Popular Culture Review Vol. 8, No. 2, August 1997 | Page 52

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There are other teleplays that are more subtle, but
nevertheless strike a new path in redefining women's role. An
interesting example is the 3 OL on the Road (OL San-Nin Ryoko) and
The New 3 OL Both series have identical formats but the new one
has a younger cast. Both shows deal with murders accidentally
discovered by three women while on vacations in some exotic places
in Japan and abroad, but the message that comes across most
forcefully is the strong bond of friendship among the women. In each
episode, at least one of the "OLs" ("office ladies" in Japanese) would
be touched by romance with men whom they met on their trips.
However, all the men inevitably turned out to be scoundrels. In the
end, it is the bond among the women that stands up as true.
By using a travel format, the show also undermines another
old social norm. Traditionally, women in Japan were expected to stay
home. This norm can be seen in the way married women are addressed
in polite conversations. In her book, Womansword, Kittredge Cherry
explains, when a Japanese addresses another person's wife, the term
"Okusan" is used, which can be literally translated as "Mrs.
Interior;" men call their own wives, "Kanai" which means "the one
who stays home." By putting the three "OLs" on the road, the show
spotlights a new path for women. In fact, one of the "OLs,"
technically speaking, is not an "office lady", a term usually applied
to low-level female employees in Japan. The woman is a project
engineer in a large construction company, a rare occupation for women
in Japan and anywhere.
Return to Matriarchy
"You are already rich. Why do you want more?" asked her
lover-confidant. To which Itodai replied, "I really don't know. I
guess it is because I'm from a family where for generations women
have the money and the power to control men." This is the motive
that sets in motion the sibling rivalry which is the main storyline of
a 60-episode TV show, A Family of Matritineal Descent (Jokei
Kazoku) in 1992.
While the series, dwelling on the fighting over family
fortunes among three daughters after the death of their parents, does
not showcase women in the best light, it does remind the viewers of
Japan's matrilineal past and dramatizes a little publicized form of
traditional marriage, muko-tori kekkon (literally translated as son-