was a
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
educator and a pioneer in
education for women
Female education is a catch-all term of a complex set of issues and debates surrounding education ( primary education, secondary education, tertiary education, and health education in particular) for girls and women. It is frequently called girl ...
in
Meiji period
The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912.
The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...
Japan.
[Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Tsuda Umeko" in .] Originally named Tsuda Ume, with ''ume'' referring to the
Japanese plum, she went by the name Ume Tsuda while studying in the United States before changing her name to Umeko in 1902.
Early life
![Umeko Tsuda as a little girl 1871](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Umeko_Tsuda_as_a_little_girl_1871.jpg)
Tsuda Ume was born in the
Ushigome
is the name of a neighborhood in Shinjuku, Tokyo, and a former ward (牛込区 ''Ushigome-ku'') in the now-defunct Tokyo City. In 1947, when the 35 wards of Tokyo were reorganized into 23, it was merged with Yotsuya ward of Tokyo City and Yodoba ...
neighborhood of
Edo (present Minami,
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 ...
) as the second daughter of
Tsuda Sen
was a politician, educator and writer in Meiji period Japan. He was one of the founders of Aoyama Gakuin university, and the father of noted author Tsuda Umeko.
Biography
Tsuda was born as the fourth son of a low ranking ''samurai'' of Sakura ...
and his wife Hatsuko, a progressive agriculturist and strong proponent of the westernization and Christianization of Japan. In 1871, Tsuda Sen was involved in the
Hokkaido
is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel.
The la ...
colonization project under
Kuroda Kiyotaka
Count , also known as , was a Japanese politician of the Meiji era. He was Prime Minister of Japan from 1888 to 1889. He was also vice chairman of the Hokkaido Development Commission ( Kaitaku-shi).
Biography
As a Satsuma ''samurai''
Kur ...
, and raised the topic of western education for women as well as for men.
Under Kuroda's sponsorship, Tsuda Ume was volunteered by her father as one of five women members of the
Iwakura mission
The Iwakura Mission or Iwakura Embassy (, ''Iwakura Shisetsudan'') was a Japanese diplomatic voyage to the United States and Europe conducted between 1871 and 1873 by leading statesmen and scholars of the Meiji period. It was not the only such m ...
.
At the age of six, she was also the youngest member of the expedition. She arrived in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
in November 1871 and remained in the United States as a student until she was 18 years old.
Tsuda lived in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
from December 1871 with
Charles Lanman
Charles Lanman (June 14, 1819 - March 4, 1895) was an American author, government official, artist, librarian, and explorer.
Biography
Charles Lanman was born in Monroe, Michigan, on June 14, 1819, the son of Charles James Lanman, and the gr ...
(the secretary of Japanese legation), and his wife Adeline. As they had no children, they welcomed her like their own child. Under the name of Ume Tsuda, she attended the middle-class
Georgetown Collegiate School, where she learned
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
. Upon graduating, she received awards in composition, writing, arithmetic, and deportment.
After graduating, she entered the
Archer Institute
Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...
, which catered to the daughters of politicians and bureaucrats. She excelled in language, math, science, and music, especially the piano. In addition to English, she also studied
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
and
French. About one year after arriving in the United States, Tsuda asked to be baptized as a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
. Although the Lanmans were
Episcopalians
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
, they decided she should attend the
nonsectarian
Nonsectarian institutions are secular institutions or other organizations not affiliated with or restricted to a particular religious group.
Academic sphere
Examples of US universities that identify themselves as being nonsectarian include Adelp ...
Old Swedes Church.
Coming back to Japan
By the time Tsuda returned to Japan in 1882, she had almost forgotten
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
, her native language, which caused temporary difficulties. She also experienced
cultural problems adjusting to the inferior position of women in Japanese society. Even her father, Tsuda Sen, who was radically westernized in many ways, was still traditionally
patriarchal
Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of Dominance hierarchy, dominance and Social privilege, privilege are primarily held by men. It is used, both as a technical Anthropology, anthropological term for families or clans controll ...
and
authoritarian
Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in the rule of law, separation of powers, and democratic votin ...
with regards to women.
Tsuda was hired by
Itō Hirobumi
was a Japanese politician and statesman who served as the first Prime Minister of Japan. He was also a leading member of the ''genrō'', a group of senior statesmen that dictated Japanese policy during the Meiji era.
A London-educated samur ...
to be a tutor for his children. In 1885, she then began to work in a girls' school for the daughters of the ''
kazoku
The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan, which existed between 1869 and 1947. They succeeded the feudal lords () and court nobles (), but were abolished with the 1947 constitution.
Kazoku ( 華族) should not be confused with ' ...
'' peerage, known as
Peeresses' School, but she was not satisfied by the restriction of educational opportunities to within the peerage and nobility, and she was not satisfied with the school policy that education was intended to polish girls as ladies and train them to be obedient wives and good mothers. She was assisted from 1888 by a friend from her days in America,
Alice Bacon, from 1888. She decided to return to the United States.
Second stay in the United States
![Umeko Tsuda at graduation 1890](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Umeko_Tsuda_at_graduation_1890.jpg)
Tsuda returned to the United States and attended
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College ( ; Welsh: ) is a women's liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Founded as a Quaker institution in 1885, Bryn Mawr is one of the Seven Sister colleges, a group of elite, historically women's colleges in the United St ...
in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
from 1889 to 1892, where she majored in biology and education. She also studied at
St Hilda's College, Oxford
St Hilda's College is one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college is named after the Anglo-Saxon Saint, Hilda of Whitby and was founded in 1893 as a hall for women; it ...
. During her second stay in the United States, Tsuda decided that other Japanese women should have the opportunity to study overseas as well. She made numerous public speeches about Japanese women's education and raised $8,000 in funds to establish a scholarship for Japanese women.
Establishment of Tsuda College
![Sutematsu, Alice, Ukeko, Shigeko](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Sutematsu%2C_Alice%2C_Ukeko%2C_Shigeko.jpg)
After returning to Japan, Tsuda Ume once again taught at Peeresses' School, as well as at
Tokyo Women's Normal School
is a women's university in the Ōtsuka neighborhood of Bunkyō-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Ochanomizu University is one of the top national universities in Japan.
Ochanomizu is the name of a Tokyo neighborhood where the university was founded.
Histor ...
, her salary was 800 yen and her post was the highest available to women of her era. She published several dissertations and made speeches about improving the status of women. The 1899 Girl's Higher Education Law, required each prefecture to establish at least one public middle school for girls. However, these schools were not able to provide girls with the same quality of education as that of the boys' schools. In 1900, with the help of her friends Princess
Ōyama Sutematsu
Princess , born , was a prominent figure in the Meiji era, and the first Japanese woman to receive a college degree. She was born into a traditional samurai household which supported the Tokugawa shogunate during the Boshin War. As a child, she ...
and Alice Bacon, she founded the located in
Kōjimachi
is a district in Chiyoda, Tokyo.
History
Prior to the arrival of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the area was known as . The area developed as townspeople settled along the Kōshū Kaidō.
In 1878, the Kōjimachi area became , a ward of the city of Tokyo.
I ...
,
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 ...
to provide equal opportunity for a
liberal arts
Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the ...
education for all women regardless of parentage. She later changed her name to Tsuda Umeko in 1902. The school faced a chronic funding shortfall, and Tsuda spent much time fundraising in order to support the school. Due to her enthusiastic efforts, the school gained official recognition in 1903.
![Tsuda Umeko](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Tsuda_Umeko.jpg)
In 1905, Tsuda became the first president of the Japanese branch of the Tokyo
YWCA
The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries.
The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...
.
Death
Tsuda's busy life eventually undermined her health, and she suffered a stroke. In January 1919, she retired to her summer cottage in
Kamakura
is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
Kamakura has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 persons per km² over the total area of . Kamakura was designated as a city on 3 November 1939.
Kamak ...
, where she died after a long illness in 1929 at age 64. Her grave is on the grounds of
Tsuda College
is a private women's university based at Kodaira, Tokyo. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious higher educational institutions for women in Japan, contributing to the advancement of women in society for more than a century.
History
The u ...
in
Kodaira, Tokyo
is a city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 195,207 in 93,654 households, and a population density of 9500 persons per km². The total area of the city was .
Geography
Kodaira i ...
.
Legacy
The ''Joshi Eigaku Juku'' changed its name to ''Tsuda Eigaku Juku'' in 1933 and, after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, became
Tsuda College
is a private women's university based at Kodaira, Tokyo. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious higher educational institutions for women in Japan, contributing to the advancement of women in society for more than a century.
History
The u ...
. It remains one of the most prestigious women's institutes of higher education in Japan.
Although Tsuda strongly desired social reform for women, she did not advocate a
feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
social movement, and she opposed the women's
suffrage movement. Her activities were based on her philosophy that education should focus on developing individual intelligence and personality.
Tsuda Umeko will be featured on new
Japanese banknotes to be issued in 2024.
See also
*
Tsuda University
is a private women's university based at Kodaira, Tokyo. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious higher educational institutions for women in Japan, contributing to the advancement of women in society for more than a century.
History
The ...
*
Ōyama Sutematsu
Princess , born , was a prominent figure in the Meiji era, and the first Japanese woman to receive a college degree. She was born into a traditional samurai household which supported the Tokugawa shogunate during the Boshin War. As a child, she ...
* ''
Daughters of the Samurai: A Journey from East to West and Back''
References
Sources
*
Jansen, Marius B. (2000). ''The Making of Modern Japan.'' Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
OCLC 44090600*
* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan encyclopedia.''Cambridge:
Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retirem ...
.
OCLC 58053128* Rose, Barbara. ''Tsuda Umeko and Women's Education in Japan''. Yale University Press 1992,
External links
Tsuda University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tsuda, Umeko
19th-century Japanese educators
Alumni of St Hilda's College, Oxford
Bryn Mawr College alumni
1864 births
1929 deaths
People from Tokyo
Japanese Protestants
Ochanomizu University faculty
People of Meiji-period Japan
Members of the Iwakura Mission
Tsuda University
University and college founders
Women founders
Japanese women educators
19th-century Japanese women