, also known as Uryū Iwa, was a noted Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese social worker during the Meiji period

Meiji period

The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...

.

Iwako was born in Kitakata, Fukushima

Kitakata, Fukushima

is a city located in Fukushima, in northern Honshū, Japan. Kitakata was once written '北方', which meant 'northern place'.As of May 2011, the city had an estimated population of 51,955. The total area is 554.67km².The city was founded on March 31, 1954....

, to a merchant family of the Aizu

Aizu

is an area comprising the westernmost third of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. The principal city of the area is Aizuwakamatsu.During the Edo period, Aizu was a feudal domain known as and part of Mutsu Province.-History:...

 domain. She lost her parents at age 9, and was looked after by grandparents. After becoming widowed, she devoted her life to helping poor and orphans, took the lead in building hospitals, and contributed to improving the living conditions of Tokyo's average citizens. A statue in her honor was dedicated in Asakusa

Asakusa

is a district in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan, most famous for the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several other temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals.- History :...

 in April 1901.