Ogino Ginko (荻野吟子)
Ginko OGINO (real name: Gin OGINO/ April 4, 1851-June 23, 1913) was the first female doctor in modern Japan. She is also known as a feminist.
Biography
1851:
She was born to Ayazaburo OGINO, village headman who had been allowed to adopt surname and wear a pair of sword for generations, and Kayo OGINO as their fifth daughter (youngest daughter) in the village of Tawarase, Hatara County, Musashi Province (currently, Tawarase, Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture/ until Sept 30, 2005: Oaza Tawarase, Menuma-machi, Osato-gun).
1867:
She married to Kanichiro INAMURA (later, the first president of Ashikaga Bank), the eldest son of the headman of the village of Kamikawakami, Kita-Saitama County, Musashi Province (currently, Kamikawakami, Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture), upon his request.
1870:
She got divorced because of gonorrhea, which she became infected with by her husband. She was hospitalized in Juntendo Hospital in Tokyo to receive gynecological treatment, which was given by only male doctors. From her humiliating experience of exposing her lower body to male doctors for treatment, she decided to become a female doctor so that she could rescue women from suffering the same humiliating experience.
1873:
She migrated to Tokyo and studied under Yorikuni INOUE, a scholar of Japanese classical literature and Chinese-medicine doctor. She was asked by Yorikuni to become his second wife.
1874:
She worked as a teacher at a private school managed by Masuko NAITO in Kofu.
1875:
She enrolled Tokyo Joshi Shihan Gakko (Tokyo Women's Normal School/predecessor of Ochanomizu University) as one of its inaugural students.
1879:
She graduated at the top of her class from the school. Through her school's Professor Hisaichiro NAGAI's introduction, she got acquainted with Tadanori ISHIGURO, high-rank Surgeon General and viscount, to whom she appealed the necessity of female doctors. Through ISHIGURO's introduction, she was specially allowed to enroll the Koju-in College, a private medical school in Shitaya Neribei-machi (present Akihabara), which was run by Tsunenori TAKASHINA, a court physician who worked at Tenyakuryo (the Bureau of Medicine). Being only woman among male students, she experienced various types of bullying and went through hardship and troubles, but she graduated with excellent results in three years. However, her application for the general practitioner tests was rejected by the Tokyo metropolitan government on the ground of her gender, followed by the same result in the following year. She then submitted application to Saitama Prefecture, but her application was rejected as in Tokyo.
She wrote about her recollection of this period in "Feminist Journal" (345th issue) as follows:
"I reapplied for the tests, but my request was rejected again." "I have never gone through troubles of this extent in the past." "I will probably not go through troubles of this extent in the future." "As the day ebbs in autumn (a season when chrysanthemum blooms under the hedge, and creeping branches exude a scarlet hue), it becomes colder, and tiles are covered with chilly air."
"But, to whom can I complain that I have no warm clothing?"
"Feeling disappointment, I go up to the top of the hill at full moon in an autumn breeze and see smoke coming from millions of bustling houses in downtown." "But there are no ones who offer dinner for me." "Relatives and friends again laugh at me, and I am in dead end, with escape strategies eluding me again." "My body becomes lean, my guts are exhausted, and my mind is going crazy." "The flow is blocked by the rock standing in the middle, and I'm beginning to see that the rock is there to further whirl the raging flow rather than stop it."
It can be known from these sentences that Ginko was at the end of her tether. Her resolution to become a general practitioner, however, was strong, and she seems to have planned to get certified under overseas institutions as the last ditch effort.
Kaemon TAKASHIMA, an entrepreneur, sympathized with Ginko, who was cornered because of the rejection of GP test application, and introduced Sensai NAGAYO, head of Hygiene Bureau at the Ministry of Home Affairs, to Ginko, through Yorikuni INOUE. When enrolling the Koju-in College, Ginko read various books and discovered in the book "Ryo-no-gige" (commentary on the Ryo) that there were female doctor-like persons in Japan from ancient times. When applying for the GP tests, she emphasized this point. Kaemon TAKASHIMA, meanwhile, asked Yorihuni INOUE to examine historical records from ancient times, which mentioned female doctors. Kaemon instructed Ginko to present to NAGAYO, the head of the bureau, not only a recommendation letter but also results of the above-mentioned surveys. Tadanori ISHIGURO, feeling responsibility, contacted the head of the bureau upon Ginko's request, and asked for acceptance of her application, but his petition was rejected on the ground that women could not be applicable.
It is said that Tadanori made a die-hard effort to protest as follows:
"Is there any laws that ban women from becoming doctors?"
"Since there are no such kind of rules, why don't you let women take exams and allow them to become GPs if they pass exams." If women are not welcome, a clause that "Women are banned from becoming doctors." should be inserted in laws." Thanks to the help of Bureau Head NAGAYO, who was moved by Ginko and her supporters' passion, it was decided that "It would be all right if we allow women to take the GP tests as long as they have knowledge and skills." In 1884, "the authorization of certification of female doctors" was decided, and Ginko was finally allowed to take the examinations.
September, 1884:
Three women including Ginko took the first half of the GP tests and only Ginko passed the exams.
March, 188５:
She took the last half of the GP tests and passed the exams. In May 1885, she opened 'Ogino Gynecology Clinic' in Yushima. At the age of 34, she became the first certified female doctor in modern Japan. 15 years had passed since she aspired to be a female doctor. His father had already died, and her mother passed away one month before Ginko's certification.
Ginko grabbed the headlines of newspapers and magazines as 'the first female doctor.'
Her clinic thrived, and Ginko moved to Shitaya and opened a bigger clinic next year because the former clinic became too small.
During first few years after the opening of the clinic, Ginko was the darling of newspapers and magazines as the first female doctor, and her clinic was crowded with patients for a while.
The common practice at that time, however, was that people below the middle class consulted with witch doctors or counted on folk remedies rather than went to a clinic to see a doctor.
Also, without healthcare, it was very difficult for doctors to ask every patient who had treatment to bear all the expensive medical costs. In addition, there were many persons who said they could not rely on female doctors. (From reasons mentioned above) It is said that Ginko was not very successful in the medical profession. However, OGINO was an important person in that she opened the door to the GP tests for women.
1886:
Together with Ukitchi TAGUCHI, author of "Nihon kaika shoshi," (literally, small history of Japanese civilization) Ginko was christened by EBINA Danjo. She joined the Christian Women Ethics Club, worked as the Manner Chief of the club, and got involved in the prostitute abolishment movement.
1888:
She assumed the post of secretary-general of the Great Japan Women Hygiene Association.
November 25, 1890:
At the age of 39, she remarried over opposition to Yukiyoshi SHIKATA, a student of Doshisha University who was 13-year junior to her and a devout Christian who was baptized by Joseph Hardy Neesima (Joe NIIJIMA).
Happy newlywed life, where they were bonded with shared passion for Christianity and ideal society, was ephemeral.
Yukiyoshi revealed to Ginko his resolution to emigrate to Hokkaido to set up a Christian utopia there.
May, 1891:
Yukiyoshi emigrated to Hokkaido on his own to develop wasteland in Toshibetsu.
1892:
He temporarily returned to Tokyo, but again went to Hokkaido. Ginko closed her clinic and migrated (several years after Yukiyoshi's emigration) to Inumaeru (Imagane town), where Yukiyoshi lived. The tasks of cultivating woodland and wasteland in Hokkaido and building a utopia were, in reality, a very troublesome endeavor. Yukiyoshi's initiative, after going through various episodes, ended up with failure in the event. Ginko moved to Setana, a coastal county, and opened a clinic in the Aitsu-cyo town. Yukiyoshi, who had failed also in the development of a manganese mine in Kunnui area, reentered Doshisha University in Kyoto. After graduation, he was dispatched to Urakawa Church in Hokkaido as a preacher.
1905:
Yukiyoshi died from illness caused by overwork while feeling defeat. Ginko continued to live in Setana for three years after Yukiyoshi's death.
1908:
She returned to Tokyo and opened a clinic in the Koume town in Honjo Ward, where she spent her last years.
1913:
She suffered from pleurisy and died from the ensuing cerebral arteriosclerosis. She died at the age of 62.
During 3-year schooling before becoming a female doctor, she was clad in (men's) hakama clothing and Japanese wooden clogs (geta).
As female doctors were not accepted at that time, she had her hair cut short just in the same way as her male classmates.