Presentation Schedule
Social Media and the Subversion of Female Images in Literary Works by Asako Yuzuki (103058)
Session Chair: Robert Hamilton
This presentation will be live-streamed via Zoom (Online Access)
Wednesday, 7 January 2026 13:30
Session: Session 1 (Parallel)
Room: Live-Stream Room 5
Presentation Type: Live-Stream Presentation
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This study examines the representation of women and the role of social media in two contemporary novels by the Japanese author Asako Yuzuki: The Nile Perch Women's Club (Nairu pāchi no joshikai) and The Sorrowful Beauty (Nageki no Bijo). Yuzuki’s writings often convey feminist viewpoints and question the construction of female identity in modern Japanese society. She also wrote the novel Butter (Batā), which has been internationally recognized for its complex portrayal of women and critical engagement with traditional Japanese gender norms. In The Nile Perch Women's Club, social media platforms connect two women from diverse backgrounds: Shimura Eriko, a successful executive, and Maruo Shoko, a housewife who defies conventional domesticity by working as a social media influencer. The online space welcomes both women to express themselves and form emotional bonds, while displaying competitive dynamics, especially between married and unmarried women. In The Sorrowful Beauty, Yuzuki explores how social media shapes beauty standards and defines women’s self-worth according to physical appearance. Ikeda Yaiko, the protagonist, is described as unattractive and overweight, representing an alternative femininity opposing beauty ideals demanded by society. In the two novels, Yuzuki depicts social media as a site of female empowerment and self-expression as well as a venue for comparison and pressure. Her nuanced presentation criticizes today’s gender ideology and performative femininity.
Authors:
Piyanuch Wiriyaenawat, Thammasat University, Thailand
About the Presenter(s)
Dr Piyanuch Wiriyaenawat is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at Thammasat University in Thailand
See this presentation on the full schedule – Wednesday Schedule
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