Analysis of the system of female characters in the works of Yoshimoto Banana (born 1964) and Kawakami Hiromi (born 1958): the problem of the transformation of modern Japanese women's social status and worldview

The women's struggle for their rights began to gain strength in Japan in the post-war period, and is currently spreading. In the future, the tendency to women's importance increasing in society is likely to continue, which makes the study of this process particularly relevant. The purpose of this work is: to identify fundamental changes in the self-awareness and social status of women in Japan in the late XX — early XXI centuries, using the works of modern Japanese women writers. The work consists of two parts — theoretical, a search and analysis for information on the topic of research, and practical — an analysis of literary works and comparing the results of this analysis with the current situation in Japan. The works of two modern writers, Kawakami Hiromi and Yoshimoto Banana, are used for analysis in this work. They have already established themselves in the Japanese and world literary community, having been awarded several prestigious awards and prizes. The social status of women in modern Japan has changed little till now, but nonetheless, women begin to officially declare their desire for change. This trend is also supported by the government (for example, the policy of “womenomics”), therefore, more and more young girls and women are now beginning to recognize themselves as full members of the society.