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Paper short abstract

Japanese female artists are placed in a precarious position by legal frameworks and institutional structures. The presentation employs statistical data and interviews to suggest that Japan's challenging and delicate artistic environment may be a contributing factor to gender-based violence.

Paper long abstract

It is acknowledged that Japanese artists are placed in a particularly vulnerable position by the prevailing legal framework and the inherent institutional structures. This presentation employs statistical data, primarily from the field of contemporary art, to demonstrate that in Japan's art world, males predominate in evaluative and higher-status roles, such as teaching and judging, while females are more numerous in lower-status positions, such as students. This phenomenon stands in contrast to disciplines such as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), where initial underrepresentation of women leads to subsequent underrepresentation at higher levels. Although a significant number of women enter the field, only a small proportion can continue their activities or build a career. The author's interviews with female artists reveal that those who are also parents encounter considerable hardship. In Japan, where gender role division remains entrenched, female artists are likely to bear the disproportionate burden of childcare and housework.

Moreover, the presentation will focus on the networks and meritocracy within Japan's artistic creative environment. The evidence suggests a correlation between these conditions and the occurrence of harassment and gender based violence (GBV), particularly in contexts characterised by harsh and precarious working environments.