日本近代轉換期女性たちのネットワーク形成と階層化　－福澤家を事例に

Abstract

Fukuzawa Yukichi is best known as a leading figure in the early Meiji debate about Japan’s future path, a member of the Meirokusha and author of works such as 『学問のすすめ』 An Encouragement of Learning. As part of his general emphasis on individual independence and self-respect, he consistently criticized the double standard according to which only married women were expected to be faithful, and supported the idea of male-female equality. In Fukuzawa’s opinion, it was 「人間交際(jinkan kosai)」(human relations) that formed the basis of modern societies. Since he defined Japan as 「男女共有寄 合之国」(a country in which men and women were gathered together), he therefore wished to make 「交際之道」(the way of social relations) open to women as well as men. He argued that a strong nation could only be formed when independent individuals came together through human relations. Thus, he recognized the great importance of social networks. Fukuzawa declared his support for male and female equality as early as 1871 (in 「中津留別之書」(A Farewell to Nakatsu)). Even so, 交詢社(the Kojunsha), a new information network that he helped to form in January 1880, did not allow women to become members. Paradoxically, the main reason for this was probably that it was modeled on British and American gentlemen’s clubs. In 『男女交際論』(On Relations between Men and Women, 1886) he emphasized that women should not be excluded from human relations. The fact that this had occurred in Tokugawa Japan had led to “most tragic consequences 「一大不幸」for Japan”. From around 1885, the Fukuzawa residence became the site for a range of social events. The object was to give women opportunities to play the main role in activities that would further human relations. In an invitation to a tea party, for example Fukuzawa wrote that his true intention was to provide a setting for conversations among the guests. His motives become clearer when one considers that 1885 was around the time that members of the elite were pursuing their own form of social relations in parties at the Rokumeikan and elsewhere, as part of the search for “civilization and enlightenment”. When his wife and daughters were invited to join貴婦人法話会(The Noble Ladies’ Association for Lectures on Buddhism), he replied that they would not participate if the use of “noble” was designed to establish a pecking order in society. Fukuzawa aimed for new types of networks that would allow the free exchange of all types of information and strongly criticized the type of meeting where men drank together while being entertained by geisha(Jiji shinpo, 1886). However, the material that we have so far gathered regarding his female relatives suggests that their social relations were limited to the family circle. The only exceptions are his fourth daughter, Shidachi Taki, and his sister-inlaw, Imaizumi To. The tea parties and other gatherings at the Fukuzawa residence suggest the growth of networks involving women. However, surviving guest lists reveal that the participants are identified as “The wife of…,” “The mother of…” and so on. In other words, they were only invited because they were the wives, mothers, and daughters of men belonging to Fukuzawa’s networks, for example his former students. It is not clear how far the Fukuzawa family is typical of its time, but it is likely to have been difficult for women to form their own networks for the exchange of information. Rather, their participation was limited to family-based networks.