A Female Artist Who Made Me Think About Japan
There is a Japanese female artist named Mako Idemitsu. She is not a household name, but she is well known for her unique video art. I have seen her works several times in museums outside Japan. The one I remember most was at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. Seeing her work there convinced me that she is highly respected in the art world.
In 2026, the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum (TOP Museum) held a special exhibition of her video works. When I visited the exhibition, I realized again that her art captures the lives of ordinary Japanese families during Japan’s period of rapid economic growth. At the same time, it also reveals some of the darker sides of Japanese society.
Themes in Her Works
Mako Idemitsu often explored themes such as:
- male-dominated society
- the patriarchal family system
- sekentei (social pressure to fit in and avoid standing out)
Most of her major works were created in the 1970s and 1980s. As I watched them, I found many scenes that reminded me of the social values I experienced when I was young.
During Japan’s high-growth era, many people believed that the following ideas were simply “normal.”
- Everyone should get married.
- A married couple should have two children.
- Women should leave their jobs after marriage and become full-time housewives.
- It was not considered respectable for a woman to stay single and continue her career.
- A wife’s role was to support her husband and take care of the family.
- Raising children came first, and a woman’s own dreams often came second.
Works That Express These Themes
I would like to introduce three works that express these values. I believe these three works have also been exhibited at venues other than the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography exhibition. The descriptions below are based on the brochure from the 2016 exhibition.
- Another Day of a Housewife
- Hideo, It’s Me, Mama
- Kiyoko’s Situation
Here is a brief summary of each work.
Another Day of a Housewife
1977, Single-channel video, color, sound
(Japanese lyrics), 9 min. 50 sec.
This work features Idemitsu herself. It captures the repetitive daily life of a housewife in long takes. In this work, Idemitsu’s own eyes, filmed using a close-up lens, are projected large on the video monitor as they constantly watch and follow the housewife before the camera. The work depicts how the socially constructed position of the housewife is not only formed by the gaze of the world around her; it is also internalized by her own inner gaze.
Hideo, It’s Me, Mama
1983, Single-channel video, color, dialogue in Japanese with English subtitles, 27 min.
Camera: Michael Goldberg Technical Support: Japan Electronics College
This work depicts the actions of a mother displaying an abnormal obsession with her son, who has left home to start a job. In the early 1980s, the new home video format VHS went on sale and began to penetrate households. Seeking to fill her son’s absence, the mother repeatedly plays VHS tapes of him on the monitor in the living room, and prepares meals for the son in that footage. Drawing from her experience raising her children in America, Idemitsu questions the relationship dynamics in Japan where mothers themselves hinder the independence of their children.
Kiyoko’s Situation
1989, Single-channel video, color, dialogue in Japanese with English subtitles, 24 min. 20 sec.
Camera: Michael Goldberg 16mm Camera: Mikoshiha Shigeru, Nomoto Yasuo
A woman who aspires to be a painter marries under pressure from her parents. Overwhelmed by housework and childcare, however, her desire to continue painting meets with puzzlement from those around her. The film depicts the process of a woman being pushed to the brink. Unable to suppress her desire for self-expression, and with her path to becoming an artist blocked, her anguish culminates in heart-wrenching cries. This work was conceived not only from Idemitsu’s own experiences, but also by referencing the relationship between sculptor and poet Takamura Kotaro and Takamura Chieko. It is also dedicated to her eldest sister, who aspired to be a painter in Paris but died suddenly after much suffering.
My Image of an Average Japanese Family
This is, of course, a stereotype. Not every family lived this way. However, when I think about Japan during its high-growth era, this is the image that comes to my mind.
A typical family had a father, a mother, and two children. They lived in a detached house in the suburbs of Tokyo, usually along a private railway line. The father worked as a salaryman for a company. His official working hours were from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but overtime was part of everyday life. Finishing work at 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. was common. Sometimes he did not get home until after midnight.
Because of this, the children were already asleep when he arrived home. During the week, he had very little time to talk with them. People did not have mobile phones or smartphones at that time. Families could not stay in touch as easily as they can today.
Weekends Were Not Always Family Time
Weekends did not always bring the family together. The children often went to cram school or attended other lessons. The father sometimes played golf with clients as part of his job. After working long hours all week, he also spent many weekends resting at home. As a result, it was not easy for the whole family to spend time together.
Pressure on Parents and Children
Parents wanted their children to enter good schools because they believed education would lead to a better future. The children studied hard every day. They also joined after-school clubs and activities. Their schedules were full, and many had little free time.
At the same time, family members did not communicate enough. Family members spent less and less time talking to each other. Husbands and wives often argued, and some children began to question this way of life.
Some fathers turned to alcohol, gambling, or affairs. Some mothers could not pursue their own dreams, so they placed all of their hopes on their children. Some became overprotective, while others became what Japanese people often call “education mothers.”
The Background Behind These Works
Mako Idemitsu was the daughter of the founder of Idemitsu Kosan, one of Japan’s largest companies. Her relationship with her father inspired many of her works. She was born in 1940. She experienced wartime Japan, the difficult years after the war, and the country’s rapid economic growth.
When I look back on that period, I think Japan carried many values from before the war into the years of economic growth. Those values shaped family life and the roles of men and women. I also remember that many of these ideas still existed when I was a child and a student.
Looking Back After 80 Years
It has now been 80 years since the end of World War II. Many of the values I have described have changed. People today have more freedom to choose how they want to live. However, I still feel that sekentei remains an important part of Japanese society.
Some people think these changes are good. Others have different opinions. However, I believe one thing is clear. Today, people have more choices than they did in the past.
What Is Sekentei?
People from overseas often have different impressions of Japan. Many people see Japan in a positive way, but every country has both strengths and weaknesses. If I had to choose one word that represents one of Japan’s more difficult social values, I would choose sekentei.
It is not easy to translate this word into English. A simple way to explain it is this:
“It is better to be the same as everyone else than to be different.”
Some people feel comfortable with this way of thinking. Others find it stressful or restrictive. I think it is helpful to understand that this feeling still exists in Japanese society today.
A Different Side of Japan
I hope people can also learn about this side of Japan. Every society has both positive and negative sides.
I first saw Mako Idemitsu’s works in museums outside Japan. When I saw them again in Japan, they gave me a very different impression. They made me think more deeply about the society in which I grew up.
If you ever come across one of her works in a museum, I hope you will remember this article and watch it with these ideas in mind.
The videos are in Japanese, but they include English subtitles, so you can follow them without difficulty.
Originally published on Jul 22 2026
Last updated on Aug 1 2026
