Shigeyo Takeuchi (竹内茂代) (August 31, 1881 December 15, 1975) was a Japanese physician. She was one of the first women elected to the Japanese Diet, though she only served one term.

Early life and education

Takeuchi was born Shigeyo Ide on August 31, 1881 in what is now

Kawakami, Nagano is a village located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. , the village had an estimated population of 4,009 in 1419 households, and a population density of 19 persons per km². The total area of the village is . The village office is located at an alti ...

. She was the oldest daughter of a local politician. As a child, she briefly attended elementary school, but stopped to take care of her siblings. After contracting

alopecia Hair loss, also known as alopecia or baldness, refers to a loss of hair from part of the head or body. Typically at least the head is involved. The severity of hair loss can vary from a small area to the entire body. Inflammation or scarri ...

, she went to a hospital in Tokyo, where she was inspired to become a physician by two female physicians who worked there. She studied under

Yoshioka Yayoi was a Japanese physician, educator, and women's rights activist. She founded the Tokyo Women's Medical University in 1900, as the first medical school for women in Japan. She was also known as Washiyama Yayoi. Biography Yoshioka was born in what ...

, and graduated from the

Tokyo Women's Medical University , TWMU, is a private university in Tokyo, Japan. The University olso operates the Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital within the campus, as well as a separate hospital in Yachiyo, Chiba. History TWMU originated from , which was founded b ...

in 1908. She was a member of the university's first graduating class. She married Kohei Takeuchi in 1916.

Career

Takeuchi opened a private practice in

Shinjuku is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world (Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration ...

in 1919. She also became active in the Japanese women's suffrage movement, and was a member of the Japanese Women's Suffrage League with

Ichikawa Fusae was a Japanese feminist, politician and a leader of the women's suffrage movement. Ichikawa was a key supporter of women's suffrage in Japan, and her activism was partially responsible for the extension of the franchise to women in 1945. Early ...

. In 1933 she earned a doctorate from

Tokyo Imperial University , abbreviated as or UTokyo, is a public research university located in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1877, the university was the first Imperial University and is currently a Top Type university of the Top Global University Project by ...

. In 1946 she was elected to the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

as a member of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

. She was one of the first women to be elected to the

Diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake ** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...

, and led the Female Diet Members' club. She focused on issues related to

health care Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...

, but also advocated for

eugenics Eugenics ( ; ) is a fringe set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter human gene pools by excluding people and groups judged to be inferior or ...

. Takeuchi was purged from office later that year and did not reenter politics. Takeuchi died on December 15, 1975.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Takeuchi, Shigeyo 1881 births 1975 deaths 20th-century Japanese physicians Japanese politicians Japanese feminists People from Nagano Prefecture Japanese women physicians 20th-century Japanese women politicians 20th-century Japanese politicians