This work is written in Japanese and reads, “I want to drink the miso soup you make every day.”
In Japan’s Shōwa era, this phrase was commonly understood as a marriage proposal.
 
At the time, it was typical for men to work outside the home while women were expected to become full-time housewives. When a man used this phrase, it implied a wish for marriage—“I want you to be in our home every day,” or “I want you to become my wife.”
 
Japanese society of that era was shaped by strong gender roles, reflected in the term teishukanpaku, which described a male-dominated household structure. Women were sometimes expected to walk slightly behind men rather than beside them. While this reflects a hierarchy that feels outdated today, it may also suggest a belief that men were responsible for protecting women.
 
Imagining these social values and contradictions of the time, the artist chose to render this phrase in a bold, powerful calligraphic style. Seen from a contemporary perspective, such assumptions about marriage and gender roles feel distant and unfamiliar—but they remain an important part of cultural history.
 
Size : 6' x 1'10" (183cm x 50cm)