Shoko Ieda
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese writer
of non-fiction
. She is known for titillating novels replete with interracial sex scenes, and has aroused a great deal of controversy in Japan; her works have been accused of "demon
ising female sexuality". She rose to public prominence through her 1986 book Gang Wives, about the girlfriends and spouses of yakuza
. She spent nearly a year getting to know her subjects, and had also been shot at during the course of writing the book. It was later adapted as a television series by Tōei
starring Shima Iwashita, and as a series of Gokudo no Onna-tachi movies starring Reiko Takashima
. Her books continued to receive a good popular reception and be made into movies; her 1990 Hug Me, Kiss Me was awarded the 22nd Ohya Non-fiction Prize in 1991. Hug Me, Kiss Me was an account of her time volunteering in organization offering assistance to AIDS patients while living in Savannah
, Georgia
in 1987, along with an epilogue about the risk AIDS posed to Japanese tourists in Hawaii
; its cinematic adaptation was the first film in Japan to openly address AIDS
. However, her descriptions of the African American
community were accused of making AIDS seem "alien" and "distant" to her Japanese target audience.
Ieda's later works continued her practise of touching on contentious themes; her 1991 book Yellow Cab, about the eponymous stereotype of Japanese women overseas
who allegedly engaged in indiscriminate sex with foreigners, attracted a great deal of media attention in Japan, including two television documentaries by TV Asahi
and Tokyo Broadcasting System
. George Sarratt, her research assistant for the book, later denounced major portions as "fraudulent", even indicating that she had altered direct quotes from interviewees. Japanese career women in New York also set up a protest group against the book, feeling that the stereotype had damaged their professional image; their activities, which were described as "Ieda-bashing" by one scholar studying the "yellow cab" phenomenon, resulted in a sharp decline in her literary reputation.
Despite the negative attention she received for Yellow Cab, Ieda continued to produce popular works; her 1994 novel Women who slept with the bubble was made into a series of movies, the newest of which, starring Yoko Mitsuya
, was released in June 2007.
Japanese literature
Early works of Japanese literature were heavily influenced by cultural contact with China and Chinese literature, often written in Classical Chinese. Indian literature also had an influence through the diffusion of Buddhism in Japan...
of non-fiction
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
. She is known for titillating novels replete with interracial sex scenes, and has aroused a great deal of controversy in Japan; her works have been accused of "demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
ising female sexuality". She rose to public prominence through her 1986 book Gang Wives, about the girlfriends and spouses of yakuza
Yakuza
, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
. She spent nearly a year getting to know her subjects, and had also been shot at during the course of writing the book. It was later adapted as a television series by Tōei
Toei Company
is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution corporation. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan, a modest vertically-integrated studio system by the standards of the 1930s United States; operates studios at Tokyo and Kyoto; and is a...
starring Shima Iwashita, and as a series of Gokudo no Onna-tachi movies starring Reiko Takashima
Reiko Takashima
Reiko Takashima is a Japanese actress.Active in television series, movies, and commercials, her roles have included ninja in jidaigeki such as Abarembō Shōgun and Abare Hasshū Goyō Tabi, the wife Oeyo of the shogun Tokugawa Hidetada, Lady Fujitsubo in a special with characters based on The Tale of...
. Her books continued to receive a good popular reception and be made into movies; her 1990 Hug Me, Kiss Me was awarded the 22nd Ohya Non-fiction Prize in 1991. Hug Me, Kiss Me was an account of her time volunteering in organization offering assistance to AIDS patients while living in Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
in 1987, along with an epilogue about the risk AIDS posed to Japanese tourists in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
; its cinematic adaptation was the first film in Japan to openly address AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. However, her descriptions of the African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
community were accused of making AIDS seem "alien" and "distant" to her Japanese target audience.
Ieda's later works continued her practise of touching on contentious themes; her 1991 book Yellow Cab, about the eponymous stereotype of Japanese women overseas
Yellow cab (stereotype)
is a term referring to an ethnic stereotype of Japanese women, and by extension other Asians, suggesting that they are sexually available to foreign men...
who allegedly engaged in indiscriminate sex with foreigners, attracted a great deal of media attention in Japan, including two television documentaries by TV Asahi
TV Asahi
, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....
and Tokyo Broadcasting System
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
. George Sarratt, her research assistant for the book, later denounced major portions as "fraudulent", even indicating that she had altered direct quotes from interviewees. Japanese career women in New York also set up a protest group against the book, feeling that the stereotype had damaged their professional image; their activities, which were described as "Ieda-bashing" by one scholar studying the "yellow cab" phenomenon, resulted in a sharp decline in her literary reputation.
Despite the negative attention she received for Yellow Cab, Ieda continued to produce popular works; her 1994 novel Women who slept with the bubble was made into a series of movies, the newest of which, starring Yoko Mitsuya
Yoko Mitsuya
is a Japanese gravure idol and actress.- Biography:Yoko was born in Tokyo but moved to Saitama shortly after she was born. She began practicing ballet as a first grader; her dream was to become a ballerina. When she was in sixth grade, she applied for the Horipro Talent Scout Caravan and was...
, was released in June 2007.
Quotes
- "Since fathers these days do nothing to give their daughters correct information about the facts of life, girls turn to magazines for information. They should talk to their daughters, not delegate this only to mothers, and tell them things they need to know."