South Korean literature is inspiring Japanese women
Korean feminist writers follow a trail blazed by K-pop stars
When Ogasawara Chiaki, a Japanese woman, read “Kim Ji-young, Born 1982”, a South Korean novel about sexism, she recognised the subject matter. Like the protagonist, Kim Ji-young, Ms Ogasawara was treated as inferior to her brother. When she read of Kim learning of hidden cameras in her workplace toilets, Ms Ogasawara recalled her experience of sexual harassment at work. “It didn’t feel like I was reading about another country.”
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Almost twins”
More from Asia
By resisting arrest, South Korea’s president challenges democracy
His attempt to impose martial law failed. But Yoon Suk Yeol is still causing trouble
How 1.4bn Indians are adapting to climate change
As heat, floods and drought get worse, people are getting creative
Economic bright spots are getting harder to find in Thailand
Falling car production is a sign of a deeper malaise
Another accidental aircraft shootdown is a matter of when, not if
The spread of conflict in Asia threatens the safety of air travellers
Why you’re not on holiday in India right now
A fabulous destination for foreign tourists does little to lure them
Singapore’s government is determined to keep hawker centres alive
Why is the city-state’s bare-bones government running a bureaucracy of stir-fries?