A review by carrietmills
Coed Revolution: The Female Student in the Japanese New Left by Chelsea Szendi Schieder

4.0

What a fascinating read! Szendi Schieder explores the layers of patriarchy and oppression that obscure the reality and legacy of female leadership and labor in the Japanese New Left through the 1960's. In the first two chapters, the book is anchored to Kanba Michiko and Tokoro Mitsuko, two activists who died in 1960 and 1968 respectively during protests. The book dissects their lives, ideologies, and legacies to show their relationships to the movements as well as how others, both inside and out, perceived them. Favorite chapters, without a doubt, are chapters 4 and 5 which explore the complexities of toxic masculinity within the movement and the female student activists who charged the visible frontlines. Quietly threaded throughout are the ways that the United States' internal politics, especially the Civil Rights Movement and Black liberation struggle, played into the Japanese New Left's radical politics.

Key drawback: I'm not well-versed in post-WWII Japanese history. The author provides a bit of context but certainly relies on reader knowledge. Don't let this hold you back from picking up a copy, though - instead plan on taking some extra time for side research while reading.