(also shortened to ) were Japanese women who followed Westernized fashions and lifestyles in the period after World War I.
were Japan's equivalent of America's flappers, Germany's , France's , or China's (). By viewing through a Japanese versus Western lens, the nationalist press could use the modern girl archetype to blame such failings as frivolity, sexual promiscuity, and selfishness on foreign influence. The period was characterized by the emergence of working class young women with access to money and consumer goods. Using aristocratic culture as their standard of Japaneseness, the critics of the modern girl condemned her working class traits as "unnatural" for Japanese. Modern girls were depicted as living in the cities, being financially and emotionally independent, choosing their own suitors, and apathetic towards politics. The woman's magazine was a novelty at this time, and the modern girl was the model consumer, someone more often found in advertisements for cosmetics and fashion than in real life. The all-female Takarazuka Revue, established in 1914, and the novel Naomi (1924) are outstanding examples of modern girl culture.
The origins of the modern girl can be traced to the emergence of shà Âjo (girl) culture during the late Meiji era (1868âÂÂ1912) into the Taisho era (1912âÂÂ26). Progressive modernisation, the development of Japan's industrial capacity following the Sino-Japanese wars, and the emergence of the "new middle class" resulted in different social and class relations â altering the notions of the "child" or "youth", and facilitating new styles and expressions of gender differentiation. Two areas where the changed perspective on gender differences were visible were schools and magazines. The Higher Girls' School Act, making at least one girlsâ high school per prefecture mandatory, was implemented in 1899 and the subsequent percentage of girls who continued their education into secondary school rose from 1.5 percent in 1895 to 9.2 percent in 1910, 15.5 percent in 1930, and 22 percent in 1940. This coincided with the growth of publications that were directed exclusively at a young, female readership, which started in 1902 with Shà Âjokai (Girlsâ Sphere, published by Kinkodo), Shà Âjo sekai (Girlsâ World, published by Hakubunkan, 1906), Shà Âjo no tomo (Girlsâ Friend, Jitsugyo no Nihonsha, 1908), and Shà Âjo gahà  (Girlsâ Pictorial, Tokyosha, 1912). Shà Âjo no tomo was positioned as the sister magazine of Jitsugyo no NihonshaâÂÂs Nihon shonen (Japanese Boys). These shà Âjo (girl) magazines were often spin-offs of boys' magazines.
The "childâ came to be defined as someone guided and educated through the modern education system past compulsory primary education. The emergence of a distinct period categorized as "youth" was then subdivided according to gender. Early representations of the shà Âjo were largely confined to the domestic sphere and the girls' high school system, both of which emphasized the ryosai kenbo (good wife, wise mother) ideal.
Suzuki Sadami argues that âÂÂâÂÂthe âÂÂModern Girlâ emerged from the vortex created by the combination of the rise in interest in the principles of womenâÂÂs liberation and socialism, with the energy and culture of the new city that was reconstructed in the wake of the Great Kanto Earthquake.âÂÂ
The term modern girl is generally attributed to first appearing in Japan in Kitazawa Chà Âgo's article entitled âÂÂâÂÂThe Emergence of the Modern GirlâÂÂA Letter to My Sister in JapanâÂÂâ (Modan gÃÂru no hyà ÂgenâÂÂNihon no imà Âto ni okuru tegami), published in the April 1923 issue of Josei kaizà  (WomenâÂÂs Reform). Chà Âgo wrote about the modern girl in England in the August 1924 issue of Josei (Women), a popular womenâÂÂs magazine. Kitazawa spent a number of years in England and attributed universal qualities to the English modern girl, which he believed would surface in a Japanese counterpart. âÂÂâÂÂIf I were pressed to answer whether or not the modern girl exists in any great number in Japan, I would have to hesitate before replying. But if I answered with a flat âÂÂno,â I would also feel hesitant. Suffice it to say that quite a few girls in Japan possess the potential for being modern. There is little doubt in my mind that if the modern girl has not already appeared in Japanese society, she soon will."
Jun'ichirà  Tanizaki's 1924 novel Naomi was such a hit that it caused considerable outrage among elders in Japan. However, younger women embraced the story and celebrated the values displayed by several of the main characters. The character became a feature of many silent films produced in Japan at the time by directors like Yasujirà  Ozu. Actresses such as Tatsuta Shizue became known for their depiction of modern girls in contrast to the more traditional values depicted by other characters in films.
The modern girl archetype was further bolstered by magazines such as , founded in 1917, and , founded in 1922; both magazines ran articles, fashion tips, and advice on the modern girl lifestyle, with described as "the bible of the modern girl."
The values of modern girls emphasised complete financial and emotional independence. Modern girls would work service industry-style jobs and live on their own, not dependent on their family. They smoked, watched movies, and hung out at the cafes; they were sexually liberated, choosing their own suitors. Many of them participated in casual sex. In a 1928 short story by Kataoka Teppei, a young typist dates three "modern boys" at the same time. She is described as decadent, hedonistic, and superficial.
However, the ideals of modern girls were not considered to be politically-driven, nor did young women adopt modern girl values and behaviours as a direct form of protest. Instead, modern girls sought change via themselves, with consumerism the first and foremost consideration and driving factor. Modern girls constantly shopped at the new department stores and listened to jazz records.
A modern girl's appearance was completely Western. Modern girls wore pumps and short dresses, discarding the kimono and traditional hairstyles for Western-style "garçonne" looks; similar to flappers, the bob cut was immensely popular among modern girls, who also openly wore lipstick. Much of their dress and appearance resembled Western film stars such as Olive Thomas, Clara Bow, and Mary Pickford. Pickford is used as a symbol of modernism in Naomi.
The modern girl was a symbol of Westernization, and a symbol of extravagance and self-centred choices. However, following military coups in the mid- to late 1930s, extreme Japanese nationalism, the Great Depression and the Second Sino-Japanese War, the popularity of Western fashion, ideals and entertainment declined sharply. The decline of the modern girl, previously driven by the use of disposable income on consumerism and shopping, was only exacerbated further by the severe rationing of World War II. Following World War II, the developments of post-war Japan prompted a return to the 19th century ideal of "good wife, wise mother".