was born on June 21, 1884 in Kawashiri,
Kōzan Town,
Sera County,
Hiroshima Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Hiroshima Prefecture has a population of 2,811,410 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 8,479 km² (3,274 sq mi). Hiroshima Prefecture borders Okayama ...
, the third daughter of . After studying at Kawashiri Elementary School, Hongo Middle School, and the Kozan Needlecraft School, she found employment at a local elementary school.
In 1901 she moved to
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
and enrolled in
Wayo Women's University, subsequently taking a teaching position in
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-densest at . Its geographic area of makes it fifth-smallest. Kana ...
.
In 1907 she married , an employee of the Imperial Household Ministry. With his help and support, she founded a needlecraft school in
, a stone's throw from the Imperial Palace (
Kokyo
The is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda district of the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains several buildings including the where the Emperor has his living quarters, the where va ...
). This school later developed into the Otsuma Girls' Middle and High Schools and
Otsuma Women's University and Junior College.
In 1952 she founded the Kozan Art and Craft High School and remained its head until her death.
Otsuma died on January 3, 1970.
Otsuma is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of women's education in Japan, even though the curricula of her schools emphasized
home economics
Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences, is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and food preparation, as well as texti ...
and traditional social values. Her connections to the Imperial Palace and her active support of the
militaristic
Militarism is the belief or the desire of a government or a people that a state should maintain a strong military capability and to use it aggressively to expand national interests and/or values. It may also imply the glorification of the mili ...
government led to her being investigated after the
Pacific War
The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
, but no action was taken. Conversely, her contributions to Japanese education were recognized by the following Imperial Awards:
*1954 Medal with Blue Ribbon (藍綬褒章, ''ranjuhōshō'')
*1964 Order of the Precious Crown, Butterfly (宝冠白蝶章, ''hōkanshirochōshō'')
*1970
Order of the Sacred Treasure
The is a Japanese order, established on 4 January 1888 by Emperor Meiji as the Order of Meiji. Originally awarded in eight classes (from 8th to 1st, in ascending order of importance), since 2003 it has been awarded in six classes, the lowest ...
, Gold and Silver Star (瑞宝重光章, ''zuihōjūkōshō'')
In 2002 she was posthumously made an Honorary Citizen of Kozan Town.
External links
Otsuma Women's University
De facto alumni association.
Celebrations of the 120th Anniversary of Otsuma Kotaka's birth.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Otsuma, Kotaka
1884 births
1970 deaths
Japanese educators
People from Hiroshima Prefecture
Japanese women educators
University and college founders
Women founders