Samurai Sisters: Yamakawa Sutematsu and Tsuda Ume

Sistory Untold

In December of 1871, five young girls from samurai families embarked on the adventure of a lifetime. They sailed from Yokohama, Japan to San Francisco, California then traveled the country on a brand new railroad, finally arriving in Washington DC. While the men they were with went on to complete the political component of their mission, the five girls remained to start on the cultural one: living among Americans for 10 years and receiving an education. Public education for girls did not exist in Japan at the time, and private education was limited and very gendered. These girls were expected to take the best of the American education system while maintaining a strong Japanese identity, then return to reform Japan. Two of these girls, Ume and Sutematsu, are the subject of this episode of Sistory Untold. They became fast friends and sisters and their lives would remain intertwined for the years to come. Part 1 covers a bit of Japanese history and the early childhoods of Sutematsu and Ume. Come back next week to learn about their lives as adults! Trigger Warning: this episode mentions suicide and sexual assault