An educator and pioneer of women's education of the Meiji and Taishō periods. In 1871 (Meiji 4), at just six years old, she traveled to the United States as one of the female students accompanying the Iwakura Mission. She spent about eleven years in America, mastering English, French, music, and education before returning to Japan. After her return, she worked as a translator and interpreter for Itō Hirobumi's household and for Yamakawa Sutematsu, then went to America again to study biology at Bryn Mawr College. In 1900 (Meiji 33), she founded the Women's English School (Joshi Eigaku Juku; now Tsuda University) in Tokyo, providing an education that enabled women to participate in society as independent intellectuals. Driven by the conviction that "cultivating women's intellect changes society," she was a forward-thinking educator who connected Western higher education with women's liberation in Japan. Her portrait was adopted for the new ¥5,000 banknote issued in 2024.

An educational reformer of strong conviction and decisive action. The international sensibility forged by her extraordinary experience of traveling abroad at age six, combined with a critical perspective on Japanese realities, infused her educational practice. She remained dissatisfied with conventional female education and pursued genuine intellectual independence throughout her life.

Tsuda University maintains its reputation today as a prestigious institution for women's higher education and English-language learning. Her adoption on the ¥5,000 banknote (2024) reflects contemporary recognition of her achievements. Her experience of traveling abroad at six and studying for eleven years stands as one of the most striking starting points in the history of women's education in modern Japan.