Ichiko Kamichika

Ichiko Kamichika (神近 市子, Kamichika Ichiko) (June 6, 1888 August 1, 1981) was a journalist, feminist, writer, translator, and critic. Her birth name was Ichi Kamichika and her pen name was Ei, Yo, or Ou Sakaki . After World War II, Kamichika served in the Japanese House of Representatives as a member of the Japan Socialist Party.

Early life Kamichika was born in what is now Saza, Nagasaki on June 6, 1888. Kamichika grew up in relative poverty due to the death of her father and eldest brother at a young age. After grade school, Kamichika convinced her family to allow her to attend an American missionary school for girls in Nagasaki and in 1909 she moved to Tokyo to train as a teacher at Tsuda University. At Tsuda University she began contributing to the feminist literary magazine Bluestocking (青鞜, Seitō). After graduation she became a teacher at the Aomori Prefectural School for Girls, until she was asked to leave when the school principal discovered her name in an issue of the Bluestocking magazine. She retired in 1969.

In 1970, Kamichika tried to sue Yoshishige Yoshida for making a film called Eros + Massacre, which included a scene based on the Hayama Hikage Chaya incident. Instead, Yoshida changed the name of her character in the film to Masaoka Itsuko.

Kamichika died on August 1, 1981. She wrote and translated many books throughout her life.

Selected bibliography