Higuchi Ichiyo

A pioneering female writer in Meiji-era Japan who broke gender barriers in literature

Higuchi Ichiyo (1872-1896) remains one of Japan's most revolutionary literary figures, transforming 19th-century literature through her psychologically nuanced portrayals of marginalized communities. Despite living only 24 years, she became the first professional female writer of modern Japan through works like Takekurabe (Growing Up) and Nigorie (Troubled Waters).

Her writing challenged societal norms by:

• Giving voice to Tokyo's pleasure quarter inhabitants
• Exploring female sexuality and agency
• Blending classical poetry with vernacular speech

Ichiyo's diaries reveal her conscious rebellion against Confucian gender restrictions, often disguising manuscripts as 'women's work' to bypass censorship. Her 1894 story Ōtsugomori (The Last Day of the Year) became the first work by a woman in Japan's national textbooks, inspiring generations of female authors.

Modern scholars recognize her as bridging Edo-period literary traditions with Western-influenced modernism. The 5,000-yen banknote features her portrait - Japan's first female non-royal to receive this honor - cementing her legacy as a cultural pioneer who redefined women's role in Japanese arts.