From Jokun to Onnagata: Performance, Aesthetics, and the Cultivation of Femininity during the Edo Period

Abstract

As the portrayal of women in Japanese woodblock prints produced during Japan’s Edo period (1603–1868) remains an understudied area, the objective of this thesis is to contribute to the understanding of the idealized female image. My research investigates how the idealized female image was established, cultivated, and circulated during the latter half of the Edo period. Throughout this thesis, focus will be given to the feminine idealized image, specifically the prescriptive ideals found in bijin-ga (prints of beautiful women) and the descriptive ideals expressed in yakusha-e (actor prints) of onnagata, male actors who portray female roles in Kabuki theater. Utilization of primary sources in the shape of prints and literature along with theories on gender performativity identifies how artists portrayed the feminine ideal. By conceptualizing bijin-ga and yakusha-e prints within its sociocultural context, there is evidence to suggest that Edo period woodblock prints contributed to the construction and circulation of idealized female imagery.