Dai Nippon fujinkai (Greater Japan Women Association or Great Japan Women's Association) was a Japanese women's organization, founded in 1942.[1]
The organization was founded when three women's associations: the Aikoku Fujinkai (Patriotic Women's Association, 1901–1942), the Dai-Nippon Rengo Fujinkai (Greater Japan Alliance of Women's Associations, 1931–1942) and the Dai-Nippon Kokubo Fujinkai (Greater Japan Women's Defence Association, 1932–1942), was merged on the order of the government and formed the Dai Nippon fujinkai (Greater Japan Women Association) on 2 February 1942.
The three predecessor organizations had a similar purpose as the Dai Nippon fujinkai, but while the membership of those had been voluntary, membership in the Dai Nippon fujinkai was obligatory for all adult married women nationwide, and its membership therefore consisted of about 20 million people.[2] The organization mobilized married women, while unmarried women where mobilized by the Women's Volunteer Corps.
The purpose of the organization was to mobilize women in war work: to strengthen the moral of the military; to maintain a frugal lifestyle on order to safe the nation's resources; to raise the production levels; and to support the military. It informed women of the state war policy, organized women in state war campaigns, collected donations, held lectures and participated in war work to free men for military service.
The organization published its own paper, Nippon Fujin (1942–1945).