Yamamoto Yae

Yamamoto Yae was born in Aizu domain (today Fukushima Prefecture), in Yamamoto family in which her father, Yamamoto Gompachi, who was a teacher of gunner for Aizu-bushi. She was raised in the environment where she was surrounded by rigid rules called “What you must not do, you must not do” (ならぬことはならぬのです), and she was deeply inscribed by the Aizu’s rigid ethical philosophy. On the other hand, she was leading a life as highly spirited woman, and learned gunnery by the lecture of her brother, Yamamoto Kakuma. With that experience, she decided to participate in Aizu’s army to fight against new government military. Especially during the battle of Tsurugaoka-Jo Castle, she bravery fought against armies from Satsuma, and Choshu. She was today even called as Jeanne d'Arc of Bakumats, because of her strong spirits, however, after the war, she moved to Koto, and became adjusted to the fast transformation of Japanese society as a result of Meiji Restoration. This is due to her encounter with Nijima Jo. After Yamamoto got married to Nijima, she supported him to found Doshi-Sha University. She also joined Japan Red Cross to become a nurse and then sent

to the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War. With her enormous devotion of nursing for curing injured soldiers, she was able to improve the status of nurses in Japan. Since her achievement and devotion was highly evaluated, she received a decoration from Japanese government in 1905, and this is the first time that non-imperial woman was given. She died in 1932 due to Acute cholecystitis. Throughout her life, she consistently of carrying her spirit cultivated in Aizu, and caring about the weeks. Her achievements have been succeeded to generations and even keep us inspired today.