In 1894 the decision was made by the Red Cross to send nurses in the midst of their training to help with relief efforts when the Sino Japanese War broke out. Hagiwara was sent and received praise for her service; she was specifically requested to help with relief efforts in Aomori, Iwate, and Miyagi Prefectures when the 1896 Tsunami caused civil disasters in those areas. She graduated in 1897 from the Red Cross Nursing program and began working in relief efforts of various military campaigns. Hagiwara was awarded the Seventh Order of the Precious Crown for her service during the First Sino-Japanese War and later was awarded the Officier d’Academie from the French government for her service during the Boxer Rebellion in China.