Deconstructive Ecofeminism: A Japanese Critical Interpretation

Abstract In this paper, I compare deconstructive ecofeminism and traditional Japanese worldviews, particularly those of Shinto. I identify similarities between the two at crucial points, and suggest that this implies considerable difficulties with deconstructive ecofeminism. Traditional Japanese worldviews, in particular those deriving from Shinto, are not unproblematic from the viewpoint of both ecology and feminism. Although deconstructive ecofeminists are eager to break through nature-women oppression, what they propose will not necessarily lead to what they want to create.