Kusumoto Takako (楠本高子)

Takako KUSUMOTO (February 26, 1852-July18, 1938) was a granddaughter of Philipp Franz von Siebold and a daughter of Ine KUSUMOTO. She has been also called "Takako MISE," "Takako YAMAWAKI" and "Taka YAMAWAKI" depending on the changes her name by marriages.

Takako was an unexpected baby (refer to the article of 'Soken ISHII') and she was initially called 'Tadako' (literally, 'a free child' which was named with resignation that a child was given by God for free). She was brought up by her grandmother Otaki in Nagasaki City until the age of 13. She was keen on Japanese arts including Koto (Japanese harp), Shamisen (three-stringed Japanese banjo) and Classical Japanese dance in her girlhood. She made Ine complain because Ine had expected her to become doctor which was their family business. When she was 14 years old, she started serving the Uwajima clan as maid on the introduction of Keisaku NINOMIYA who was a teacher of her mother.

In 1866, she married Morobuchi MISE. Her husband Morobuchi MISE was a doctor and a pupil of Siebold, and he was also a nephew of Keisaku NINOMIYA. After her husband Morobuchi MISE had died in 1877, she studied gynecology from her half brother Nobuyoshi ISHI. However, during the study, she became pregnant with Shuzo (later adapted to Ine) by a doctor Shigeaki KATAGIRI, so she gave up the idea of studying medicine. Soon after that, she remarried a doctor Taisuke YAMAWAKI and they had a son and two daughters, however, Taisuke also died only seven years after they had married. After that, she was supported by her uncle Heinrich von Siebold and lived with her mother Ine in Tokyo. And in Tokyo she earned her living from teaching the Japanese arts which she had learned keenly in her girlhood.

When Takako met Reiji MATSUMOTO's ancestor who was a colleague of Morobuchi MISE, she left a strong impression on him. Reiji MATSUMOTO said that since he had heard that ancestor's story, he unconsciously used Takako as a model for female characters of his works (cited "Cosmo Warrior Zero, Side Story 2").

As of 2008, her personal notes are exhibited.

[Original Japanese]