Outsiders: Otake Kōkichi

Ōtake Kōkichi (1893-1966) was a feminist writer, artist, and activist in early 20th century Japan. She was a member of the Japanese Bluestocking Society, which aimed to promote women’s rights through literature and education. She is regarded as a pioneer for queer feminism in Japan.

For Further Reading:

• Otake Kōkichi — Making Queer History
• Otake Kōkichi 尾竹紅吉 | U-M LSA Center for Japanese Studies (CJS)
• Intersections: The New Woman Meets the Geisha: The Politics of Pleasure in 1910s Japan

This month we're talking about Outsiders -- women who marched to the beat of their own drum and rejected stereotypes about what women "should" be. They are aesthetic pioneers, norm-benders, and often the only woman in their field.

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello for Wonder Media Network. I'm Jenny Kaplan and this
is Wamanica. This month, we're talking about outsiders, women who
marched to the beat of their own drum and rejected
stereotypes about what women should be. Their aesthetic pioneers, norm venders,
and often one of the only women in their field. Today,
we're journeying into the world of a defiant soul, an author, painter,

(00:26):
and activist who disrupted conventional gender norms in early twentieth
century Japan, who wielded a powerful self confidence that set
her ahead of her time. She rocked men's kimonos and
woven leather sandals. She knew who she was, and she
chose her authentic self over who she should be. Please
meet Otake Kokichi. Otake Kokichi was born in eighteen ninety

(00:50):
three in Osaka, Japan. Her childhood was a blend of
the traditional and the artistic. Her father was a woodblock
printmaker who hoped she'd follow in his footste Her mother,
a soto Zen Buddhist, trained her in traditionally feminine arts
and taught her how to play the shamasin a three
stringed musical instrument. As a child, Otaki sought to expand

(01:12):
her world through reading. She had a hunger for literature,
and she would frequently sneak into the library where she
absorbed formative texts that informed her sense of self. After
attending high school in Osaka, Otaki continued her education at
Japan Women's University in Tokyo. For reasons unknown, she ended

(01:33):
up unenrolling from university and moved in with her aunt
and uncle. It was during this transition that Otaki discovered
a literary magazine called Bluestocking, a radical publication that leveraged
its pages to promote equal rights for women. She joined
the group in nineteen eleven, becoming both an illustrator and
a contributor for the magazine. Otaki's work did not shy

(01:55):
away from the topics that compelled her, no matter how taboo,
such as abortion and secon work. While hitting her stride
with the pen, Otaki began a relationship with another woman
in the Bluestocking group, here Atsuka, who was a founding
member of the magazine. At the time of their relationship,
there wasn't even common terminology in Japanese to describe lesbians.

(02:17):
Here Atsuka wrote extensively about Otake's gender queer expression, providing
details that would otherwise be lost to time. She wrote quote,
she looked dashing at her men's kimono and hakama, striding
into the office, her arms swinging. She would say whatever
was on her mind and burst into song. She was
completely uninhibited. The subtext of this portrait of Otake speaks

(02:39):
to the quiet courage it took to dress an express
on the outskirts of what was deemed appropriate for women
at the time. Otaki was marginalized by mainstream media, which
sensationalized her romantic life and mocked her gender expression, reducing
her bold selfhood to scandal and spectacle. The source of
this negative press out to Gotake arose from a string

(03:01):
of incidents tied to the Bluestocking group. One of the
most notorious controversies was the five colored Sake incident, sparked
by a fictional story Otaki wrote about a woman savoring
a cocktail made from five different liquors. Members of the
press interpreted the story as fact. At a time when
women drinking publicly was deemed deeply improper, The tale provoked

(03:24):
a media frenzy. In addition, many took issue with the
fact that Otaki wrote the story from a male perspective.
The press seized the moment, fueling outrage over a woman
blurring societal boundaries. Next came the Yoshiwara incident. Otaki took
Bluestocking members to Tokyo's Red light district to interview a
woman about her life as a sex worker. It was

(03:48):
a bold effort to illuminate the humanity behind an often
stigmatized profession, but the visit was quickly twisted by the press.
The group's presence of what was considered a strictly male
domain night public outrage. Otaki bore the brunt of the backlash.
She was accused of dragging Bluestocking into scandal. Amid the uproar,

(04:10):
several members pressured her to step down, blaming her for
a wave of negative publicity. Again, Otaki was forced to
the margines for challenging societal boundaries. As a result, she
left the group, but she did not stop writing. She
founded her own magazine that featured radical writings and beautiful illustrations.

(04:34):
Otake used fiction, translation and art to spread feminist, Marxist,
and anti imperialist ideas. She penned short stories, essays, and
even fairy tales, but Otaki's mental health was affected by
being an outcast. After attempting self harm, she was admitted
to a hospital to receive care. This began a darker

(04:54):
period in Otaki's life. In nineteen fourteen, she married a
man and had two children. In her wedding photos, she
wore traditional bridal clothing, submitting herself to the social convention
of the time. But Otaki struggled with the norms that
her husband placed on her. She rejected the construct of
good wives, wise mothers, and eventually divorced him to raise

(05:15):
her daughters on her own. The details of Otaki's adult
life have mostly vanished from the archive. Otakei Kukichi died
in nineteen sixty six. Much of her writing is lost,
and there are no collected works or published compilations of
her life's work. Still, she's remembered for her authenticity, for

(05:36):
being a bold leader of feminist and queer thought at
early twentieth century Japan. All Month, We're talking about Outsiders.
For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram at
Wamanica podcast special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister
and co creator. Talk to you tomorrow.