Momoe Yamaguchi’s Quit at the Peak of her Career: Why Should Women be Defined?

The legend of J-Pop in the 1970s

Throughout Japan’s history, female singers are highly respected and addressed as ‘Utahime’ with honor, which stands for the honorable female singer. In the Showa Era, most of the ‘Utahimes’ have sweet and soft voices, displaying the traditional characteristics of females. However, the appearance of Momoe Yamaguchi in the 1970s overturned this convention. Being different from others, her music and performances are bold and stylish. Her low-pitched and husky voice made her stand out in the crowd, leading a ‘Yamaguchi’ rage at that time.

Besides her unique voice, her independent personality after undergoing a difficult childhood is appreciated by Japanese people, especially by females. In the 1970s, during the second wave of Japanese feminist movement, Japanese female were eager to get rid of the traditional link between women and family, and to seek their self-identity as women. Yamaguchi was considered as a model for these Japanese women, for redefining the characteristics and the power of women.

Yamaguchi’s quit at the peak of her career

At Yamaguchi’s peak of her career, she announced her decision to get married and leave the entertainment industry permanently. The reason was for her yearn to build a family with her love. At that time, she was only 21 years old. This news brought a huge shock to all the Japanese citizens, especially to the Japanese females.

Yamaguchi’s quit caused the collective anxiety of women who were trying to break free from the bondage of Japanese patriarchy. After this breaking news, many women publicly criticized her decision, believing that Yamaguchi had ‘betrayed’ the Japanese women. They believe that as a model of "female independence", Yamaguchi shouldn’t choose to be a "Japanese wife" hidden behind the family. Yamaguchi, who was supposed to be an outstanding self-reliant woman, ultimately ‘ruined’ her career and became an ordinary woman because of a man.

Self-reliance and women should not be defined

In response to the critics, Yamaguchi stood her ground by publishing her biography. ‘‘Women's independence is the ability to deeply recognize and understand what is the most precious thing inside yourself. It should not be limited: it can be work, family, or love.’, said Yamaguchi. She believes that the true spirit of self-reliance is to be responsible for their own lives and make choices determinedly and bravely.

Yamaguchi’s decision to put aside her dazzling prosperity for family was not to huddle in the Japanese patriarchal system, but the result of seeking her self-knowledge and finding her most precious thing in life as ‘family’.

Till now, her 40-year ongoing happy marriage has been witnessed by Japanese people and proved that her decision 40 years ago had no regrets. Her story is actually an expansion in the scope of ‘female self-reliance’, diminishing the limits in the ways for women to seek true selves. Females should not hold high the banner of ‘self-reliance’ but use this to limit themselves to pursue family, marriage, or love.

Why should women be defined? Who says that choosing to enter a marriage, run a family, and raise children is not a kind of "female self-reliance"?