Empowering the next generation of Japanese women leaders through education in the US
In 1871, at the age of 11, Sutematsu was sent to the U.S. as a member of the government mission. In 1882, she graduated from Vassar College as a valedictorian. She was the first Japanese woman to graduate from a college in the U.S. as well as in Japan. Upon returning to Japan, Sutematsu contributed to promote the educational and social status of the Japanese women.
Even after 100 years, women in Japan still face various obstacles in a social environment. We hope that Sutematsu scholars will embody the spirit of Sutematsu and demonstrate what she learned in the U.S. to empower more women to make a sustainable impact in the society.
Thanks to the leadership of Akiko Kuno (trustee, vice president of US Japan society, and a great granddaughter of Sutematsu), other founding members, and many supporters, we were able to raise over 100 million yen in the last 3 years. Sutematsu scholars are now enrolled at Wellesley College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith. The fourth scholar will be selected in the fall of 2026.
Funding for the fourth scholar is complete with 44 million yen ($300,000). We are accepting donations for the fifth scholar. (7/8/26 - )
The Fourth Sutematsu meeting (July 4, 2026)
Objectives
- To help develop female leaders who will work to improve the social status of women;
- To support Japanese women to study abroad to fully develop their individual abilities regardless of field and to grow as leaders who will contribute to the building of a prosperous and peaceful society;
- To ensure that the spirit of Sutematsu is continued by future generations; and
- To send and support at least one scholar each year on a continual basis to a traditional women's liberal arts college in the United States.
Destination
- The Sutematsu Scholars will have the opportunity to study for four years at one of the following six small, historic, residential, liberal arts college for women in the eastern United States known for fostering women leaders.Vassar College (coeducational since 1969)
- Barnard College
- Bryn Mawr College
- Mount Holyoke College
- Smith College
- Wellesley College
Scholarship
- The scholarship will be awarded to one female Japanese high school graduate who will attend one of the above-mentioned colleges for four years ($65,000 per year).
- Sutematsu Scholars will be entitled to all the privileges and benefits extended to Grew Bancroft Scholars, including preparatory support for college application, guidance during study abroad, and consultation on post-study career path.
Eligibility
- Applicants must have Japanese citizenship and have graduated from a Japanese high school or have completed at least eight years of formal education in Japan.
- The family income of the applicant must be no more more than 20 million yen.
- The applicant must have self-recognition as a woman.
Selection
Selection is managed by the Grew Bancroft Foundation.
Donors List
First scholar funding: 35 million yen from 69 donors ( - September, 2023)
|
Category |
Donor (GB: former Grew Bancroft scholar) |
|
Platinum (5 million yen +) |
Akiko Kuno (Trustee) Shogo Maeda (GB) Junko Watanabe/Keiko Watanabe/Ryoko Sado (supporter) |
|
Gold (1 million to 5 million yen) |
Yuki Niinami (Wellesley College Alum) Sakura Nishimoto (Wellesley College Alum）Edward＆Priscilla Grew（Bryn Mawr College Alum）Eriko Kawai (GB) Kakutaro Kitashiro (Founding member) Mieko Wanibuchi (supporter), Anonymous (trustee) |
|
Silver (500,000 - 1 million yen) |
Naoyuki and Sachiko Shiono (trustee), Junichiro Adachi (GB) Masafumi Nagao (GB) |
|
Bronze (100,000 - 500,000 yen) |
Peter Grilli (supporter), Ken Matsumoto (GB), Kirara Tsutsui (GB), Kazutoshi Ohkubo (GB), Yutaka Horiba (GB),Nobuko Kuzuoka (GB), Shigesuke Kashiwagi (supporter), Akihiro Nakano (GB), Aiko Ohkawara (supporter), Mitsuru Chino (Smith College alum), Yuko Takahashi (founding member, trustee), Shota Ebata (GB), Anna Ricker (GB), Naoki Ueno (GB), Norihiko Suzuki (founding member), Naoki Onishi, (trustee) Anonymous |
|
Friends (less than 100,000 yen) |
Akiko Sasamoto (GB), Kosuke Yo (GB),Takeshi Hidaka (GB), Yuki Takeda (GB), Norio Akashi (GB), Kohei Takatsuka (GB), Ayako Nomizu（GB), Atsuro Wada（GB), Midori Kawaue (GB), Keiichi Honma (GB), Toru Ohira (GB), Jim Wilson (supporter), Aki Kinjo (Wellesley College alum), Norimichi Kojima (trustee), Ibuki Ogasawara (GB), Sachiko Ohi (supporter), Keiko Kimura (supporter), Yoko Hama (GB), Masahiro Hayafuji (GB), Yoshiyuki Yoshida, Crystal Brunelli, (Wellesley College alum), Yuki Shibasaki (supporter), Mihoko Manabe (Wellesley alum), Kagami Sakai (supporter), Tomone Stelter (GB), Issei Morita (GB), Hiromi Nonaka (supporter), Sara Uehara (GB), Hikaru Shimoda (Vassar alum), Kayo Motoda (supporter), Anonymous (7) |
Second scholar funding: 39 million yen from 61 donors (Oct. 2023 - July, 2024)
|
Donation category |
Donor (GB: former Grew Bancroft scholar) |
|
Platinum (5 million yen +) |
Shogo Maeda (GB), Emiko Watanabe (supporter), Anonymous (GB) Terumi Fujisawa (supporter) |
|
Gold (1 million to 5 million yen) |
Eriko Kawai (GB), Anonymous (trustee), Yuki Niinami (Wellesley College alum), Junichiro Adachi (GB), Masafumi Nagao (GB), Junko Watanabe/Keiko Watanabe/Ryoko Sado (supporter) |
|
Silver (500,000 - 1 million yen) |
Sachiko Nukazawa (supporter), Hirotsugu Iikubo (supporter), Mr.&Mrs. Robert (Ron) Fallon (supporter), Richard Dyck (supporter), Edward & Priscilla Grew (Bryn Mawr alum) |
|
Bronze (100,000 - 500,000 yen) |
Ken Matsumoto (GB), Noriko Yagi (supporter), Peter Grilli (supporter), Allan & Selina Rossiter (supporter), Nreiko (supporter), Hiroshi Yamashita (supporter), Sachiko Taki (supporter), Shigesuke Kashiwagi (supporter), Yoshie Ogawa (supporter), Naoki Onishi (trustee), Yasuyo Abe (GB), Hideki Masuda (supporter), Ibuki Ogasawara (GB) Naoyuki Shiono (trustee) |
|
Friends (less than 100,000 yen) |
Kosuke Yo (GB), Norio Akashi (GB), Yuko Okamoto (GB), Ayako Nomizu (GB), Sachiko Ooi, Akihiro Nakano (GB), Hiromi Nonaka (supporter), Tomoko Hamabata (GB), Sara Iwasaki (GB), Jim Wilson (supporter), Aya Tsujita (Barnard College alum), Tomoe Kondo (supporter), Takeshi Hidaka (GB), Anonymous (GB), Mike Stebbins (supporter), Mikiko Nishimura (Trustee), Anonymous (2), Shiina Sekimoto (GB), Takeshi Watanabe (supporter) |
Third scholar funding: 34 million yen (August, 2024 - August 2025)
|
Donation category |
Donor (GB: former Grew Bancroft scholar) |
|
Platinum (5 million yen +) |
Martin Collcutt (supporter), Shogo Maeda (GB) |
|
Gold (1 million to 5 million yen) |
Akiko Kuno (trustee), Junko Watanabe/Keiko Watanabe/Ryoko Sado (supporter) Anonymous (trustee) Anonymous (supporter) Junichiro Adachi (GB) Yuki Niinami (Wellesley College alum) |
|
Silver (500,000 - 1 million yen) |
Anonymous (supporter) Naoyuki and Sachiko Shiono (trustee) |
|
Bronze (100,000 - 500,000 yen) |
Kazumi Teune (supporter) Ruri Kawashima (supporter) Kiyoko Takagi (supporter) Noriko Yagi (supporter) Anonymous 2 (supporter) Sherpa Co., Ltd. (supporter) Nreiko (supporter) Sachiko Taki (supporter) Sachiko Nukazawa (supporter) Issei Morita (GB) Naoki Onishi (trustee) Mitsuru Chino (Smith alum) Naoki Ueno (GB) Allan & Selina Rossiter (supporter) Satoru Murase (supporter) Richard Dyck (supporter) |
|
Friends (less than 100,000 yen) |
Kosuke Yo (GB) Anonymous 3 (supporter) Hiromi Nonaka (supporter) Nobuko Kuzuoka (GB) Peter Grilli (supporter) Rumiko Hasegawa (supporter) Miyoko Yamazaki (supporter) Nami Hamada (supporter) Satoru Kubo (supporter) Bos Ingmar (supporter) Pauline Yang (supporter) Jim Verbeeten (supporter) Karla Delgadillo Ibarra (supporter) Mari Yamauchi (supporter) Shinobu Miyata (supporter) Yasuko Elison (supporter) Medalla Rosalia (supporter) Asako Ariga (supporter) Moriyasu (supporter) Anonymous (GB) Aki Kinjo (Wellesley alum) Mike Stebbins (supporter) Stan S. Katz (supporter) Sara Uehara (GB) Aya Tsujita (Barnard alum) Norimichi Kojima (trustee) Akiko Sasamoto (GB) Jean Beattie May (supporter) |
Fourth scholar: 44 million yen (target achieved July, 2026)
|
Donation category |
Donor (GB: former Grew Bancroft scholar) |
|
Platinum (5 million yen +) |
Anonymous (supporter), Shogo Maeda (GB) |
|
Gold (1 million to 5 million yen) |
Junichiro Adachi (GB) Yoshihisa Kawamura (supporter) Junko Watanabe/Keiko Watanabe/Ryoko Sado (supporter) Anonymous (supporter) Anonymous (trustee) |
|
Silver (500,000 - 1 million yen) |
Akiko Kuno (trustee) Makoto Yasuda (supporter) |
|
Bronze (100,000 - 500,000 yen) |
Peter Grilli (supporter) Keiichi Homma (GB) Issei Morita (GB) Anonymous 5 (supporter) Anonymous (GB) Kiyoko Takagi (supporter) Kosei Kobayashi (trustee) Ibuki Ogasawara (GB) Naoki Onishi (trustee) Sachiko Taki (supporter) Reiko Noda (Smith alum) Sherpa Co., Ltd. (supporter) Reiko Nagase (supporter) Kosuke Yo (GB) Shigesuke Kashiwagi (supporter) Mitsuru Chino (Smith alum) Asako Ariga (supporter) |
|
Friends (less than 100,000 yen) |
Takeshi Watanabe (supporter) Akihiro Nakano (GB) Mike Stebbins (supporter) Nobuko Kuzuoka (GB) Yuki Takeda (GB) Sara Uehara (GB) Rumiko Hasegawa (supporter) Mie Nakachi (GB) Tomone Stelter (GB) Mikiko Nishimura (trustee) Toru Ohira (GB) Hina Matsuzaki (GB) Crystal Brunelli (Wellesley alum) John Lemly (supporter) Aya Tsujita (Barnard alum) Kazuko Wakao (supporter) Anonymous 3(GB) Yuki Tominaga (GB) Mihoko Manabe (Wellesley alum) Ayako Nomizu (GB) Asami Odate (supporter) Nanako Ito (GB) Akiko Yanagisawa (supporter) Anonymous 3 (supporter) Yuichi Nakajima (supporter) Aki Kinjo (Wellesley alum) Sachiko Oi (supporter) Yuki Shibasaki (supporter) Kazumi Teune (supporter) Anonymous (BrynMawr alum) Eiri Koike (BrynMawr alum) |
We are accepting donations for the fifth scholar. We have raised 25 million yen, 54% toward the target of 48 million yen ($300,000) as of 9/3/26.
|
Donation category |
Donor (GB: former Grew Bancroft scholar) |
|
Platinum (5 million yen +) |
Anonymous (supporter), Shogo Maeda (GB) |
|
Gold (1 million to 5 million yen) |
Edward & Priscilla Grew (BrynMawr graduate) |
|
Silver (500,000 - 1 million yen) |
Junichiro Adachi (GB) |
|
Bronze (100,000 - 500,000 yen) |
Naoyuki Shiono (trustee) Peter Grilli (supporter) Kosue Yo (GB) |
|
Friends (less than 100,000 yen) |
Stan Katz (supporter) Asako Ariga (supporter) |
Third Sutematsu Scholarship annual meeting (7/5/2025)
"Large presence of women professors was a huge encouragement."
"Proximity to New York (Boston, Philadelphia) was great!"
"Cafeteria food was so good!"
Message from the Sutematsu scholars
At Wellesley College, I am surrounded by a beautiful campus and warm, inspiring people, and I am experiencing the most fulfilling and stimulating days of my life. Every day, I feel immense gratitude for the opportunity to be in such a wonderful environment, and for the support of everyone who made this possible.
I look forward to your continued support of the Oyama Sutematsu Scholarship in the future. Thank you once again.
(Natsu, the first Sutematsu Scholar, November, 2024)
In academics, I have participated in psychology and astronomy. The professors’ passionate lectures are so captivating that they leave me engrossed as if I were watching a movie.
In club activities, I have participated in tennis, international relations, and honeybees where we harvest and eat honey. Through these opportunities, I made many friends including those I can truly call soulmates.
Every moment on campus feels treasured; from sharing breakfast with friends in the cafeteria and participating in classes to laughing together on the way back from the library at night. I am grateful to Ms. Kuno, who initiated the Sutematsu Scholarship, and all the donors who made this experience possible. Thank you very much. I promise to embark on new challenges with gratitude and a humble mindset. (September, 2025)