This perceptive, detailed biography traces the life of Katô Shidzue, one of Japan’s most powerful female activists and politicians. Katô opened one of Japan’s first birth control clinics in the 1930s and worked for women’s rights up to World War II despite the growing oppression of the country’s militarists. After the war, she returned to public life, running for elective office. She served as a representative and as a senator, becoming one of the most effective women in postwar politics. Still active at ninety-eight, Katô Shidzue continues to speak out forcefully for the causes she espouses. Scholars of Japan and of women’s history will find this book a richly documented and engaging view of women’s issues and political life in Japan. (Amazon.com)