Generations: A Legacy of Learning

Sayaka Yamazaki ’04 had marked July 3 in her calendar. That morning, she informed her job she would be in late, and headed to the bank to pick up brand-new ¥5000 notes featuring Bryn Mawr graduate and champion of women’s education in Japan Umeko Tsuda.

It actually took a couple more days and visits to multiple banks, but eventually, Yamazaki got her hands on some of the banknotes memorializing her fellow Mawrter and was thrilled to see the 3D holographic portrait.

In 1872, Umeko Tsuda came to the United States as part of an overseas study program and lived in Washington, D.C. from ages 7 to 18. When she returned to Japan and discovered the lack of opportunities for women, she came back to the U.S. to attend Bryn Mawr. She went on to found what is now known as Tsuda University, one of the first institutions of higher education for women in Japan, in 1900.

“I recall that while I was at Bryn Mawr, there was a large quote from her in the Campus Center,” says Miranda Liu ’12 , who lives in Tokyo. “Every time I went to pick up my mail from the mailroom or attend a function there, I would look at her quote on the wall and feel inspired to be attending a college that helped create a foundation for someone like Umeko Tsuda to go on and make a real significant difference in advancing feminism in the world.”

Eri Koike ’10, born and raised in New Jersey, learned about Tsuda from her mother, a graduate of another women's college in Japan. Fujiko Amano ’94 first read about Tsuda in a history book, but learned more about her influence on her campus tour. For both women, Tsuda's ties to the College had a profound impact on their decision to attend Bryn Mawr.

“I always have named Umeko as my role model,” Amano says.

“My career as a lawyer and a diplomat greatly benefited from Umeko’s dedication to establish Tsuda College, because, in both of these professions, ‘the first woman to be’ was a Tsuda College alumna.” The alums were excited to finally see the banknotes in person, and for more people to learn about Tsuda’s legacy.

“I see the banknote today with a greater sense of responsibility and commitment,” says Amano. “We need to carry forward what she built for us in Japan. This is an eternal gift that Umeko has left for us in the heart of each Bryn Mawr and Tsuda alumnae, as well as all women in Japan.”