Kei Okami

The first Japanese woman to earn a Western medicine degree, from the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania in the USA.

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Michiyo Tsujimura

Michiyo Tsujimura (辻村みちよ) was a Japanese agricultural scientist and biochemist known for her pioneering work on green tea components. She was the first woman in Japan to earn a doctoral degree in agriculture.

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Ichiyō Higuchi

Meiji Period writer Ichiyō Higuchi was the first woman in Japan to write modern literature professionally, particularly short stories and poetry, as well as extensive diary accounts.

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Sei Shōnagon

Poet and author Sei Shōnagon was a court lady who served the Empress Teishi (Sadako) around the year 1000 during the middle Heian period. She is the author of The Pillow Book (枕草子, makura no sōshi), a collection of essays, anecdotes, poems and descriptive passages  inspired by moments in her daily life.

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Dr Reiko Homma True

A leading advocate for culturally sensitive mental health care, Dr. Reiko Homma True is dedicated to improving mental health treatment for the Asian-American community and other minority populations. She is a devoted mentor who has worked hard to support other Asian-American women pursuing careers in psychology.

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