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The Representation of
Femininity in Japanese
Television Dramas of
the 1 9 9 0 s
ITO Mamoru
(Translated by TSURUMOTO Kaori)

Image of Woman, Power of Representation

In the 1990s, the Japanese media industry grew rapidly, both in terms
of the range of consumable media and the number of choices within
these media products. Within this development of Japan's information
environment, there was a downward trend in the audience ratings
television programs received, to the extent that the number of so-called
"mega hit" programs that attained high ratings declined in numbers
(See Tomura 1991; Ito and Fujita 1999). Due to the diversification of
viewer lifestyles, tastes and interests, and, above all, to the
multiplication of media products, the audience became segmented and
fragmented. Programs that transcended gender or age differences and
were consumed by many viewers became more rare (see McQuail
1997). However, it must be noted that even within this trend, many
of the television drama programs, love story dramas in particular,
which were made for and shown during the primetime i.e., the time
slot beginning at 8 PM over which the fiercest ratings war are waged