simply behaving obediently to husband within the household. This limit allowed space for women to enter the outside workforce as a laborer equivalently to their husbands.

On the other hand, the "Good Wife Wise Mother" Ideology was cultivated aggressively by the state government as compulsory education was first imposed for free to its citizens in 1900, in which women began to receive education like male counterparts. Through education system, the state effectively implanted the ideology of "Good Wife Wise Mother" itself, as well as the importance of this role for Japan in female students.

As the First World War put an end in 1918 (Taisho Era), this ideology was further prompted but in a different direction, as Japan faced drastic economic development and grew motivation in outmaneuvering the West. Unlike the previous ideology that solely demand women to commit on household duties, they were now encouraged to take part in the trend of civilization, and become an intelligent wellbeing who is capable of streamlining household work, and to adopt western manner to their daily life style (food, clothing, furniture, techniques, etc). 

This indicates a point that, throughout Meiji to Taisho Era, the role of female were extensively nationalized and were directly tied to the demand of the Japanese state government following the change in economy.