Final answer:
Higuchi Ichiyo was a unique writer because of her focus on women and the underprivileged in her narratives, her emotive use of kana, and the way her works reflected and challenged Meiji era societal norms.
Step-by-step explanation:
Higuchi Ichiyo was a unique writer for her ability to capture the complexities of her time and provide a voice to women in literature during the Meiji era. Her narratives often focused on women and the underprivileged in society, setting her apart from her contemporaries. As a Japanese female writer, she expressed societal issues with a poignant and insightful style. The use of kana in her writing enabled a more emotive and nuanced expression, a technique similarly employed in the famous work, The Tale of Genji, by Murasaki Shikibu.
Additionally, Ichiyo's contemporaries, such as the Utagawa artists and Kano Eitoku, were creating art and literature that reflected the social and cultural dynamics of their time. Ichiyo's works were significant in that they not only reflected the societal norms but also challenged them by focusing on the lives of women and the poor.
Ichiyo's sense of independence and the unique narrative voice she developed can be seen as paralleling the objectivity sought by reviewers like Kakutani, and the distinct styles fostered by artists such as Tohaku and Kuniyoshi. Her uniqueness was reflected in her storytelling and the spaces she chose to illuminate within the Japanese society of her time.