Kono Yasui facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kono Yasui
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| 保井コノ | |
Kono Yasui in 1948
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| Born | 16 February 1880 Kagawa Prefecture
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| Died | 21 March 1971 (aged 91) Bunkyō
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| Awards | Medal with Purple Ribbon, Order of the Precious Crown, Third Class, Butterfly |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | Women's Higher Normal School, University of Chicago, Harvard University |
| Influences | E. C. Jeffrey |
| Academic work | |
| Institutions | Gifu Girls' Higher School and Kanda Girls' School, Women's Higher Normal School, Tokyo Imperial University, Ochanomizu University |
| Main interests | biologist, cytologist |
| Notable works | Cytologia |
Kono Yasui (保井 コノ, Yasui Kono, 16 February 1880 – 24 March 1971) was a Japanese scientist. She was a biologist, meaning she studied living things. She was also a cytologist, which means she focused on studying cells.
In 1927, Kono Yasui made history. She became the first Japanese woman to earn a special science degree called a doctorate. She received important awards for her work. These included the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon. She also got the Order of the Precious Crown Third Class. These awards recognized her amazing scientific achievements. They also honored her leadership in helping women get a good education in Japan.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Kono Yasui was born in 1880 in Sanbonmatsu, a town in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. She was the first of nine children. Her parents owned a shipping business and believed strongly in education. When she was young, her father encouraged her to read Encouragement of Learning. This was a very important book by a famous educator named Yukichi Fukuzawa.
Kono Yasui was an excellent student from a young age. She was especially good at science and math. In 1898, she graduated from Kagawa Prefecture Normal School. Then, in 1902, she finished her studies at the Women's Higher Normal School's science division.
After graduating, she taught at Gifu Girls' Higher School and Kanda Girls' School. In 1905, a new graduate course opened at the Women's Higher Normal School. Kono Yasui was the first woman to join this course. She chose to focus on zoology (the study of animals) and botany (the study of plants).
That same year, she published a paper about the special hearing organ of carp fish. This paper appeared in a journal called Zoological Science. This made her the first woman ever to be published in that journal. Her research on an aquatic fern called Salvinia natans was also published. It appeared in the Journal of Plant Sciences and a British journal, Annals of Botany. This was the first time a Japanese woman's research was published in a foreign journal. She finished her graduate program in 1907. After that, she became an assistant professor at the school.
Academic Career and Research
When Kono Yasui wanted to study abroad, the Japanese Ministry of Education was not sure. They thought women could not achieve much in science. They only allowed her to go if she agreed to two things. First, she had to list "home economics research" along with "scientific research" on her application. Second, she had to promise not to get married and instead focus only on her studies.
In 1914, she traveled to Germany and the United States. She did cytological research at the University of Chicago. In 1915, she went to Harvard University. There, she studied coal with Professor E. C. Jeffrey. She returned to Japan in June 1916. She continued her coal research at Tokyo Imperial University (now the University of Tokyo) until 1927.
From 1918 to 1939, she taught genetics at Tokyo Imperial University. In 1919, she became a full professor at the Women's Higher Normal School in Tokyo. In 1927, she finished her doctoral paper. It was titled "Studies on the structure of lignite, brown coal, and bituminous coal in Japan." This made her the first woman in Japan to earn a doctorate in science.
In 1929, Kono Yasui started her own journal about cells, called Cytologia. She also researched the genetics of different plants. These included poppies, corn, and Tradescantia species. After the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, she began studying plants affected by nuclear fallout.
When Ochanomizu University was created in 1949, Kono Yasui became a professor there. She retired in 1952 and became a professor emerita, which is an honorary title. By 1957, she had published an impressive 99 scientific papers.
Legacy and Impact
Kono Yasui achieved many "firsts" during her life as a biologist and cytologist. Her career spanned several important periods in Japanese history. These included the late Meiji period, the Taisho period (1912-1926), and the early Showa period (1926-1989). During these times, women in Japan faced many challenges. It was very difficult for them to work in science and academics.
Kono Yasui was the first Japanese woman to publish a scientific paper in an international journal. Most notably, she was the first Japanese woman to earn a science doctorate. She earned this degree from a university that did not even accept female students until almost 20 years later.
As a teacher at Tokyo Women’s Higher Normal School, she was known for being strict. She treated her students seriously, not just as "girls." However, outside of the lab and classroom, she was kind to her younger colleagues and students. She strongly believed in and worked hard for the advancement of women's education in Japan.
After World War II, Kono Yasui worked to create a national university for women. Her efforts were successful. She played a key role in changing Tokyo Women’s Higher Normal School into Ochanomizu University in 1949. She also donated money she received for her retirement to the Tokyo Women’s Higher Normal School. This money created the “Yasui-Kuroda Scholarship.” This scholarship still helps young female researchers get an education today. Kono Yasui’s life has inspired many young women scientists.
Timeline of Kono Yasui's Life
- 1880: Born on February 16 in Kagawa Prefecture.
- 1898: Graduates from Kagawa Prefecture Normal School at age 18.
- 1902: Graduates from Women’s Higher Normal School Division of Science at age 22.
- 1905: Publishes her first paper, “Weber’s Organ of Carp Fish,” in the journal “Zoological Science.”
- 1907: Completes graduate work at Women’s Higher Normal School and becomes an assistant professor there at age 27.
- 1914: Begins studying cytology (the study of cells) at the University of Chicago.
- 1915: Begins studying coal at Harvard University.
- 1927: Publishes her doctoral paper, becoming the first Japanese woman to receive a doctorate at age 47.
- 1929: Starts the cytology journal, “Cytologia.”
- 1949: Becomes a professor at Ochanomizu University at age 69.
- 1952: Retires and becomes a professor emerita at Ochanomizu University at age 72.
- 1955: Receives a Medal with Purple Ribbon for her academic achievements at age 75.
- 1965: Receives the Order of the Precious Crown, Third Class at age 85.
- 1971: Passes away on March 24 at her home in Tokyo at age 91.
