Tohoku University commemorates Japan's first female students

August 21 marks University Student Day in Japan, commemorating the historic admission of the country’s first female university students. In 1913, the former Tohoku Imperial University (now Tohoku University) announced the admission of three women: Chika Kuroda, Ume Tange, and Raku Makita.

At a time when higher education was almost exclusively reserved for men, Tohoku Imperial University utilized its principle of “open doors” to authorize their enrollment. Chika Kuroda and Ume Tange studied chemistry, while Raku Makita studied mathematics. These women became pioneers in their fields; Kuroda became Japan’s first female chemist, and Tange became the second Japanese woman to earn a doctorate in agriculture.

The date of August 21 was officially recognized following a request by Tohoku University to the Japanese Association of Anniversaries, correcting previous misconceptions that the date was August 16. The anniversary serves as a reminder of the breaking of academic barriers for women in Japan.