13 Notable alumni of Ochanomizu University
Updated: June 07, 2026 EliteDegrees
Ochanomizu University is ranked #1,331 in the world and #90 in Japan by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 13 notable alumni from Ochanomizu University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Ochanomizu University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Yasui Kono
1880-1971 (aged 91)
biologist
botanist
teacher
Kono Yasui was a Japanese biologist and cytologist. In 1927, she became the first Japanese woman to receive a doctoral degree in science. She received a Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon and was awarded as an Order of the Precious Crown Third Class for her academic accomplishments and leadership in women’s education in Japan.
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2. Kaho Miyake
1869-1943 (aged 74)
waka poet
novelist
ukiyo-e artist
Tatsuko Miyake, known by her pen name Kaho Miyake (三宅 花圃, Miyake Kaho), was a Japanese novelist, essayist, and poet. She has long been associated with joryū bungaku ("women's literature"), acknowledged as the first woman to have written in the modern period. Her most notable work is Yabu no uguisu (藪の鶯, lit. "Warbler in the Grove"), published in 1888.
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3. Tetsu Yasui
1870-1945 (aged 75)
educator
writer
Tetsu Yasui was a Japanese educator and writer. She was the first dean of Tokyo Woman's Christian University and its second president.
4. Kunie Iwahashi
1934-2014 (aged 80)
writer
novelist
Kunie Iwahashi was a Japanese novelist. She was considered "the female Shintaro Ishihara".
5. Sumie Tanaka
1908-2000 (aged 92)
novelist
screenwriter
Sumie Tanaka was a Japanese screenwriter and playwright with a feminist agenda. She was a long-time collaborator of film director Mikio Naruse and wrote screenplays for Japan's first major female director Kinuyo Tanaka. A member of the Bungakuza theatre company, she was married to dramatist Chikao Tanaka. Awards she received for her work include the Blue Ribbon Award, the Ministry...
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6. Chika Kuroda
1884-1968 (aged 84)
chemist
Chika Kuroda was a Japanese chemist whose research focused on natural pigments. She was the first woman in Japan to receive a Bachelor of Science.
7. Wakako Hironaka
1934-. (aged 92)
writer
politician
Wakako Hironaka is a Japanese writer and politician. She served four terms in the House of Councillors, the upper house of the national Diet, from 1986 until 2010. Her husband is Heisuke Hironaka, a mathematician.
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8. Haruko Hatoyama
1863-1938 (aged 75)
educator
Haruko Hatoyama was a Japanese educator who was a co-founder of what is today Kyoritsu Women's University. The matriarch of the Hatoyama political family, her husband was politician Kazuo Hatoyama.
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9. Maki Narumiya
1985-. (aged 41)
dancer
professional wrestler
Maki Narumiya is a retired Japanese professional wrestler. A former dancer, Narumiya was trained in professional wrestling by Emi Sakura and made her debut for the Ice Ribbon promotion in March 2011. During her four years in the promotion, she became a one-time ICE×60 Champion and two-time International Ribbon Tag Team Champion. In April 2015, Narumiya transferred over to the...
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10. Hiromi Kawakami
1958-. (aged 68)
novelist
science fiction writer
writer
Hiromi Kawakami is a Japanese writer, known for her off-beat fiction, poetry, and literary criticism. She has won numerous Japanese literary awards, including the Akutagawa Prize, the Tanizaki Prize, the Yomiuri Prize, and the Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature. Her work has been adapted for film and has been translated into more than 15 languages.
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11. Ogino Ginko
1851-1913 (aged 62)
physician
Ogino Ginko was the first licensed female physician practicing Western medicine in Japan.
12. Mieko Yoshimura
1951-. (aged 75)
administrative scrivener
politician
Mieko Yoshimura is governor of Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. She was elected on January 25, 2009. She defeated the sitting governor of Yamagata Prefecture, Hiroshi Saitō in an upset. A native of Ōe, Yamagata, she worked at a help-wanted advertising company before becoming a notary public for the city government of Yamagata. She soon became a member of Yamagata Prefecture's Education...
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13. Kiko, Crown Princess of Japan
1966-. (aged 60)
aristocrat
Kiko, Crown Princess Akishino is a member of the Imperial House of Japan. She is married to Crown Prince Fumihito, the heir presumptive to the Japanese throne.
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