Kiuchi Kyō (木内 キヤウ, Kiuchi Kyō, 14 February 1884 – 7 November 1964) was a Japanese educator and politician who served as a member of the House of Councillors. She is believed to be the first woman to become the principal of a Japanese school. ^[1]

Name

Her maiden surname was Awashima (淡島), and her pen name was Tsukigami Kiuchi (木内月上, Kiuchi Tsukigami). ^[2]

Biography

Kiuchi Kyō was born on 14 February 1884 ^[2] in the Asakusa Morishita town in the Asakusa ward of Tokyo, the first-born child of artist Awashima Kangetsu [ ja]. ^[3] The Awashima family business was a well-known honeycomb toffee shop, but they made a living by charging rent for the remaining estate and selling it, such as giving up the store with her grandparents. ^{[4] [5]}

Even when she was nine years old, her father did not allow her to enter elementary school. ^[6] Worried after her graduation from high school, she attended a normal school, and she graduated from Tokyo Women's Normal School in March 1903 and was assigned to Minamikatsushika Ordinary Primary School. ^{[2] [7]} In March 1909, she married Tatsusaburō Kiuchi (木内辰三郎, Kiuchi Tatsusaburō), a teacher at Urawa Junior High School, ^{[2] [8]} and she chose to maintain her work–life balance. ^[9] In April 1910, she was transferred to Nihonbashi-no-Jōtō Ordinary Elementary School. ^[10] She entered the Tokyo Women's Normal School's advanced courses in April 1926, and after completing the course, she was transferred to Jūon Ordinary Primary School. ^{[2] [11]} In October 1931, she became the principal of Itabashi no Shimura First Ordinary Primary School of Itabashi, and she remained in that position until July 1941. ^{[2] [12]} She also founded Kiuchi Academy in Takinogawa and served as the head of a pigeon garden. ^{[2] [13] [14]}

She was also vice-president of the National Primary School Union's Female Teachers Association, director of the Tokyo Education Association's Women's Training Department, a member of the Japan International Association's Women's Committee, director of the Tokyo Women's Patriotic Association, and a councillor of the Dai Nippon Women's Association. ^{[2] [15]} She was a representative of the 1928 Pan-Pacific Women's Conference in Hawaii. ^[9] During World War II, she became a member of the Imperial Rule Assistance Association's Central Cooperation Council. ^{[2] [16]}

After an unsuccessful attempt in the 1946 Japanese general election, where she received 21,185 votes for the House of Councillors national district among 120 candidates, ^[17] she was elected to the House of Councillors national district in the 1947 Japanese House of Councillors election. ^{[2] [15]} She was a member of the Minshu Club and dedicated herself to issues involving education and female teachers. ^{[15] [18]}

Kiuchi Kyō died on 7 November 1964 at the age of 80. ^[15]

Bibliography

• Kiuchi, Kyō (1929). 汎太平洋婦人会議に列して (in Japanese).

References

• 教育一路 (in Japanese). eitosho Shubbansha. 1953.