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Paper short abstract

Through an analysis of Ogawa Yōko’s novel Hotel Iris, as well as its subsequent film adaptation, my research explores female masochism’s role in reimagining liberation in post-1990s Japan.

Paper long abstract

My research explores female masochism’s role in reimagining liberation in post-1990s Japan. Using Ogawa Yōko’s novel Hotel Iris, along with its film adaptation, as a case study, I examine how the protagonist deploys masochistic contracts to navigate oppressive matriarchal structures. I draw on Frantz Fanon’s postcolonial theory to analyze how the adaptation reconfigures space and race, and engage Michel Foucault and Jack Halberstam’s theories of queer time to explore how female masochism spreads infectiously, enabling liberation for adjacent marginalized figures—including recurring disabled and queer characters. I distill this spatial and social praxis of female masochism into the term “osmotic masochism.”

I then situate Hotel Iris within a broader literary tradition by comparing its portrayal of female masochism to canonical depictions of male masochism. Drawing on Monica Swindle and Honda Masuko’s theories of “girl” elusivity, I argue that while male masochism often symbolizes national identity, female masochism is more fluid and less tethered to nationalist ideals, offering more diverse and adaptive forms of liberation. In this context, I examine tensions within Japan’s Women’s Liberation Movement—particularly following the 1994 publication of the women’s studies journal Joseigaku Nenpō, which addressed rifts between mainstream feminism and marginalized groups. I argue that female masochism reflects these divisions and challenges dominant feminist boundaries, offering emancipatory potential for those excluded from mainstream discourse.

Ultimately, this essay highlights the evolving significance of female masochism as a tool for contesting dominant social structures and rethinking the intersections of gender, power, and liberation in contemporary Japanese media and culture.