Loosely categorised as oshigoto manga (manga about the workplace), depictions of working life are increasingly rising in popularity among the graphic story genres. Division Chief Kosaku Shima was one of the titles that helped the trend get off the ground, though its story primarily revolves around the office work and private life of a male protagonist. However, as the opportunities for Japanese women in workplaces have continued rapidly growing and their choice of work has become more diverse, the percentage of published oshigoto manga featuring female lead characters has become more prominent, with some titles inspiring TV dramas as well as films. Haruka’s Pottery, screened as part of the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2021 is one such example.

In this special online talk event, Prof MASUDA Nozomi from Konan Women’s University will introduce the recent trend and discuss how the image of working women in manga has developed, with particular focus on manga published for a female readership. Referring to some notable examples such as Nigeruwa haji daga yakunitatsu (The Full-Time Wife Escapist), she will also explore how manga authors reflect the existing issues Japanese women are facing in the workplace, in line with the passage of time and changes within the dynamics of the society, as well as what these women really wish for in their lives.

Following Prof MASUDA’s presentation, there will be a brief conversation with Dr Peter Matanle, Senior Lecturer in Japanese Studies, School of East Asian Studies, the University of Sheffield.

About the speakers

Prof MASUDA Nozomi is a Professor at the Department of Creative Media Studies, Faculty of Letters, Konan Women's University, specializing in media studies and manga studies. Her main research fields are media for girls, including girls' magazines and shojo manga. She has published a number of papers including the co-authored Manga Studies (2020, Jimbunshoin).

Dr Peter Matanle is a Senior Lecturer in Japanese Studies, School of East Asian Studies, the University of Sheffield. Peter specialises in the social and cultural geography of East Asian development and has published widely, with books, chapters, and articles in leading scholarly journals. His research includes articles on representations of men and women in the workplace in Japanese popular culture, in both Organization and Gender, Work & Organization. Access to his research publications can be found on his Google Scholar profile.