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.