Institute for Japanese Studies (IJS) has been hosting a series of talks encompassing Japanese politics, economy, cultures and arts. With the experts from Europe, U.S. and Japan, we deliver the talks in multiple languages including Japanese, Korean and English.
We are pleased to host the 297th lecture as a part of Japan Specialist Seminars, titled “Women Doctors of the Japanese Empire and Their Overseas Medical Work.”
This seminar will be held in a hybrid format. Anyone interested is welcome to attend without prior registration. Lunch boxes will be provided starting at 12 p.m. (Please note that availability may be limited.)
Date: September 16, 2025 (Tuesday) 12:00-14:00 (The lecture will start from 12:30).
Venue: GL Room, SNU GSIS (Bldg. 140) and online via ZOOM
- Zoom ID : 583 289 8745
- Zoom Link : https://snu-ac-kr.zoom.us/j/5832898745
Lecturer: Hiro FUJIMOTO (Lecturer and Research Scholar, Heidelberg Centre for Transcultural Studies, Heidelberg University)
Title: Women Doctors of the Japanese Empire and Their Overseas Medical Work
In 1885, Ogino Ginko became Japan's first licensed female doctor, but the number of female doctors did not increase significantly due to the lack of medical education for women. In 1900, Yoshioka Yayoi established the Tokyo Women’s Medical School, which increased the number of female doctors considerably. However, female doctors often encountered prejudice. For example, they were often mistaken for nurses or midwives by their colleagues and patients. In addition, there were already many male doctors who had studied Western medicine in urban areas, making it difficult for female doctors to compete with them. Therefore, Yoshioka Yayoi argued that female doctors should work in places where there was still a high demand for Western medicine, and she sent the graduates of her school to such places. These included rural areas in mainland Japan as well as Japan's colonies, such as Taiwan and Korea, and Southeast Asia and North and South America, where there were many Japanese immigrants. This paper aims to examine the workplaces and activities of overseas Japanese female doctors between 1900 and 1945.
Language : Japanese
Inquiry : SNU-IJS (880-8503 / ijs@snu.ac.kr)
