Although most of the people tend to think that Japanese female workers during the Industrial Revolution suffered under a severe working environment, they actually had different motives for their participation in factories. Ordinarily, Japanese historiography emphasized that women were obliged to work in order to escape from poverty [Reference 1]. Moreover, female workers were often victimized which can be seen in Wakizō Hosoi’s book, “Jokō Aishi” and explains that factories were “a working hell for females”. However, some scholars suggest that female workers had a positive reason or a hope to work at a textile factory for example, paying tuitions for family members and getting out of poverty. Moreover, some of the female workers in Tomioka Silk Factory, mostly women from upper classes, were willing to work at a factory since they were able to acquire silk processing techniques.

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[Reference 1]

 Janet Hunter, Women and the Labour Market in Japan’s Industrializing Economy: The Textile Industry Before the Pacific War, pp.83

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