| Summary: | Abstract : Japanese working class women’s relationship to work during the 1920s – characterised by the ambivalence of their search for freedom and the anxiety caused by their situation – continues to spark fruitful thinking, particularly given the recent rise of precariousness and even poverty in Japan, particularly for women. Exploring what work represented for Japanese women in the 1920s, the article begins with historical elements relating to gender and labour issues, such as they were first formulated in the early 20th century. It goes on to focus more specifically on Japanese women’s work expectations at the time, based on the writings of Hayashi Fumiko, a pioneer of female emancipation. Fumiko’s accounts – unique at the time – offer clues about the role that women played in that society while casting a new light on the historical dynamics that would ultimately lead to partial emancipation, especially of women from poorer backgrounds.
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