Happy Women's Map 京都府 日本女子大学創設者ならびに大同生命創業者 広岡 浅子 女史
広岡 浅子 女史
Ms. Asako Hirooka
1849 - 1919
京都府京都市 生誕
Born in Kyoto-city, Kyoto-fu
「今日の婦人が無力である最も大きな理由は、経済力に乏しいという点です。自ら事業の経営者となって、系統的に組織的に、経済的に、これを発達させていくことが必要だと思うのです。」
"The main reason why women are powerless today is their lack of economic power. I hope every woman to become a business owner herself and develop it systematically and economically."
広岡浅子女史は日本女子大学創設者ならびに大同生命創業者です。さらに女性の貧困問題を解決するための教育事業・社会事業に奔走、愛国婦人会大阪支部また大阪YMCAにて、学び舎また賄い付きの裁縫訓練学校兼作業場、寄宿舎また夜間女学校を伴うタイピスト・秘書養成学校を発案・支援しました。
Ms. Ayako Hirooka is the founder of Japan Women's University and the co-founder of Taiyo Life Insurance Company. Additionally, she passionately dedicated herself to educational and social initiatives aimed at addressing women's poverty issues. She played a crucial role in the establishment and support of various institutions, including learning centers, sewing and vocational training schools with provisions, workspaces, dormitories, and evening schools for women, typist and secretary training schools, within the Osaka branch of the Patriotic Women's Association and the Osaka YMCA.
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浅子は山城国京都（現・京都府京都市）油小路通出水の小石川三井家の四女として生まれ、三味線・琴・習字・裁縫といった商家の女性に必要な教養を身につけます。兄弟が学ぶ「四書（大学・中庸・論語・孟子）」に強い興味を持ってこっそり書物を引っ張り出して読み始めますが、「女に教育は不要」「男子のすることを真似てはならない」と読書を禁じられます。17歳で大坂の豪商・加島屋の次男・広岡信五郎と結婚。ずさんな経営を目にした浅子は独学で九九算から始め、算盤の稽古、簿記、そして屋敷の帳面や書類を習得、さらに夫と一緒に漢学儒学の勉強を始めます。20歳で明治維新の廃藩置県を迎えると、浅子は諸大名家をまわってなどタフな交渉を重ねて加島屋の立て直しに奔走します。35歳のときに吉田千足とともに「広炭商店」を設立、帆足義方が所有する筑豊の炭鉱から産出された石炭の国内販売また海外輸出を始めます。輸出コストを解決するために、長崎港よりも筑豊に近い門司に新たに税関を設置し港の整備を進め、さらに帆足義方の炭鉱自体を傘下におさめ、石炭の産出から販売までを手掛ける商社「日本石炭会社」を設立するも、すぐに日本国内がデフレ不況になり石炭の価格が暴落、4年で解散となります。手元に残った潤野炭鉱（福岡県飯塚市、後の二瀬炭鉱）に浅子は自ら単身乗り込みます。護身用のピストルを懐に坑夫らと生活をともにしながら、現場監督また納屋頭らの協力を取り付けて優良炭鉱へと生まれ変わらせ、官営八幡製鉄所に売却します。浅子の資金繰の甲斐あって加島銀行の設立、さらに大阪商業界発の紡績事業への参加と実を結びます。続いて、浅子は相互扶助の精神を基調とする社会公益事業に共感、浄土真宗を基盤とする真宗生命保険会社の経営を支援、事業改革を進め朝日生命を創業します。
47歳の時に、大和吉野の林業家・土倉庄三郎を介し、梅花女学校の校長で女子大学設立を目指す成瀬仁蔵の訪問を受け『女子教育』を手渡されます。強く共感した浅子は、すぐに成瀬と行動を共にして政財界の有力者を説いて協力者を募り、大規模な発起人組織を作りあげます。1年足らずのうちに女子大学校を設立する計画を公式に発表、大隈重信また近衛篤麿らを来賓として総勢三百四十名の政財界の有力者が発起人会に集結、鹿島銀行の支援のもと大阪に大学校用地を取得します。経済恐慌により資金集めが停滞すると、浅子は広岡家・実家の三井家一門に働きかけて目白台の土地を寄付させます。成瀬が浅子と出会って5年目にして日本初の女子高等教育機関、日本女子大学校（現・ 日本女子大学）開校が開校。五十三名の教職員と五百十名の生徒で同校はスタート。開講3年目で夫の死去を機に事業を娘婿に譲ります。浅子は心友である奥村五百子の愛国婦人会を支援、大量のミシンを購入し愛国婦人会大阪支部の２階に持ち込み、警察・郵便・電気局・軍人など公共団体の制服を受注、職業訓練学校兼作業場を整えます。また終業前の30分に女性やこどもに国語をはじめ、算数や道徳を教える時間をつくります。さらに浅子は手術によりがんを克服、宮川経輝牧師のもとキリスト教の洗礼を受け、一緒に大阪YWCA創立準備に奔走、寄宿舎と夜間女学校を備えたタイピスト・秘書養成学校を設立します。浅子は71歳で死去するまで婦人運動や廃娼運動に参加、女性雑誌に多数の論説を寄せたり、御殿場・二の岡の別荘に若い女性を集めた合宿勉強会を主宰します。
Asako was born as the fourth daughter of the Koishikawa Mitsui family in Yodokōri-dōri Izumi, Kyoto, Yamashiro Province (present-day Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture). She acquired the education necessary for a merchant's daughter, including skills in shamisen, koto, calligraphy, and sewing. She secretly developed a strong interest in the "Four Books" (Great Learning, Doctrine of the Mean, Analects, and Mencius) that her brothers were studying and began reading, but she was forbidden from reading due to the belief that "education is unnecessary for women" and "women should not imitate men." At the age of 17, she married Nagakuni Hirooka, the second son of the Kajimaya, a wealthy merchant in Osaka. Observing the family's poor management, Ayako began self-studying arithmetic from multiplication tables, practicing with an abacus, learning bookkeeping, and mastering household ledgers and documents. She also embarked on a study of Chinese literature and Confucianism alongside her husband. When she was 20 years old, the Meiji Restoration led to the abolition of feudal domains. Ayako tirelessly negotiated with various daimyo families to rebuild the Kajimaya business. At the age of 35, along with Yoshida Chitaro, she established "Hiro Sumi Shōten." This company began domestic sales and international exports of coal from the Chikuho coal mines owned by Minoru Hoashi. To solve export cost issues, they set up a new customs office in Moji, closer to Chikuho than Nagasaki, and developed the port. Furthermore, they brought the Hoashi coal mines under their umbrella and established the "Nihon Sekitan Kaisha" (Japan Coal Company), which handled everything from coal production to sales. However, Japan entered a period of deflation and economic recession, causing coal prices to plummet. The company dissolved within four years. With only the Unno coal mine (later Nise coal mine) left, Ayako ventured alone into the mine. She carried a pistol for self-defense and lived alongside miners. With the cooperation of site supervisors and warehouse heads, she transformed the mine into a successful operation. She sold it to the government-operated Yawata Iron and Steel Works. Ayako's efforts led to the establishment of Kajima Bank, and she became involved in the Osaka textile industry. She subsequently supported social welfare programs based on mutual assistance. She helped manage the Jodo Shinshu-based life insurance company and initiated reforms for Asahi Life Insurance.
At the age of 47, through Yamato Yoshino's forestry business connections, she received a visit from Nisaburo Naruse, the principal of Ume-Ka Jogakko, who aspired to establish a women's university. Ayako received the book "Women's Education" from Naruse. Impressed by the content, Ayako teamed up with Naruse to convince influential figures in politics and business to support the cause. They formed a large group of supporters and announced their plans to establish a women's university within less than a year. With the support of Kagoshima Bank, they acquired land in Osaka. Despite facing economic hardships due to the Great Depression, Ayako persuaded the Hirooka and Mitsui families to donate land in Mejiro. In its fifth year, Ayako and Naruse opened the Japan Women's University, the first women's higher education institution in Japan. The school began with 53 faculty members and 510 students. Three years after its opening, Ayako's husband passed away, and she passed on the business to her son-in-law. She supported the Patriotic Women's Association led by her close friend Momoko Okumura. She purchased numerous sewing machines, established vocational training schools and workshops, and taught women and children subjects such as Japanese, arithmetic, and morality during the 30 minutes before classes ended. Furthermore, Ayako successfully overcame cancer through surgery. She embraced Christianity and was baptized by Pastor Keiki Miyagawa. Together, they worked to establish the Osaka YWCA, where Ayako founded a typist and secretary training school with dormitories and evening classes. Until her passing at the age of 71, Ayako continued to be actively engaged in women's movements and efforts against prostitution. She contributed numerous articles to women's magazines and led study camps for young women at her villas in Gotemba and Ninooka.
-日本女子大学 Japan Women's University
-大阪YMCA Osaka YMCA
-大同生命 DAIDOSEIMEI
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