ABSTRACT

This chapter examines the relationship between masculinity and the martial arts in Japan, focusing on three key periods: the Edo period (1603–1868), the Imperial period (1868–1945), and the postwar era since 1945. The chapter considers the prominent role of the martial arts in Japanese society and how the martial arts were related to attempts to define masculine ideals and identities in early modern and modern Japan. The chapter argues that the martial arts have been defined by discourses of exclusivity, often along gendered lines. During the early modern period, the dominant masculine ideal was that of the adult male samurai, as opposed to women and other social groups. When class distinctions were formally abolished in the Imperial period, the martial masculine ideal took on an explicitly “national” aspect, drawing sharp distinctions between Japanese and foreigners. While the internationalization of the martial arts and increased female participation after 1945 broke down many of the earlier barriers, traditional masculine ideals continue to play a powerful role in the martial arts into the twenty-first century.