Ichikawa Fusae
(1893–1981), leading Japanese politician, activist in Japan's women's liberation movement. Ichikawa Fusae was born in Aichi Prefecture and graduated from Aichi Women's Normal School, after which she first pursued a career in elementary school teaching and journalism. In 1919, she entered the Yuaikai, a leading labor union, and took an active part in promoting the status of women workers.
In the following year, she established the New Woman's Association with the feminist Hiratsuka Raicho (1886–1971). Resigning from the Association in 1921, Ichikawa went to the United States for two and a half years to study women's issues.
While working for the Tokyo branch of the International Labor Organization, Ichikawa formed the League for Women's Suffrage in 1924 and worked in the popular rights movement until the dissolution of the League in 1940. During World War II, Ichikawa played a significant role in numerous activities of the suffrage movement, which faced difficult compromises with the government over wartime collaboration. After the war, she established the New Japan Women's League (changing the name to The Japanese League of Women Voters in 1950), and she devoted herself to enlightening the public about women's issues and to promoting electoral ideals and political reform. From 1953, Ichikawa was elected five times to the House of Councilors, the last time being in 1980, the year before she died.
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