Yoshioka Yayoi
Encyclopedia
was a physician
and women's rights activist, who founded the in 1900, as the first medical school for women in Japan
. She was also known as Washiyama Yayoi.
, Shizuoka prefecture
, where her father, a physician, advocated primary education for the village children. Yayoi grew up in the 19th century when women's education was frowned upon. She graduated from the Saisei-Gakusha school of medicine, and received the 27th medical license
granted to a woman in Japan. Realizing the difficulty of this career path for women in Japan, she resolved to start her own school of medicine, which she did before she was 30 years old.
The graduates of the Tokyo Women's Medical School (renamed the Tokyo Women's Medical University in 1998) were not allowed to practice medicine until 1912, when the Japanese government permitted women to enroll in the national medical examination. By 1930, almost a thousand women had gone through Yoshioka's school.
Yayoi was politically active through her life. With many of her colleagues, she advocated sex education
. In the 1930s, Yayoi was involved in the Japanese women's suffrage
movement and the "Clean Elections" movement in Japan. In 1938, the Japanese government appointed Yayoi and ten other female leaders to the "Emergency Council to Improve the Nation's Ways of Living," a pre-war mobilization effort. She was a leading figure in various wartime patriotic women's associations and youth associations. After the end of the war, she turned again to organizations promoting the education of women.
Yayoi was awarded the Order of the Precious Crown
in 1955, and the Order of the Sacred Treasure
posthumously in 1959.
The Yoshioka Memorial Prize was established to honor Yoshioka's successors. The Japan Medical Women's Association has named its two awards after Yoshioka Yayoi and Ogino Ginko
(the first woman to be licensed as a physician in Japan).
Yayoi was depicted on an 80-yen Japanese commemorative postage stamp, on September 20, 2000 together with Naruse Jinzo and Tsuda Umeko
. A memorial museum dedicated to Yayoi exists in Kakegawa, Shizuoka
.
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and women's rights activist, who founded the in 1900, as the first medical school for women in 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...
. She was also known as Washiyama Yayoi.
Biography
Yoshioka was born in what is now part of Kakegawa cityKakegawa, Shizuoka
is a city in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 117,858 and a population density of 444 persons per km². The total area was 265.63 km².-Geography:...
, Shizuoka prefecture
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
, where her father, a physician, advocated primary education for the village children. Yayoi grew up in the 19th century when women's education was frowned upon. She graduated from the Saisei-Gakusha school of medicine, and received the 27th medical license
Medical license
In most countries, only persons with a medical license bestowed either by a specified government-approved professional association or a government agency are authorized to practice medicine. Licenses are not granted automatically to all people with medical degrees...
granted to a woman in Japan. Realizing the difficulty of this career path for women in Japan, she resolved to start her own school of medicine, which she did before she was 30 years old.
The graduates of the Tokyo Women's Medical School (renamed the Tokyo Women's Medical University in 1998) were not allowed to practice medicine until 1912, when the Japanese government permitted women to enroll in the national medical examination. By 1930, almost a thousand women had gone through Yoshioka's school.
Yayoi was politically active through her life. With many of her colleagues, she advocated sex education
Sex education
Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
. In the 1930s, Yayoi was involved in the Japanese women's suffrage
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
movement and the "Clean Elections" movement in Japan. In 1938, the Japanese government appointed Yayoi and ten other female leaders to the "Emergency Council to Improve the Nation's Ways of Living," a pre-war mobilization effort. She was a leading figure in various wartime patriotic women's associations and youth associations. After the end of the war, she turned again to organizations promoting the education of women.
Yayoi was awarded the Order of the Precious Crown
Order of the Precious Crown
The Order of the Precious Crown is a Japanese order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. Originally the order had five classes, but on April 13, 1896 the sixth, seventh and eighth classes were added....
in 1955, and the Order of the Sacred Treasure
Order of the Sacred Treasure
The is a Japanese Order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan as the Order of Meiji. It is awarded in eight classes . It is generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit...
posthumously in 1959.
The Yoshioka Memorial Prize was established to honor Yoshioka's successors. The Japan Medical Women's Association has named its two awards after Yoshioka Yayoi and Ogino Ginko
Ogino Ginko
was the first licensed and practicing woman physician of western medicine in Japan.- Biography :Ogino was born in Musashi province . She was married at the age of 16 to the son of the first director of Ashikaga Bank; she soon divorced after contracting gonorrhoea from her husband...
(the first woman to be licensed as a physician in Japan).
Yayoi was depicted on an 80-yen Japanese commemorative postage stamp, on September 20, 2000 together with Naruse Jinzo and Tsuda Umeko
Tsuda Umeko
was an Japanese educator, feminist and pioneer in education for women in Meiji period Japan. Originally named , with mume or 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 :Tsuda Umeko...
. A memorial museum dedicated to Yayoi exists in Kakegawa, Shizuoka
Kakegawa, Shizuoka
is a city in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 117,858 and a population density of 444 persons per km². The total area was 265.63 km².-Geography:...
.
External links
- Yayoi Yoshioka, excerpt from "My Vision in Establishing a Women's Medical University and the Significance of Its Existence" (1958)