Mitsu
International marriage is no longer rare in Japan, but it was difficult before. Japan is the country that used to close itself off from the outside world. The main reason for national isolation was that the government was afraid of the Christian influence in Japan.
Do you know a Japanese woman who was one of the first people to emigrate to Europe? Her name is Mitsu Aoyama (1874-1941). I'm sure she was not the first person to marry a foreigner, but she was the first woman to register her international marriage officially and legally in Japan. She also got a word of encouragement from the Japanese Emperor when she moved to Europe.
She was a daughter of an antiques-dealer and oil tycoon in Tokyo. She met the Austro-Hungarian diplomat Dr. Count Heinrich von Coudenhove-Kalergi when she was 17 years old. He often visited her father's shop. It is said that she looked after him when he fell off a horse. (I know a similar story in the film 'The Other Boleyn Girl'. While visiting the Boleyn estate, Henry VIII was injured in a hunting accident and was nursed by Mary. Then Henry became smitten with her.) Heinrich gained her father's permission for her to work in the legation as a maid, and then they fell in love. The meeting sounds typical and romantic, and seemingly a Cinderella Story for a woman maybe, but reality it was not easy of course.
They got married on 16 March 1892 in Tokyo, despite her family and people around her being completely against their marriage. Consequently Mitsu was disinherited and banned from her father's house. It is said her family paid a big sacrifice due to her marriage.
She took a new name as Mitsuko Coudenhove-Kalergi. The couple moved to Europe with two sons Johannes and Richard. There were many differences among Mitsu and Heinrich. He was a Count, noble and a highly intelligent person understanding 18 languages, on the other hand, she only had minimal education. She was ashamed of her ignorance, and she studied hard French, German, math, geography and history as a foreign wife. Five more children were born.
She was not warmly received by Heinrich's family as she was an Asian from a small island country and was Buddhist as well. Heinrich was protective to her, but he sent the Japanese nanny back to Japan and banned Mitsu to speak Japanese for wishing to grow seven children as completely European. She got homesick.
In 1906, Heinrich died of a heart attack. His family sued for property division, but she won the case and inherited a legacy from her husband. She managed the house and disposed of the property for children's education.
In 1914, the World War I started. She was forced to live under various forms of discrimination, because Japan was an enemy of Austria-Hungary. It was a difficult time for her. After the war, her children protested and left her, because she had managed everything strictly with Japanese style after Heinrich died.
After the fall of Austria-Hungary, they lost a half of possessions. She had intracranial bleeding and it left her paralyzed on her right side of her body. She died in 1941, under the benevolent watch of her daughter. Mitsu never again set foot on her homeland, Japan.
When I think about her life, I think she had a strong belief as Yamato-nadeshiko (is used to describe Japanese women who have Japanese traditional beauty, kindness and strength). Her life is beyond my wildest imaginings because her situation and mine are worlds apart. She is one of Japanese women who created a new path to the global community and set future generations on the first right track of international marriage.
Do you know a Japanese woman who was one of the first people to emigrate to Europe? Her name is Mitsu Aoyama (1874-1941). I'm sure she was not the first person to marry a foreigner, but she was the first woman to register her international marriage officially and legally in Japan. She also got a word of encouragement from the Japanese Emperor when she moved to Europe.
She was a daughter of an antiques-dealer and oil tycoon in Tokyo. She met the Austro-Hungarian diplomat Dr. Count Heinrich von Coudenhove-Kalergi when she was 17 years old. He often visited her father's shop. It is said that she looked after him when he fell off a horse. (I know a similar story in the film 'The Other Boleyn Girl'. While visiting the Boleyn estate, Henry VIII was injured in a hunting accident and was nursed by Mary. Then Henry became smitten with her.) Heinrich gained her father's permission for her to work in the legation as a maid, and then they fell in love. The meeting sounds typical and romantic, and seemingly a Cinderella Story for a woman maybe, but reality it was not easy of course.
They got married on 16 March 1892 in Tokyo, despite her family and people around her being completely against their marriage. Consequently Mitsu was disinherited and banned from her father's house. It is said her family paid a big sacrifice due to her marriage.
She took a new name as Mitsuko Coudenhove-Kalergi. The couple moved to Europe with two sons Johannes and Richard. There were many differences among Mitsu and Heinrich. He was a Count, noble and a highly intelligent person understanding 18 languages, on the other hand, she only had minimal education. She was ashamed of her ignorance, and she studied hard French, German, math, geography and history as a foreign wife. Five more children were born.
She was not warmly received by Heinrich's family as she was an Asian from a small island country and was Buddhist as well. Heinrich was protective to her, but he sent the Japanese nanny back to Japan and banned Mitsu to speak Japanese for wishing to grow seven children as completely European. She got homesick.
In 1906, Heinrich died of a heart attack. His family sued for property division, but she won the case and inherited a legacy from her husband. She managed the house and disposed of the property for children's education.
In 1914, the World War I started. She was forced to live under various forms of discrimination, because Japan was an enemy of Austria-Hungary. It was a difficult time for her. After the war, her children protested and left her, because she had managed everything strictly with Japanese style after Heinrich died.
After the fall of Austria-Hungary, they lost a half of possessions. She had intracranial bleeding and it left her paralyzed on her right side of her body. She died in 1941, under the benevolent watch of her daughter. Mitsu never again set foot on her homeland, Japan.
When I think about her life, I think she had a strong belief as Yamato-nadeshiko (is used to describe Japanese women who have Japanese traditional beauty, kindness and strength). Her life is beyond my wildest imaginings because her situation and mine are worlds apart. She is one of Japanese women who created a new path to the global community and set future generations on the first right track of international marriage.
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