Book Launch: Femininity, Self-Harm and Eating Disorders in Japan: Navigating contradiction in narrative and visual culture

From the 1980s onwards, the incidence of eating disorders and self-harm has been on the rise amongst Japanese women. Mirroring this, women’s self-directed violence is a theme increasingly seen in Japanese narrative and visual cultures.

Dr Gitte Marianne Hansen will discuss the relationship between normative femininity and women’s self-directed violence in contemporary Japanese culture. She will explore the paradoxical roles of women, demonstrating how eating disorders and self-harm have become a standardised form of entertainment as part of a “female lifestyle.” Looking at novels, artwork, manga, anime, TV dramas and news stories, Dr Hansen investigates this phenomenon of self-directed violence in both globally well-known Japanese culture such as Haruki Murakami’s literary works and Hayao Miyazaki’s animation, as well as culture unavailable to non-Japanese readers.

Hear how women’s private struggles with their own bodies have now become public discourse, available for consumption as entertainment and lifestyle products.

Free but booking is essential at www.dajf.org.uk/bookin