Garrett Washington, Associate Professor of History, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amidst changes redefining and subjugating womanhood in the Meiji period (1868-1912), industrialist Hirooka Asako (1849-1919) rescued her marital family’s failing coal mine in Uruno. This story highlights her determination, knowledge but also her collaboration with male relatives and associates, and direct management, illuminating the underexamined contributions of women business leaders in Japan’s economic and industrial development.

This event is co-sponsored by the Program in International Studies.