Transnational Perspectives on the #MeToo and Anti-Base Movements in Japan

This thesis examines the connections between the #MeToo movement and the anti-base movement in Japan regarding transnational activism and Japanese feminist activism. As both movements have focused on sexual violence and the impacts on victims, the movements are strongly linked in their goals. While the anti-base movement in Okinawa has a long history, the #MeToo movement is a relatively new movement, therefore these connections aid in establishing the #MeToo movement as a part of a history of feminist activism in Japan. There is a limited amount of English language scholarly work done on the #MeToo movement in Japan and the movements connections to historical Japanese feminism and this thesis aims to address some of these gaps. To make these connections, I use transitional feminist theory and a variety of scholarly literature and activist perspectives to establish the goals of both movements and their connections. The #MeToo movement is seen as a primarily U.S. based movement. Therefore, by making connections between the Japanese #MeToo movement and the anti-base movement in Okinawa, I argue that the #MeToo movement in Japan should be considered a uniquely Japanese feminist movement