Biography.guide
Home › People › Literary critic › Iwamoto Yoshiharu
Portrait of Iwamoto Yoshiharu

Iwamoto Yoshiharu

1863 – 1942

Early and prominent advocate of women's education in Meiji Japan

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Iwamoto Yoshiharu

Lived 1863 – 1942 (aged 79). Iwamoto Yoshiharu was a Japanese literary critic, journalist, critic and teacher.

was a Japanese educator and early advocate of women's education during the Meiji era.

Biography Iwamoto was born in Izushi, Izushi Domain (in present-day Hyōgo Prefecture), the second son of . At age six, he was adopted into his maternal line by . He began his education with Nakamura Masanao in 1876 at Nakamura's Dōjinsha school, where he studied English; in 1880 he advanced to Tsuda Sen's Friends School to study agriculture. In 1882 he took up a place at Kimura Kumaji's school to study Christian theology. He was baptized in 1883.

In cooperation with Kondō Kenzō, Iwamoto started a magazine which existed only one year in 1884. There, and afterwards, Iwamoto wrote forcefully to advocate changes to Japanese society with respect to women's roles in society. He called for better education for women, the expansion of their civil rights, and for the refoundation of marriage on the basis of love and respect between husband and wife. Still, he held that women's place was in the home—they would be educated to run efficient, hygienic, and economical homes so as to raise intelligent, moral, and service-minded children.

Beginning in 1885 Iwamoto helped to found and taught at in Kōjimachi, Tokyo with Tsuda Umeko, Kimura Kenzō, Shimada Saburō, and Tada Umachi.

Publications 女學雜誌, Issues 251-275 (1891)

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Family & relationships

Spouse
Wakamatsu Shizuko

People in Iwamoto Yoshiharu's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Iwamoto Yoshiharu's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Iwamoto Yoshiharu?

early and prominent advocate of women's education in Meiji Japan

When was Iwamoto Yoshiharu born?

Iwamoto Yoshiharu was born on 30 July 1863 in Tajima Province.

When did Iwamoto Yoshiharu die?

Iwamoto Yoshiharu died on 6 October 1942 in Nishi-Sugamo.

What was Iwamoto Yoshiharu's occupation?

Iwamoto Yoshiharu was a literary critic, journalist, critic and teacher.

What nationality was Iwamoto Yoshiharu?

Iwamoto Yoshiharu was Japanese.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Iwamoto Yoshiharu

· Wikidata: Q360801

· DBpedia: Iwamoto Yoshiharu

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Iwamoto Yoshiharu. https://biography.guide/iwamoto-yoshiharu/

MLA: "Iwamoto Yoshiharu." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/iwamoto-yoshiharu/.

Chicago: "Iwamoto Yoshiharu." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/iwamoto-yoshiharu/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:33 UTC