Writing Purity

First introduced to Japan in the late 19th century, the concept of physical virginity soon became a pivotal site within discourse on sexual morality, national strength, and modern feminine ideals. Used by Japanese authors as a highly malleable symbol of both positive and negative aspects of Japanese society in transition, virginity provides a window onto contentious debates between writers, medical professionals, and educators over the proper direction for pure Japanese literature and the sexual behavior of the Japanese citizen. In this book I examine the anxiety-laden and frequently contradictory literary representations of the male and female virgin in Japanese fiction, essays, and film from the 1880s through the 1930s.

Jennifer Cullen is an adjunct professor of Japanese Film and Popular Culture at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.