, also known as Uryū Iwa, was a noted

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese

social worker Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social work ...

during the

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 ...

. She established a midwifery research institute and relief facility to care for orphans and the poor, and promoted social work and girls' education.

Life

Iwako was born in

Kitakata, Fukushima is a Cities of Japan, city located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 46,269 in 16,769 households, and a population density of 83 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Kitakata was once written ' ...

, to a merchant family of the

Aizu is the westernmost of the three regions of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, the other two regions being Nakadōri in the central area of the prefecture and Hamadōri in the east. As of October 1, 2010, it had a population of 291,838. The princip ...

domain. She lost her parents at age 9, and was looked after by grandparents. She was educated by an uncle-in-law, who was a doctor. Following the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

, she worked to promote girls' education, and various forms of social work. After becoming widowed at a young age, she devoted her life to helping poor and orphans, took the lead in building hospitals, and contributed to improving the living conditions of Fukushima and Tokyo's average citizens. In 1893, she founded the

Fukushima Aiikuen Orphanage The Fukushima Aiikuen Orphanage (福島愛育園) is located in Tazawa, Fukushima. It was founded in 1893 by Uryu Iwako and is still in operation today. Post Fukushima Disaster After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster, many orphanages were ...

, which is still in operation today. She established Kitakata's Saisei Hospital and an institution devoted to midwifery research. Iwako was the first woman to receive the Medal of Honor with Blue Ribbon, which is awarded by the Japanese government to outstanding individuals in the field of social welfare or public service. A bronze statue in her honor was dedicated in Shōkōen Park,

Asakusa is a district in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. It is known as the location of the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several other temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals, such as the . History The ...

in April 1901.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Uryu, Iwako Japanese social workers 1829 births 1897 deaths People from Aizu