Conditions for Marriage : Chikako Ogura / Asahi Shinbun / 2003

The author, a psychologist, using fashion magazines and examples from entertainers, looks at young unmarried women's true feelings about marriage. This book is entertaining due to the author's insight and experience with students as a university professor. Because the author clearly lays out the conditions for marriage, this book might scare some male readers.

The author states that the Japanese government, in its attempt to deal with the declining birthrate, is off target. Many Japanese people are preoccupied with the idea that only women within the institution of marriage can have a baby, which is seen in the trend towards "marriage after becoming pregnant." Here are some common things said by women who have conditions for marriage, "Getting married is different than falling love with someone," "I want to have my own private time even after I marry," and "I would choose not to get married or have a child if my marriage is not going to be happy." For these young women, the conditions for marriage are: a secure standard of life, liberation from work, and a lot of free-time. The young generation has not been able to find anything that it's interested in and has accepted a dark future in a recession struggling Japan. Yet they cannot abandon the longing for a married life that is still, to them, a mystery. Women university students are trying to find a man who can guarantee and maintain their present standard of life and male students are trying to find a woman who can provide them with a utopian life. However, this ideal partner doesn't exist. Young people, escaping from the perceived hardship of marriage is causing the decline in the birthrate.

In terms of work and marriage, it is often said that Japanese women have a unique perspective about their identity, which women in other developed countries do not have. The ideas that were considered natural in Japanese society such as "marriage is the biggest matter of concern for women," are now collapsing. This collapse demands that we seriously consider new perspectives on home and family. In order to not lose themselves, in a world where women and family are becoming more diversified, women need to be aware of their sense of self.

In the book Conditions for Marriage, women find their ideal man with self-serving calculation. The author explains that even if the woman fools herself into thinking that she has found the ideal man, they are the "winners." This is not a book that gives high praises to marriage.

The Cry of Women : Minori Kitahara / Shobunsha / 2001

People foolishly say, "Men are this" and "Woman are that" because they lack insight into the opposite gender's thinking and pain. At a simple glance a lot of injustice can be seen in the world. The author uses topics such as sex, social problems, family, politics, and entertainment, in a simple and straightforward manner, to send a message about inequality in society and the "disadvantages women face." This is a highly gratifying feminist book.

Do I as a Working Woman Have the Most Ultimate Years of My Life? : Yukiko Hayami / Shogakukan Inc. / 2001

Women, who were in their late 20's to 30's in later part of the 1990's, although unsure of themselves, wiped away the illusion of a Japanese male society. In order to live their lives with the attitudes "with my ability" and "I think it's OK," women expressed a powerful sense of self in the business and entertainment world and within their relationships with men. This book is a shout of approval for powerful international women.

Hybrid Women : Yoko Haruka / Kodansha Ltd. / 2003

The author is an entertainer who has studied feminism. Men used to hold the principal role in society, but have since fallen into a supporting position. It is time for women to stop being influenced by the male dominated world-view that shapes the way men love and support us. "Hybrid Women" do not identify themselves as something only to be loved or something to be struggled against. They are women that have stepped beyond these limiting characterizations. For women who want to live more freely, the author concisely presents thinking techniques that allow women to generate more power with less fuel and eliminate unnecessary obstacles.

The Marriage Empire / The Crossroads for Women: Chizuko Ueno & Sayoko Nobuta / Kodansha Ltd. / 2004

Japanese women in their 30's stand at a crossroads where their sexual behavior is changing and yet still maintain the same standards as older generations. What's happening to Japanese women now? From a counseling and sociological perspective, Ms. Nobuta and Ms. Ueno discuss issues such as eating disorders, domestic violence, marriage, and being single. Through the course of their analyses, they gratifyingly break down and dismantle ideas that are considered common sense. This book does not just encourage women in their 30's, but women of all ages who are searching for independence and self-realization, to change the way they look at things and live confidently.