Thanks to Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History, by Sam Maggs ( A | BN | K | G | AB ), I heard about Ogino Ginko, the first woman doctor in Japan. This woman broke barriers by means of intelligence and persistence, and to the question “marriage or career?” she answered, “Why not both?”
Ogino was born in 1851. She married a banker when she was sixteen and divorced him three years later after he gave her gonorrhea. Her treatments for gonorrhea were successful but humiliating and made her question why women could not be seen by female doctors. After much difficulty she was able to attend medical school, where she faced harassment from her classmates, all of whom were male. She had to support herself financially during this time since her family did not support her career.
Ogino graduated in 1882 but it was another two years before she (or any other women) was allowed to take the required state examinations. Once she passed her exams, she became the staff doctor at Meiji Gakuin Women’s University and also opened the Ogino Hospital in Yushima where she practiced obstetrics and gynecology.
In 1890 Ogino married a Protestant clergyman named Yukiyoshi Shikata. They moved to Hokkaido. They did not have children (possibly due to her earlier illness) but the marriage seems to have been a happy one. In addition to running a medical practice there, she was active in the Tokyo Women’s Reform Society. This society was opposed to alcohol consumption and also worked to raise women’s social rights throughout Japan.
After her husband’s death in 1908, Ogino moved back to Tokyo. She was a practicing doctor and administrator until her death in 1913.
Ogino Ginko is one of twenty-five women profiled in Wonder Women, a fun, conversational book with short chapters and clever illustrations. The list of women is inclusive and interesting, ranging from the relatively well-known to the seldom heard of. If you are looking for more Kickass Women, this book is a fun place to start!
I had never heard of this person and thanks for the book rec. It’s going on the wish list.
Thank you, Carrie, for introducing me to a fascinating woman!
I love Ogino Ginko, so much so that one of my cats is named Ginko! Not that anyone ever seems to know who she is…
This is terrific! I’m going to get this book for my niece for Christmas this year.
Oooh, I actually have this book in my TBR pile! I’m excited to read it now.
Thank you for this introduction, Carrie. As an Asian American, I am always happy to learn of fierce Asian women who LEAD THE WAY! Prior to Mulan, I feel we were broadly characterized as docile, not how I find my relatives.