When the Women's Student Room Was Established
The Women's Student Room was newly established in the southern corner of Yamashoku in 1963. Before it opened in September, the preparatory committee held five "Employment Seminars for Women Students" to hear opinions from working alumnae. At the end of February 1963, there were 21,748 undergraduate students, of whom 1,723 were women. The room remained until the demolition of Yamashoku in the fall of 1991; toward the end, it was lent to the Mother Students' Association as a place for breastfeeding and other needs during the Correspondence Education Program's summer schooling.
One day, I suddenly received a phone call from the Office of Communications and Public Relations at ´ºÓêÖ±²¥app. "You spoke to students at an employment lecture in the Women's Student Room in 1963, didn't you?" "...No, I have no memory of that." "We are certain because your name, Ms. Chino (maiden name), is on a photo from that time." Because of this, I found myself tracing back memories from sixty years ago¡ªtreating ten years as a single era¡ªand recalling how we scrambled during that period of job scarcity. Even now, when older people ask what year I graduated and I reply "1961," they sometimes say, "Employment for women was very difficult that year, wasn't it?" That year, the only mass media positions hiring women were announcer roles at broadcasting stations. I don't know the total numbers, but it seemed a vast number of female students hoping for jobs rushed to apply. That "moment" arrived in a flash; I ran around several broadcasting stations, and it passed like a storm. When things settled down, I was left with a sense of hollow exhaustion and a feeling of fulfillment.
Although the number of female students had increased at the time, there was no culture of women gathering on campus to talk, and I have no memory of exchanging opinions during the job hunt. There was someone who saw a job advertisement in the newspaper and became a secretary for a foreign correspondent. Another person pleaded with her alma mater to hire her as a teacher and secured a position. Each person was making their own efforts and fighting their own battles.
When I joined NHK, I naturally assumed that getting a job meant working until retirement age, but I felt a chill in my heart when a male senior looked into my face and asked, "Are you the one who says they'll work until retirement?" Also, there were many occasions where women gathered to talk, and when I mentioned to a senior that I felt it was somewhat bothersome, she told me, "Women still have a weak position in the workplace. That is exactly why it is necessary to stick together at times." Through this, I experienced the weight of being part of a group of women.
It was right around this time that the "Women's Student Room" was created. I think it must have been very encouraging for the female students. Looking at the students in the photos, my heart is moved by their gazes, which show a sense of expectation for the future despite their anxious expressions. I am curious about the "present" of those who attended. That said, if anyone knows anything about the poster for this meeting that I don't remember, I would be happy if you could let me know.
(Junko Hashimoto, former NHK announcer)
*Affiliations, job titles, etc., are as of the time this magazine was published.