John Batchelor

John Batchelor

By Mei Suzuki

John Batchelor was called a father of Ainu. He was born on March 20, 1854 in England. His parents were Christian so he became Christian as well. He learned how to spread Christianity to Oriental countries in his university so he moved to Hong Kong in 1877 as a missionary. However he couldn't get used to Hong Kong, so he moved to Hakodate in Hokkaido when he was 24 years old. In Hokkaido, he heard that Ainu were discriminated against by wajin (old Japanese), so he wanted to change their situation.

Ainu were often separated into two regions, which were Karahuto and Chishima, because of relationship between Japan and Russia at that time. Also they had to be the same as wajin because Meiji government forced them to do that. So they had to work like wajin but they didn’t know how to work and how to write because their main job was hunting animals. Therefore Ainu spent hard life and were discriminated against by wajin.

Batchelor was sad when he heard about Ainu so he did a lot of things for Ainu. He built a school, Airin Gakkou, for Ainu. They could learn alphabets there. Then, he made a dictionary, Kawaeisantai, of Ainu language. He translated Ainu language to English so people around the world could know Ainu language. In addition, he built a hospital for Ainu so they could go there for free. Then he made an Ainu girls school. This school is for Ainu girls who lost parents or didn't have houses. After that, he made an Ainu Kyouka-Dan to let Ainu children study higher level than junior high school. At last, he built a Batchelor school in Sapporo.

He helped Ainu children to be able to go to school and to spend a valuable life by donating. A lot of Ainu children could go to school thanks to him. When he was 70 years old, he retired as a missionary and went back to England. He died when he was 90 years old in England. After his death, Ainu held a lot of ceremonies for him. Because of such a great achievements for Ainu, he was called a father of Ainu.

During the discussion, I asked my classmates “What did you know about Ainu?” and I realized Japanese people don’t know much about Ainu even though Ainu are related to Japanese people the most. I thought they should know about Ainu because Ainu and we are friends. Also they said they could understand what Ainu is, and how terrible the discrimination that they faced, through my presentation, so I was happy.

Through this presentation, I could learn much about Ainu that I didn't know much and what an important person Batchelor is for Ainu. He is not Japanese but he studied a lot about Ainu and did a lot of great achievements for them. I really respect him. In addition, I could learn many wonderful people and what they did through my classmates’ presentations. I became more interested in history thanks to this project.

The Contributions of Yamao Yozo to Japan

Yamao Yozo

By Yuka Tanaka

If you can say names of all the members of Choshu Five, you are quite familiar with Japanese history. Choshu Five are well-known as people who made Japan’s foundation from foreign countries. However, most Japanese people do not know the details or they know only one member, especially Hirobumi Ito. He was the first prime minister of Japan, so he is the most famous person of Choshu Five. However, it could be said that Yamao Yozo is one of the people who improved the level of Japan. He also traveled to learn and brought knowledge as a member of Choshu Five. He developed Japan infrastructure, education for industry and society and chances to work for people who are deaf and speech- impaired.


Infrastructure

Yamao Yozo contributed to make infrastructure of Japan. He had a chance to go to London to learn. One of studies he learned was civil engineering which is a technical skill of founding bases to live. After he came back to Japan, he had opportunities to be in the Japanese government. According to Kitayama (2006), “Yamao’s policy was that a country could grow under the power industry.” He tried to make Japanese infrastructure better, and he focused on three points for infrastructure in Japan. One of his works is that he tried to adopt engineering to improve Japanese industry. He noticed that accepting the iron industry and the shipbuilding industry as government management was a quicker way to develop Japan. Also, he provided networks of roads in Japan. He became a leader of making railways and lighthouses, and they became important things to transport people and materials. In addition, Yamao took part in a plan of building a government office quarter. He became a leader of planning to make a new government office in an area in Tokyo. This area has been well-known as the government area of Kasumigaseki, where there are many buildings of government office.


Schools

Yamao tried to give chances to educate people for the future of Japanese industry and society. According to Kitayama (2006),”his thinking is that people can create workers if the basic of industry is not in Japan, and they would be people who could contribute to Japanese industry.” Yamao thought that engineers from England exactly contributed to create Japan’s infrastructure. However, he felt it was important to educate young Japanese people who would be great engineers in the future, so Japan would not need to rely on England forever. Miyoshi’s (1992) study found the following: Yamao built an engineering school, because he felt Japan needed to educate people to create independence of any Japanese technology. Also, there was no precent that a school gave a perfectly new education of engineering around the world. (p.292) Yamao’s plan for starting a school for engineering was accepted, and the school opened in 1873. Moreover, he found a school of art for industry. At the time, he had ideas of industrial designs, and he thought that industry is connected with art, so people should study art for industry. Also, he gave education and skill to persons with hearing and speaking disabilities. He tried to collect money to establish a school for them from many people and the Imperial Family, and the school started in 1880.


Education

Yamao introduced education for persons who are deaf and speech-impaired to Japan. He felt that people could get greater skill and abilities as workers by education (Asahi.com, 2004). He had chances to study and work at Napier’s shipyard in Scotland from 1866 to 1868. During his stay in the place, he saw people who were workmen and did not speak at all. However, he noticed that the people could not communicate with words, but they used a sign language to communicate with each other. He thought that people who are deaf and speech-impaired in Japan also could work like the Scottish workmen. In addition, they could contribute to Japanese society as workers, so he tried to make chances to live and work in society for these people in Japan. Therefore, he built a school for them in 1880, and he proposed that the school should be in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Furthermore, he became the president of the Japan Association for Persons with Hearing and Speaking Disabilities, and he tried to spread sign language in Japan.

Yamao Yozo is the person who modernized Japan, especially for industry. He contributed to make infrastructure of Japan, tried to educate people for the future of Japanese industry and society, and introduced education for people who are deaf and speech- impaired. If you are Japanese or a person who is interested in Japanese history, you should know about his contributions. Nowadays, his efforts and thinking have been inherited in Japan.


References

Kitayama, T. (2006). Life of Yamao Yozo.  Retrieved December 22, 2013 from Toshikazu Kitayama’s website: http://ktymtskz.my.coocan.jp/denki/yamao.htm

Miyoshi, N. (1992). A Career of Samurai-Engineer Yamao Yozo. Retrieved January 8, 2014 from CiNii Website: http://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/110002474683

Asahi.com (2004). Yamao Yozo, His Experience in a Shipyard influenced education for persons who are deaf and speech-impaired. Retrieved January 18, 2014 from Asahi.com: home.att.ne.jp/air/walnut/japan-uk/cyousyu-five_asahi05.pdf

Oyama Sutematu

By Yui Fukatsu

Oyama Sutematsu

Oyama Sutematsu is the lady who tried to change Japanese education because she was really interested in American life style. I chose her because I am interested in why she is not famous in Japan. This essay is focused on her back ground, her life in foreign country and her contribution to Japan’s education.

At first, I will introduce about her background. She was born on March 16th, in 1860. Her name was Saki. Her father was so rich because he was the leader of Aizu-han which was located around modern-day Fukushima. For this reason, Saki was also rich and her childhood was wealthy. However, her life’s turning point came with the Aizu war which was fought between Aizu and the government, which Aizu lost. Then, Saki entered French family as foster child because Aizu people suffered from poverty and stavation, so Saki’s family thought they could not bring her up. In 1871, Kuroda Kiyotaka wanted some men and women to go to America because women and man are equal in America. Then Saki decided to go to America because one of this project’s students was Saki’s brother Kenjiro, and she related to European lifestyle in her new family.

Next, I will talk about her life in America. She changed her name to Sutematsu. At the same time, Tsuda Umeko, who became famous for contributing Japanese education, went to America, too. I will explain about her at last part. After arriving in United States, Sutematsu grew up with the Bacon family. There she met their daughter, Alice Bacon, and they became best friends. Four years later, Sutematsu could speak English perfectly, so she entered local high school and Vassar College which is famous in America. She was so excellent and beautiful. She was first Japanese person who graduated from a US University. Then, she entered nursing school and studied a year and became interested in International Red Cross. Her dream was to establish Japanese Red Cross and advance Japanese girls’ education. Her study in United States was 11 years.

At last, I want to focus on her obsession after coming back to Japan. First of all, she really felt cramped because her lifestyle was very Americanised in terms of thinking, acting and so on. She could not write or read Kanji. In this era, there was no job for people like Sutematsu. However, when she was 23 years old she got married Oyama Iwao. Meanwhile, Meiji government made Rokumeikan for social purposes, completing it in 1883 [Editor’s note: Rokumeikan was a large Western-style building built to accommodate foreign dignitaries.It became controversial for holding extravagant banquets and balls aimed to impress visitors with Japan’s sophistication and development]. Japanese people tried to know Western culture. In this place which was to become a controversial symbol of Westernisation, many foreigners laughed at Japanese because they danced and wore clothes like clowns. However, Sutematsu was just a good Japanese person who naturally adapted to foreign culture. People called Sutematsu “The flower of Rokumeikan”.

In Sino-Japanese war and Russo-Japanese war, her husband, Oyama, became a leader. She supported him by collecting money and taking care of veterans as a nurse. In addition, she tried to send letters to American Newspaper Company to claim that Japan’s financial difficulty. This action made American people support Japan. Also, her dream was to be a teacher and establish Japanese girl’s education. She could not relate to education because her husband worked at government. However, she didn’t give up. In this point, I will explain about Tsuda Ume as I said. She was student who went and lived America same time as Sutematsu. She studied a lot and she changed her name to Tsuda Umeko. She established a school, Jyoshi Eikakujyuku, with Alice Bacon and Sutematsu and so on. This school became bigger and bigger, and now, it is one of the biggest universities, known as Tsuda Juku University. They made an ideal school for Japanese girls. Finally, Sutematsu died because of Spanish influenza when she was 58 years old.

In conclusion, Sutematsu’s life in The United States made her dream, then her dream made Japanese girl’s education and the basis of Japanese nursing. I can say that I can study in school because of her. Especially, I was interested in her efforts. She studied a lot and she also made Japanese woman’s dream. I think her name is not so famous but we have to know her life and her dream, especially for women. In addition, I was really wonder why she is not famous in Japan. I think this is because Tsuda Umeko is more famous than Sutematsu, perhaps because her activities cannot be summarized in just one word. For example, Tsuda studied abroad and established university. However, Sutematsu did many things like nursing, studying abroad, explaining Red Cross in Japan, becoming famous in Rokumeikan, and establishing a university. She did many, small things. I want many Japanese people to know about her.


References

Kuno, A. (1993). “Rokumeikan no kifujin –nihon hatu no jyoshi ryugakusei [the lady of Rokumeikan- the first girl exchange student]. 1993/05. Tokyo: Chuo Koron-sha

“Tuda umeko”.(2013)- Wikipedia. Retrieved 2013.07.22 from
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B4%A5%E7%94%B0%E6%A2%85%E5%AD%90

“Ooyama sutematsu”. (2013)- Wikipedia 2013.07.22
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B1%B1%E6%8D%A8%E6%9D%BE

Alice Mabel Bacon (1858-1918)

By Satsuki Konno

Alice Mabel Bacon

Can you guess the woman who correctly analyzed Japanese girls and women? Her name is Alice Mabel Bacon. She was an American writer, women’s educator and foreign advisor.

First I would like to introduce her background. When she was 14 years old, Mori Arinori chose her father’s home to host Oyama Sutematsu, who was one of the people who established Gakushuin Women’s School. These girls were like sisters and taught each other their cultures.

In 1888, Bacon was invited to Japan by Oyama Sutematsu to teach English at Gakushuin Women’s School. She went back to America after a year. When she was 42 years old, she was invited to Japan again to help establish the Tokyo Women’s Normal School (Ochanomizu University). In addition, she taught English at this school and Women’s English School (Tsudajuku University (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Mabel_Bacon).

Second, let me explain about one of her famous books. The title is “Japanese Girls and Women”. It was written about Japanese girls and women in upper class, middle class and lower class at Meiji period. I think this book is important and easy for people all over the world to study Japan because her analyses are very clear. In addition, this is recommended to foreigners as the book which is the most suitable teaching material for learning about Japan.

I will introduce one chapter (“Wife and Mother”) from her book because Bacon wrote the differences and similarities between women in upper class and in lower class / America and Japan.

During the Meiji Period, American society had the individualism, so it was difficult for Americans to understand the Japanese custom in which women received pressure from husband’s family (Bacon, 1891, p77 [p72]). In the next two paragraphs, I would like to talk about the life of women as a wife and mother.


As a wife

In upper class, wives are treated as the person in charge of housework, so they have to render husband a service and built a happy home. If husband lives selfishly, nobody criticizes them. However, if family meets with a misfortune because of husband’s failure, wife is criticized because she should compensate for husband’s weak points. Husband and wife are unequal. “In all things the husband goes first, the wife second” (Bacon, 1891, p79 [p75]). For example, when husband drops his folding fan or handkerchief, wife should pick up it. Bacon (1891, p79-80 [p75-76]) said an ineffectual person serves an able person as servant serves his/her master. In other words, wives depend on their husband. However it doesn’t mean that they are unhappy because they proud of their duties which they handle the housework and bring their child.

On the other hand, Bacon 1891 said:

“The difference between the women of the lower and those of higher classes, in the matter of equality with their husbands, is quiet noticeable. The wife of the peasant or merchant is much nearer to her husband’s level than is the wife if the emperor. Apparently each step in the social scale is a little higher for the man than it is for the women, and lifts him a little father above his wife.” (p92 [p90-91])

In lower class, husband and wife work in the field together, carry same loads and these women are related to the production directly. It makes men and women’s rank become close. Differently from the upper class, strong men protect weak women. This point is similar to American society.

This paragraph is about women’s life as a wife. I want to be in lower class because I want to work with husband and understand each other’s feeling. In addition, depending on husband would make me tired.

Next, I will explain about the women’s life as a mother. Actually, there are no differences between women in upper class and lower class / America and Japan.


As a mother

Women in upper class and the lower class / America and Japan love their children and devote their life to children. Only mother has the responsibility for bringing up children, so father cannot related to disciplines of them. However, mother teaches children that their father is more dignified in the family. I can understand women’s feeling. If I will be a mother, I would like to bring up my children like this.

In conclusion, although Bacon was not Japanese, she analyzed Japanese women at Meiji Period. The reason why could she do this is that she was influenced by Oyama Sutematsu who was her best friend and made effort to women’s education with her. When they were young, they spent all of time together, and when they grew up, Sutematsu invited Bacon to Japan to establish schools for women. For writing “Japanese Girls and Women”, Sutematsu was very important to Bacon.


Reference list

Bacon, A.M. (2001). 明治日本の女たち[Japanese Girls and Women] (revised edition). Boston / Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company

About her background

*Alice Mabel Bacon-Wikipedia, accessed July 13, 2013

Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Mabel_Bacon

Sutematsu Oyama

By Marina Kuki

Sutematsu Oyama

The person of my final project is Sutematsu Yamakawa (Oyama). She was famous as the first returnee from the United States of America and took a baccalaureate. When she was 12 years old, she studied in America at government expense as the first female Japanese international student in 1871. She lived there for 11 years. Furthermore, she tried to change Japanese women systems for her life. When I was a high school student, I studied her in the class of Japanese history. However, at that time, I knew only her background. In this class, I got a chance to learn about Japanese women who went abroad. Of these women, I was very interested in her experience, accomplishments in Japan and how she changed Japanese society, so I chose this person.

Firstly, according to Kuno (1993), Sutematsu could get the chance to work by marrying. In this era, unmarried women ranked low in Japanese society. If women were highly educated with a brilliant mind, they could not take a job inevitably. Sutematsu was also the one of them. She realized that Japanese way of thinking when she looked for a job. She was smart, but she was rejected by many companies. She did not like this unfair system, but she more felt sad that she could not contribute to the Japan because of being an unmarried woman. Therefore, she chose a marriage to get a helpful job for Japanese society. The reason why she persisted in working for Japan was that she studied abroad at government expense. She wanted to express her thanks to the Japanese. In 1883, she got married to Iwao Oyama. He was a Japanese field marshal in the Imperial Japanese army, so she could have an opportunity to work in a variety of fields. She played an active part not only in the political world but also the educational world.

Secondly, according to Kuno (1993), Sutematsu spread nursing schools in Japan. At that time, Japanese nursing system was not developed. She was very surprised that men took care of patients when she visited a hospital. She also learned about the nursing in New Haven for two years, so she thought that nurse was a suitable job for women, because women could handle it carefully. She decided to train girls and women at nursing schools. Unfortunately, Japan did not have money to build this school at that time, so she started a charity bazaar. However, the charitable work did not spread in Japan. Japanese did not have the custom of working to collect money for other people. In particular, high ranked people thought that money was a mean thing that was used by merchants. For this reason, many Japanese were surprised that noble women sold goods at a charity bazaar. It was held for three days. About 12,000 people took part in this bazaar, and she could collect much higher proceeds from the bazaar than she had expected. The proceeds went to the Yushi Kyoritsu Tokyo Hospital, now the Jikei University Hospital. After that, she continued to be interested in the training of Japanese nurses, and she explained that nurses were respected in American society. Therefore, she could spread nursing system in Japan.

Finally, according to Kuno (1993), Sutematsu took the lead in changing Japanese woman's society by her experience in America. She tried to increase the scholastic ability of Japanese women and make an environment where women could study English or other subjects. When Umeko Tsuda was founded the Women's Institute for English Studies (Joshi Eigaku-juku), Sutematsu cooperated with her. Moreover, she asked Alice Mabel Bacon to teach English to Japanese women students in Japan. Umeko was also one of the returnees from America, and Umeko was close to Sutematsu. Bacon was the host family’s daughter when Sutematsu went abroad to study, and Bacon was her best friend. They trusted each other, and they had the same aim to improve women’s education. A few years later, their school became very popular gradually, and first graduates became English teachers in Japan. Now, that university has produced many scholars. Therefore, their action led to the women’s social progress in the present time. Most Japanese girls and women could get an opportunity to go to school or work.

In conclusion, Sutematsu achieved a lot of success in her life. She continued to make an effort to improve Japanese women's education system and change Japanese women's society. Furthermore, she was always thinking about Japan and she worked for Japanese. As a result, Japanese women got an environment that they could study or work, and the state of Japanese women was improved.


Reference list

Kuno, Akiko. (1993). ‘鹿鳴館の貴婦人 大山捨松-日本初の女子留学生-’ (‘Unexpected Destinations’). Tokyo, Chukoron-Shinsha.

Mori Arinori

Mori Arinori

By Eri Yamashita

Mori Arinori is well known in Japan for his achievements of setting education system and his radically westernized way of thinking. 

First of all I’m going to describe how his life was going along timeline. He was born in Satsuma domain (now Kagoshima) to a high-ranking samurai family. He was the fifth boy. Because his family was wealthy, he got educated well. When he was 13 years old, which is now the age of enrollment of junior high school, he started studying kanngaku (Chinese ancient study) and 4 years later, he enrolled at Kaiseizyo where students studied Western learning. It is said that this school is the basis of the Tokyo University. There, he took a class about studies of British literature. When he turned 18 years old, he went to London to study. Later, he also studied in Washington. During these stays, he got interested in Christianity.

After the Meiji restoration, he went back to Japan and he set up a group named Meirokusha with other historical important men, such as Fukuzawa Yukichi or Saishu. This group was meant to do enlightenment activities. He became the first leader of this group and published many literatures. In 1875, he founded a private school called Syouhou Kousyuuzyo (which is now known as Hitotsubashi University). In this year, he married a Japanese woman, Hirose Tsune. It is said that this was the very first contract marriage in Japan. 

While he worked in London as an ambassador to Great Britain, Ito Hirobumi visited him and they had discussions about Japan’s future. Mori insisted that education is the first thing that Japanese government should work on first to build a strong country. Ito was impressed by his passion and he accredited Mori as a first minister of education as he got a Cabinet in a place. Even after Ito’s Cabinet ended, he stayed on his post of the education minister. While he worked for Prime Minister Kuroda Kiyotaka, he set an academic degree system. This is still a basis of present education system. 

In 1899, at the age of 43, on the day of promulgation of the constitution, he was changing his clothes for the ceremony, he was attacked and stabbed by an ultranationalist and he died the next day. 

Now, I want to give a little focus on the education area, starting off with his idea of education. His idea was basically education is ultimately to enrich the country, known as Fukoku Kyouhei (rich country, strong army), by giving appropriate knowledge evenly to boys and girls. Some researchers have pointed out that he thought that school is a place to choose good students to become soldiers for the policy. 

Because of his extremely westernized thoughts, he once even suggested that we should stop using Japanese and change the public language to English. 

Now about the assassination, there are some rumors about the cause of this incident that he was regarded as extremely westernized so that he didn’t take off his shoes when he entered a famous shrine in Ise and he pushed aside a curtain with his walking stick which only the emperor can touch. However many reseachers deny all these rumors. The guy who attacked him also got killed at the time he killed Mori so truth will never come to light.

Needless to say, his thoughts were not same as most other Japanese people. Only a few wealthy Japanese people learned Western studies and most of Japanese didn’t agree on his radical Westernized ideas. That might have been caused him many difficulties. However he still contributed to make Japan modernized and distribute education evenly to boys and girls.

Peculiar women's culture in Meiji Japan

Alice Mabel Bacon

By Chihiro Oka

Alice Mabel Bacon was a specialist of Japanese culture and women. In Japan, she taught English at Gakushuin Women’s School for aristocratic families. She left Japan once; however, she came back to Japan to establish Tokyo Women’s Normal School (now Ochanomizu University), and basically helped Tsuda Umeko who was a Japanese educator for women. She spent a time in Japan, and experienced a lot of aspects of Japanese women’s lives. Today, Japanese women are mostly free to choose working or being house worker, and almost all Japanese women are free to live. However, in Bacon’s life, she realized and considered Japanese women’s peculiar lifestyle. When people think about Japanese women in Meiji period from 1868 to 1912, it is important to focus on her experiences in Japan. Then, it is necessary to consider about three aspects of education, marriage and women’s different status in Japan.

The first important thing to think about women in Japan is education. Bacon (1902) said that there were no chances for women to get education at school. It means there were no schools for women. Then, how did they study, or could they study? Actually, they had to study from reading books, and obtained way of writing and reading Japanese language without schools. In general, there was thinking that women’s culture in Japan should be manners, writing skills, and liking the tea ceremony or flower arrangement. Those were forgotten study for women. To get knowledge of these things, they had to go to teacher’s house. Although there were no schools, women could write and read Japanese, and learn Japanese manners. However, these customs changed since Commodore Perry came to Japan and the country began to open to the West. Schools for women were established, and women could get education. They could study not only manners or writing and reading skills, but also mathematics or foreign languages. Moreover, there were not problems of women’s status in society. Both high class and low class women were able to go to school to study. Bacon thought that there were a lot of things to study, and it was hard for men and women to do them. However, she felt that Japanese people were hard workers.

The second thing is marriage for women. Bacon (1902) said that Japanese women usually got married when they are 16 years old. They were able to say whether the person who would be their husband was good or bad. However, it was not allowed to refuse a marriage. After they married, there were big differences between American style and Japanese style. In America, a young couple had their own house. On the other hand, Japanese couples did not. Wife had to live with husband and his family. Women had to be more involved with husband’s family than her family. In addition, if women wanted to get a divorce, it was hard for them, because men have a parental authority, so women had to leave their children. Moreover, if women can have a parental authority, it was hard and difficult for them to make their lives. System and condition for women were not fair when it was compared with men. Bacon was surprised at the situation. She thought that different status between men and women were related to areas and social status. It means women in a city and high class had big differences from men, and women had to follow them. On the contrary, women in country and low class did not have big differences from men. Men thought that women were almost equal to them.

The last thing is women’s status in society and family. There were big differences of status in family between high and low class women. Bacon (1902) said that low class women were fuller of life than high class women. Low class women worked in the field with men. This living condition makes women almost same status with men. On the contrary, high class women had to be a servant of husband’s parents. High class women gave up their freedom, and obeyed them. Therefore, Bacon (1902) explained that high class women looked more tired than low class women. She felt that Japanese women who worked were attractive, and it was Japanese peculiar virtue.

In conclusion, the women’s lifestyle was different between high class and low class status, and at the same time, the relationship between men and women was also different. When Bacon considered about women’s lifestyle in high and low class, low class women are happier than high class women because of working. It means that working is important for women to make their life better. There are human rights, and men and women have to be equal, and women should study and work in society.


Reference

Alice Mabel Bacon (1902), 明治日本の女たち [JAPANESE GIRLS AND WOMEN], Boston and New York, Houghton, Mifflin and Company