Daughters of the Samurai: A Journey from East to West and Back

by Janice Nimura

 Imagine the governor came to your family and asked if you would allow your preteen daughter (granddaughter) to go to Iran for 10 years to foster better relations with the Iranians. There would be total of 5 young women going and they would all live together, attending educational institutions during this time.  All their expenses would be paid.  What a great opportunity to learn a new culture and language, right?

I’m guessing most of us would be horrified.  To be fair this ask was in 1871 and 10 years probably accounted for how long it would take to get to the east coast of the United States at that time.  For a variety of reasons, there were 5 families who let their daughters embark on what really was the opportunity of a lifetime. Representatives of the Japanese government had been impressed in their travels with the partnership American women had with their husbands and wanted to ensure Japanese women were educated to allow them to raise enlightened children to lead Japan. These young women were expected to bring their education back to Japan.

While the book starts out with a big chunk of Japanese/Samurai history of this time when Japan was opening up to the west, the majority of the book follows the travels of the young women with the Iwakura Mission by ship to San Francisco and by rail to the east coast.  The young women ultimately live with different families (as they just spoke Japanese among themselves) to improve their English and their experience.  I found it fascinating to follow their educational experiences, 2 of them attended Vassar (which had only been founded in 1861) and see how they were able to assimilate into life in a very foreign country.

Not surprisingly, the biggest challenge for the 3 young women who stayed the entire 10 years was integrating back into life in Japan.  Japan was less open to the west upon their return than it had been when they started their journey. One of the women married a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, Ōyama Iwao, becoming a Countess first then a Princess.  Another married a Baron and become a Baroness, while teaching.  The youngest, Ume returned to the United States to earn a degree a Bryn Mawr and ultimately opened the women’s Institute for English Studies back in Japan.  Characteristically, each overcame the challenges of acclimating to life in Japan. 

I found this book to be a wonderful view of Japan and the United States at the end of the 19th Century, through the eyes of bright and charismatic young women.  Frankly, as a history major, I was surprised, once again, about a part of history I knew nothing about.  I hope you find time to read this enjoyable book.

Eileen Glovsky