Tane Matsukata (February 18, 1918 – June 8, 1989; 松方種子)(in

kana are syllabary, syllabaries used to write Japanese phonology, Japanese phonological units, Mora (linguistics), morae. In current usage, ''kana'' most commonly refers to ''hiragana'' and ''katakana''. It can also refer to their ancestor , wh ...

まつかたたねこ), often written Tané Matsukata or Matsukata Taneko, was a Japanese educator and librarian, founder and principal of the Nishimachi International School in Tokyo.

Early life and education

Matsukata was born in Tokyo, the daughter of Matsukata Shokuma and Matsukata Miyo. She was the granddaughter of Prince Masayoshi Matsukata, on her father's side, and businessman

Ryoichiro Arai Arai Ryoichiro (新井領一郎) (August 31, 1855 April 10, 1939) was a Japanese businessman. He helped to build trade relationships between the United States and Japan, especially in the silk industry. Early life and education Arai was born ...

was her maternal grandfather. Her mother was born in New York City, and was one of the first Japanese adherents to

Christian Science Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices which are associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes in ...

. Matsukata graduated from

Principia College Principia College is a private liberal arts college in Elsah, Illinois. It was founded in 1912 by Mary Kimball Morgan with the purpose of "serving the Cause of Christian Science." Morgan wrote in her book, Education at the Principia that, "Alt ...

in Illinois in 1941, and earned a master's degree in library science from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. She had four sisters, including jewelry designer Miye Matsukata and Haru Reischauer.

Career

Matsukata worked in the

National Diet Library The is the national library of Japan and among the largest libraries in the world. It was established in 1948 for the purpose of assisting members of the in researching matters of public policy. The library is similar in purpose and scope to ...

after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. She founded the Nishimachi International School in Tokyo in 1949, and was the school's longtime principal.

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt ( ; October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D ...

mentioned Matsukata and her sister Haru in a 1953 ''

My Day ''My Day'' was a newspaper column written by First Lady of the United States Eleanor Roosevelt (ER) six days a week from December 31, 1935, to September 26, 1962. In her column, Roosevelt discussed issues including civil rights, women's rights, a ...

'' column, saying "They are running a small school where children of eight nations come to learn English. They would like to have this a real international school and it seems to be growing very rapidly so they may have some success." The Tokyo mansion her parents commissioned by American architect

Merrell Vories Hitotsuyanagi Merrell Vories Hitotsuyanagi, also known as ; born William Merrell Vories (October 28, 1880 – May 7, 1964), was an educator, architect, entrepreneur, Christian lay missionary, and founder of the Omi Mission. Born in the United States, he later ...

in the 1920s became one of the school's buildings.

Personal life

Matsukata died in 1989, at the age of 71.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matsukata, Tane 1918 births 1989 deaths People from Tokyo Principia College alumni Columbia University alumni Japanese educators Japanese librarians Matsukata family