Kajiko Yajima

Women's educator and social reformer. Born on April 24, 1835, to the head village headman of the Kumamoto domain. Married at the age of 25, she had one son and two daughters, but divorced at the age of 35 and returned to the Yajima family. In 1872 (Meiji 5), she moved to Tokyo, and at the age of 40, she studied at the Teacher Training Institute. In 1876, she became a teacher at Shin-Sakae Girls' School, and was baptized the following year in 1877. In 1889, Sakurai Girls' School and Shin-Sakae Girls' School merged to form the Joshi Gakuin, and she became the school's principal. She educated many children through Christian education until her retirement in 1914 (Taisho 3). She organized the Tokyo Women's Temperance Union (1886) and the Japan Christian Women's Temperance Union (1893), becoming their president. She devoted herself to the women's movement and social reform projects, traveling to the United States to attend the 7th Temperance Union World Conference (1906) and meeting with President Roosevelt. Her elder sisters were Junko (1825-1905, wife of Takezaki Sadō (1812-1877) and principal of Kumamoto Girls' School), Hisako (1829-1919, wife of Tokutomi Ikkei (1822-1914) and mother of Sohō and Roka), and Tsusekō (1831-1894, wife of Yokoi Shōnan), making them the well-known fourth Yajima sister. She died on June 16, 1925.

[Noriaki Komata March 19, 2018]

"Yajima Kajiko" by Moriya Azuma, edited by the Women's Christian Temperance Union of Japan (1923, Fujin Shinposha)" ▽ "Yajima Kajiko Biography" edited by Kubushiro Ochimi (1956, Women's Christian Temperance Union of Japan)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

女子教育者、社会改良家。天保(てんぽう)4年4月24日熊本藩総庄屋の家に生まれる。25歳で結婚、1男2女をもうけたが、35歳のとき離婚して矢島家に帰る。1872年（明治5）上京、40歳にして教員伝習所に学び、1876年新栄女学校教師となり、翌1877年受洗。1889年桜井女学校、新栄女学校が合併して女子学院となるや院長に就任、1914年（大正3）退職までキリスト教に基づいた教育によって多くの子女を訓育した。東京婦人矯風会(きょうふうかい)（1886）、日本キリスト教婦人矯風会（1893）を組織して会長となり、第7回矯風会世界大会（1906）に出席のため渡米し、ルーズベルト大統領に会見するなど、女性運動、社会改良事業に尽力。その姉には、順子（1825―1905。竹崎茶堂(たけざきさどう)（1812―1877）の妻で熊本女学校校長を務めた）、久子（1829―1919。徳富一敬(とくとみいっけい)（1822―1914）の妻で蘇峰(そほう)・蘆花(ろか)の母）、つせ子（1831―1894。横井小楠(よこいしょうなん)の妻）があり、矢島家の四姉妹としてつとに名高い。大正14年6月16日没。

［小股憲明　2018年3月19日］

『守屋東著、日本基督教婦人矯風会編『矢島楫子』（1923・婦人新報社）』▽『久布白オチミ編『矢島楫子伝』（1956・日本基督教婦人矯風会）』

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