Kawai Michi
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was a Japanese educator, Christian activist, and proponent of Japanese-Western ties before, during, 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 opposing ...
. She served as the first Japanese National Secretary of the
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 ...
of Japan and founded
Keisen University is a private women's college in Tama, Tokyo, Japan, established in 1988. The university is linked to the Keisen School for Young Women, founded in 1929 by Michi Kawai, the National Secretary of the Young Women's Christian Associations of Japan. ...
.


Early life

Kawai was born on July 29, 1877, in Yamada City in the Province of Ise, to Kawai Noriyasu, a Shinto priest, and Shimosato Kikue, the daughter of the village master of Makkido. When Kawai was still a child, her father lost his job and chose to move his family to
Hakodate is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of July 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 279,851 with 143,221 households, and a population density of 412.8 ...
, in
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 lar ...
, where the government was encouraging people to settle. There, in 1887, she began attending a newly established boarding school in Sapporo, run by a Presbyterian missionary named Sarah C. Smith. Originally known as Smith Girls' School, the school was later renamed ''Hokusei Jogakko'', or North Star Girls’ School. (In 1951, the school became Hokusei Gakuen Women's Junior College, and in 1962
Hokusei Gakuen University is a four-year private university in Atsubetsu-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. The university is run by Hokusei Gakuen School System, whose education philosophy is based on Christianity. Its name Hokusei (北星) means "north (北)" and "star ( ...
was founded.) At Miss Smith's school, Kawai began learning Japanese composition and writing, arithmetic, and English. Other subjects, such as botany, Japanese literature, zoology, the Chinese classics, and algebra and geometry were added in time. Some classes were taught by professors from
Sapporo Agricultural College was a school in Sapporo, Hokkaidō established in September 1875 for the purpose of educating students in the agriculture industry. History The first president of the college was Zusho Hirotake. Dr. William Smith Clark, a graduate of Amhers ...
(later to become
Hokkaido University , or , is a Japanese national university in Sapporo, Hokkaido. It was the fifth Imperial University in Japan, which were established to be the nation's finest institutions of higher education or research. Hokkaido University is considered ...
), such as
Nitobe Inazō was a Japanese author, educator, agricultural economist, diplomat, politician, and Protestant Christian during the late Meiji era. Early life Nitobe was born in Morioka, Mutsu Province (present-day Iwate Prefecture). His father Nitobe J ...
. In 1895, shortly before turning 18, Kawai spent a year helping to start up another girls' school in northern
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 lar ...
, experience that would prove useful later in her life.


Study in the United States

Upon her return to Hokusei Jogakko,
Nitobe Inazō was a Japanese author, educator, agricultural economist, diplomat, politician, and Protestant Christian during the late Meiji era. Early life Nitobe was born in Morioka, Mutsu Province (present-day Iwate Prefecture). His father Nitobe J ...
encouraged Kawai to travel to the United States to study. She first spent time in Tokyo studying with Tsuda Ume and was awarded a scholarship from an American committee which Tsuda had founded in Philadelphia. Kawai moved to the United States at the age of 21 and enrolled in an American preparatory school. She entered
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 ...
in
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
1900, graduating in 1904. While in the United States, Kawai became involved with the Young Women’s Christian Association (
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 ...
) which worked to better women's lives through the promotion of social and economic change. In particular, she attended a YWCA Conference in New York State during the summer of 1902. There she met a Canadian woman named Caroline Macdonald, who would later be sent to Japan by the World's Committee of the
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 ...
in order to help establish a Japanese National YWCA Association.


Return to Japan

After graduation she returned to Japan, teaching at Tsuda Ume's girls' school ''Joshi Eigaku Juku'' (Women’s English School), which would later become
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 ...
. There she taught English, translation, and history. She also became one of the founding members of the Japanese
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 ...
along with Caroline Macdonald, who had arrived in Japan in 1905. Kawai would become the first National Secretary (a position also referred to as the General Secretary), of the Japanese
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 ...
in 1912, a position she would hold until 1926. In 1916, Kawai chose to turn her attention full-time to the YWCA, giving up teaching. She worked to expand the National Association and create local city-level YWCA associations throughout Japan as well as travelled internationally to global meetings of the YWCA where she often spoke on behalf of the Japanese Association. Following the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, Kawai also served as the first chairman of the Federation of Tokyo Women's Associations, which played a significant role in organizing the post-earthquake relief efforts.


Foundation of Keisen University

In 1929, Kawai founded a Christian school for young women in Tokyo. She named this school ''Keisen Jogaku-en'' (Fountain-of-blessings Girls’ Learning-garden). While initially situated in a rental house in Tokyo, and enrolling nine girls in 1929, its first school year, the school soon outgrew its location. By 1931 the school had its own grounds and 60 students and it continued to grow. In its first years, the school taught Japanese, Mathematics, History and Geography, Science, English, Japanese sewing, Singing and Games, Drawing, Bible and Morals, International Study, and Gardening. Out of this school grew the modern
Keisen University is a private women's college in Tama, Tokyo, Japan, established in 1988. The university is linked to the Keisen School for Young Women, founded in 1929 by Michi Kawai, the National Secretary of the Young Women's Christian Associations of Japan. ...
, which was founded in Tama, Tokyo in 1988.


Continuing Cultural Outreach

Simultaneously continuing her work as a Japanese Christian, in 1934 Kawai published ''Japanese Women Speak: A Message from the Christian Women of Japan to the Christian Women of America'', a book requested by the United Study of Foreign Missions, a Christian outreach organization. That same year, Kawai travelled to the United States on a sponsored speaking tour promoting Japanese-American relations. In 1941 Kawai attended a meeting of the Foreign Mission Boards of North America and Canada, representing Japanese Christian women. While in California, Kawai was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Science from
Mills College Mills College at Northeastern University is a private college in Oakland, California and part of Northeastern University's global university system. Mills College was founded as the Young Ladies Seminary in 1852 in Benicia, California; it was ...
in California. In her biography, Michi wrote, “‘This is a gesture of American goodwill to Japan at this critical moment,’ said my soul to me, ‘therefore accept the honor, not for yourself, but for your country, and pledge yourself to stand for the cause of peace and friendship in this hour of tribulation.’"


References

Citations Sources * * * * * * *


External links


Keisen University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kawai, Michi Japanese Christians Japanese educators Japanese writers English-language writers from Japan Christian writers 1877 births 1953 deaths Japanese Protestants People of Meiji-period Japan Academic staff of Tsuda University Academic staff of Keisen University Japanese women educators University and college founders Women founders