On The Money
No one knows what the future holds—shrouded in mystery and fate as yet undetermined—but just like a black swan, a rare instance of an exclusive path, preordained by legendary figures of Meiji Japan.
At the tender age of just eight, a girl could not consciously choose the grueling road to become a pivotal historic figure, one destined to pioneer female education in Japan.
Tsuda Umeko was the youngest member of the Iwakura mission sent to the United States on a fact-finding expedition in 1871.
As the original pioneer of women’s education in Japan, Tsuda Umeko takes her rightful place, her exquisite face now graces the freshly printed ¥5000 Japanese bank note.
Returning from the United States at nineteen, Tsuda Umeko was deeply moved to empower Japanese women to attain new heights recreating Japanese society, one that had outgrown the ancient notions of dan son jo hi (chauvinism).
Tsuda Sensei’s sacrifices created the environment for Japanese women to achieve personal fulfilment as educated productive members of the industrial society—doing their part to make ends meet—making Certificates of Gratitude (money) helping daddy bring the bacon home.
One can only imagine the feeling and emotions that would be going through a child’s mind as she boards a massive paddle-wheeler for a long ride across the Pacific Ocean mandated with a simple yet complex task—“find out all you can and then report back…”
Like a secret envoy from the ancient past sailing over vast stretches of sea—heading towards an unknown destination—following the sun to fulfil her destiny—an innocent child tossed like a wildcard—throughout infinity just to see—forging forth to identify what is to be.
This is where the legacy of Tsuda Umeko, the eight-year old pioneer, reaches so deeply into this very day—inside the hallowed halls of the esteemed institute bearing her noble name—Tsuda Juku Daigaku.
Perhaps fortitude and resilience were woven into her core being imprinting the DNA of her samurai clan—exemplifying stoic discipline, simple sophistication, and unique Japanese culturalization.
The Japanese continue in the amalgamation of two civilizations, leading to a peculiar abstract mathematical notion inside this particular tricky instance of “time”—one plus one equals infinity.
Tsuda Umeko was the catalyst for the sublime combination of the Age of Reason and the essence of the East—ancestor worship—integrating thus creating a contemporary edification spirit inside the ancient society of Japan.
Her brilliant solution to enlighten the girls of Japan, along with the powerful message of her innovative movement makes Tsuda Umeko one of the most influential women in the history of Japan—she did this with a little help from her best friend.
Here, the sublime Ms. Alice Bacon was anointed as the Occidental representative to merge her mind with Tsuda Umeko—a Meiji girl and Ms. Alice Bacon, a puritanical Victorian—two divine flowers signifying humanity—merging into ΩNE—initiating Civilization Three.
The mastery of these brave feminine souls was as accelerators of change, guided by the natural order of all things, or as the Japanese believe—ban butsu—万物—life in everything.
Parallel lines exist between Tsuda Umeko, the pioneer of women’s education in Japan, and an autodidactic who could not pay attention so he trotted off to follow the sun—finding out the meaning of life actually lies within the nooks and crannies on the road leading to ΩNE.
The swift water of adversity inevitably encountered by Tsuda Umeko and xybersensei (yours truly) polished resolve and dignity—each confronting two peculiar worlds both alien to the same extraordinary degree—reflecting each other—reflecting ban butsu—reflecting the unseen.
Even much more, how could this possibly be—the seminal historical figure Tsuda Umeko, who is appearing on the ¥5000 banknote of Japan is in reality, our family’s beloved Great Aunty.
This story is truly phantasmagorically surreal—as it has now been revealed that xybersensei is simply a mischievous autodidactic child spending this lifetime following the sun.
Inspired even all the more to open up Lady Luck’s mysterious doors when she comes knocking—gazing at Aunty Umeko’s dignified portrait, beaming from the ¥5000 note—grateful for this sublime Goddess of Women’s Education opening doors to feminine edification—the divine Great Aunty Umeko.
