This presentation is about the history of a rare relationship between the Quakers and the Japanese people, which started in the 1870s and continues today. The main topic is the role the Quakers played in helping Japan modernize the traditional status of women, from being “good wives and wise mothers” to one of more independence, through the teaching of Western culture and education.

Linda H. Chance received her PhD from the University of California at Los Angeles and her MA from the University of Washington.  Her main field is prose of the medieval era, particularly the random essay form (zuihitsu). The influences of Buddhist thought, gender, the various types of writing practiced in Japan, and musical modes of transmission are among her interests. Her current project concerns literary masquerade across gender (and other) lines.