Ogino Ginko

was the first licensed female physician practicing Western medicine in Japan.

Birth and upbringing Ogino Ginko was born with the name Ogino Gin in Tawarase, in Musashi Province (present-day Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture). She was the youngest of seven children born to her father Ayasaburo Ogino and mother Kayo Ogino. The Oginos were reportedly a respectable family as they were responsible for the headquarter of that area.

First marriage In 1867 when she was 16 years old, Ogino Gin married Kanichiro Inamura in an arranged marriage. Kanichiro Inamura was the eldest son of a well-respected and wealthy family. However, he had contracted gonorrhoea prior to this marriage and soon passed it on to Ogino Gin. Upon further reflection she realized that often, male doctors' prejudice toward female patients and their lack of female anatomical knowledge led to mistakes in the evaluation of disease, especially when it came to gynecological issues. In her writings, she fiercely advocated for the need for more female physicians in Japan. She cited the fact that women often felt too uncomfortable with male doctors examining their private parts; therefore, having a female doctor would encourage women to get their ailments treated while also protecting their modesty. She also wrote that only a woman, who had the most innate and intimate knowledge of the female body, could properly diagnose, operate on, and treat matters of women's health. This was her way of challenging traditional gender roles and rejecting the longstanding Japanese custom of giving women short names to make commanding them easier. thumb Despite the prejudice and hardship she faced while in medical school, she managed to graduate in 1882. Usually, upon the completion of medical school, students were permitted to sit for the official two-part medical licencing exam. Ogino Ginko was initially barred from taking this exam on account of her gender, despite her being equally qualified. Her applications to take this exam were rejected because there was no precedent for female doctors of Western medicine. She also benefited from the advocacy of other influential figures, such as Iwamoto Yoshiharu and Yorikuni Inoue, who were prominent supporters of female empowerment.

After acquiring her license

1885–1890 Once she obtained her medical license, she opened the Ogino Hospital in Yushima later in 1885. It was there that she led a clinic specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. In the same year, she was baptized in the Christian Church.

Upon experiencing immense professional growth, Ogino Ginko moved to the district of Ueno, Tokyo, and opened another larger clinic. She was also named secretary of the Women's Sanitary Association and a teacher of Health and Physiology at the Meiji Women's School. Because she was working at a Christian university, Ogino Ginko's interest in the Christian Church continued to grow. She consequently reorganized her schedule to dedicate any spare time to the Christian Church and volunteer work.

A large memorial tower was erected in Ogino Ginko's honor in the city of Setana, Hokkaido in 1967, honoring the many contributions she made to the community. The Setana Regional History Museum also displays various objects of hers in remembrance.