The Charlotte

Masami Tsubouchi, Curator at Hara Contemporary Art Museum
Hometown: Tokyo

Tell me about your background
I was born in Tokyo. I got my MA in art history from a private graduate school here. 

What are you responsible for in your current position?
After having worked as a secretary at government offices and private companies, I went back to study and obtained my MA. Then I began to work at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art. Currently I am a curator at the museum, taking part in organizing and planning exhibitions and events.

In your view, how has being a woman affected your career?
I believe being a woman has almost no effect on my current job. If I must say, being a woman allows more freedom to work, meaning we are free from certain pressures, as women are less interested in financial success or social status.

©2010 New Line Productions, Inc. and Home Box Office, Inc.

What do you mean by that?
I suppose there are Japanese women who are interested in money and social status, but as women have been in the weaker position throughout history, I feel most of them are liberated from all the expectations and are able to work freely, not worrying too much about financial or social success. Therefore, they feel happier to be able to do anything they want to do the way they want to, rather than having social success or gaining honor. I may be the exception, but that’s how I feel.

How do you feel that being a working woman in Japan compares to the situation overseas?
From my experiences of living in the US, the UK and Japan, I gather working women in the field of art—where women have more career opportunities compared to other fields—can work actively and energetically.

The women in Sex and the City have such melodramatic love lives. Is that true for you, or for your friends or Japanese women in general?
Personally, the time spent with my family and friends is priceless. I hope for the happiness of those I encounter but am not really interested in how Japanese women in general spend their time.

What Tokyo hotspots can you recommend?
Of course, the Hara Museum! Also, I like shitamachi in general, which are not limited to the east side of Tokyo. To me, places that still retain a Showa-period ambience, or certain back alleys of Omotesando, Azabu or Jiyugaoka, can be categorized as shitamachi. There are so many kinds of people and a diversity of lifestyle. It is so fascinating and I never get bored of it.