Janice P. Nimura presents Daughters of the Samurai: A Journey from East to West and Back
In 1871, five young Japanese girls were sent to the United States by the Japanese government. Their mission was to learn the ways of the Western world and upon their return, teach and nurture a new generation of enlightened men to lead Japan.
Raised in traditional samurai households during the turmoil of civil war, three of these unusual ambassadors—Sutematsu Yamakawa, Shige Nagai, and Ume Tsuda—grew up as typical American schoolgirls. Upon their arrival in San Francisco they became celebrities, their travels and traditional clothing exclaimed over by newspapers across the nation. As they learned English and Western customs, their American friends grew to love them for their high spirits and intellectual brilliance. The passionate relationships they formed reveal an intimate world of cross-cultural fascination and connection. Ten years later, they returned to Japan—a land grown foreign to them—determined to revolutionize women’s education.
Based on in-depth archival research in Japan and in the United States, which included decades of letters from the three women and their American host families, Daughters of the Samurai is a beautifully, cinematically written portrayal of an extraordinary historical event.
Janice P. Nimura is a book critic, independent scholar, and the American daughter-in-law of a Japanese family.
Host: Arlyne Krum
Date: Monday, April 4
Reception: 6:30PM
Lecture: 7:00PM
Cost: Free for members, $15 for guests
Fees for this event will be billed to the member’s account.
REGISTER HERE
This event is only open to members and their guests.
Event Cancellation Policy
Free Events: Please call, email, or go online to cancel your reservation by noon on the day of the event to avoid being billed the full price of event. Members who do not cancel their reservation will be charged a $10 no-show fee for each reservation (member and guest).
Paid Events: Occasionally events are final sale or have a final sale date, so please check the full event description prior to making your reservation. If an event has no final sale date listed, please cancel two business days prior to the event to avoid being charged the full price of the event.
To cancel reservations:
Call: 212-719-0380
Email: events@columbiaclub.org
Visit: www.columbiaclub.org