Yamamoto Yaeko , also known as , was a Japanese woman of the late Edo period who lived into the early Showa period . She was famously known as the wife of Joseph Hardy Neesima , the founder of Doshisha University and Doshisha Women ' s College of Liberal Arts . Yaeko served as a nurse during the Russo - Japanese War and Sino - Japanese War , and became the first woman outside of Imperial House of Japan to be decorated for her service to the country . Early life . Yaeko was born the daughter of Yamamoto Gonpachi , a samurai and one of the official gunnery instructors in Aizu Domain . Her family claimed descent from the Takeda clan ' s retainer Yamamoto Kansuke . Boshin War . As a woman of Bakumatsu period , Yae was skilled in gunnery , which was highly unusual . She took part in the defense of Aizu when the Boshin War broke out in 1868 . During the Battle of Aizu , she fought against the Meiji government and the coalition forces , defending the Aizuwakamatsu Castle with her Spencer repeating rifle along with Aizu warriors . Prior to the battle , she was originally married to Shonosuke Kawasaki , a Rangaku scholar from Izushi Domain . They were separated after the defeat of Aizu as Shonosuke became a prisoner of war . Their divorce was finalised in 1871 . In Kyoto . After the surrender of Aizu Domain , Yaeko took shelter in nearby Yonezawa Domain in Yonezawa , Yamagata and stayed there for one year . In 1871 , she traveled to Kyoto to seek for her brother Yamamoto Kakuma , who spent years as a prisoner of war in Satsuma custody . Upon her arrival to Kyoto , Yaeko was hired as an substitute instructor in Kyoto Women ' s School ( ) through the recommendation from her brother Kakuma , now working as an advisor for Kyoto prefectural government . While Yaeko was working at the women ' s school , she was acquainted with sadō instructor from the house of Urasenke . Through their interaction , Yaeko was able to familiarise herself with the art of Japanese tea ceremony . She obtained the qualification later in 1894 and became a tea master of the Urasenke tradition , with the art - name of . During her tenure at the school , she was also acquainted with kadō instructor from the house of Ikenobō . She was later granted the certificate to practice flower arrangement from Ikenobō in 1896 . Marriage . Throughout the early 1870s , Yaeko remained in Kyoto and became a Christian after she met Rev . Joseph Hardy Neesima , who used to visit her brother Kakuma back when they were in Aizu . The two of them were engaged soon after in October 1875 . Neesima was a former samurai that spent 10 years in the United States from 1864 – 74 to pursue for higher education . He returned to Japan in 1874 , and was in the process of building a Western school that promotes Christianity . However , the concept was vehemently opposed by Buddhists and Shintoist in Kyoto , and they submitted several complaints to the prefectural government . Soon after they were engaged , Yaeko was dismissed from her position in the women ' s school following pressure from the government . Yaeko and Neesima were married on 3 January 1876 . Together with Neesima and Kakuma , Yaeko volunteered to assist in running the new school . She played an integral role in the founding of Doshisha University and its subsequent development . Neesima was educated in the United States , and he was a believer of women ' s rights . While it contradicted social norms of Edo period Japan , it happened to be balancing for a spirited woman like Yaeko . The precedence out of courtesy given by Neesima was viewed as a sign of shrewdness on Yaeko , and she was consequently criticised as a " bad wife " by the Japanese society throughout their marriage . Contrary to traditional Japanese couples , Neesima and Yaeko were friendly to each other . He praised her lifestyle as " handsome " in his letter to friends in United States . Later career . Following the sudden death of Neesima on 23 January 1890 , Yaeko and her colleagues in Doshisha University began to drift apart gradually . Doshisha students from Satsuma and Chōshū Domain was not warmly received by her , since they attacked Aizu during the Boshin War . In her later career , Yaeko turned her focus to nursing and became a member of Japanese Red Cross on 26 April 1890 . During the First Sino - Japanese War , she joined the army and spent four months as a nurse stationed in Hiroshima . Yaeko led a team of 40 nurses to care for the wounded soldiers while working to improve the social status of trained nurses . Her efforts were recognised by the Japanese government , and she was awarded her first Order of the Precious Crown in 1896 . In between the wars , she worked as an instructor in nursing schools . When the Russo - Japanese War broke out in 1904 , she joined the army again and served as a volunteer nurse at Imperial Japanese Army hospital in Osaka for two months . For this service she received her second Order of the Precious Crown . She was further awarded a silver cup at the inauguration of Showa Emperor in 1928 for her overall commitment to the country . Death . While Yaeko did not bear any children from her two marriages , she did adopt three children from Yonezawa Domain throughout her life . However , they were not closely connected . In her final years , she maintained her residence on Teramachi Street in Kyoto until she passed away on 14 June 1932 at the age of 86 . She was given a funeral sponsored by Doshisha University . Her burial site is located at Doshisha graveyard in Sakyō - ku , Kyoto . In popular culture . Yamamoto Yaeko is a popular historical figure in Japan , and has appeared in various stories , comics ( manga ) , and TV shows .