| Kiuchi Kyō | |
| Native Name Lang: | ja |
| Office: | Member of the House of Councillors for the House of Councillors national district |
| Term Start: | 1947 |
| Birth Date: | 14 February 1884 |
| Birth Place: | Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan |
| Party: | Minshu Club |
| Spouse: | Tatsusaburō Kiuchi (1909–?) |
| Father: | Awashima Kangetsu |
| Alma Mater: | Tokyo Women's Normal School |
was a Japanese educator and politician who served as a member of the House of Councillors. She is believed to be the first woman to become the principal of a Japanese school.[1]
Her maiden surname was, and her pen name was .
Kiuchi Kyō was born on 14 February 1884[2] in the Asakusa Morishita town in the Asakusa ward of Tokyo, the first-born child of artist .[3] The Awashima family business was a well-known honeycomb toffee shop, but they made a living by charging rent for the remaining estate and selling it, such as giving up the store with her grandparents.[4] [5]
Even when she was nine years old, her father did not allow her to enter elementary school.[6] Worried after her graduation from high school, she attended a normal school, and she graduated from Tokyo Women's Normal School in March 1903 and was assigned to Minamikatsushika Ordinary Primary School.[2] [7] In March 1909, she married, a teacher at Urawa Junior High School,[2] [8] and she chose to maintain her work–life balance.[9] In April 1910, she was transferred to Nihonbashi-no-Jōtō Ordinary Elementary School.[10] She entered the Tokyo Women's Normal School's advanced courses in April 1926, and after completing the course, she was transferred to Jūon Ordinary Primary School.[2] [11] In October 1931, she became the principal of Itabashi no Shimura First Ordinary Primary School of Itabashi, and she remained in that position until July 1941.[2] [12] She also founded Kiuchi Academy in Takinogawa and served as the head of a pigeon garden.[2] [13] [14]
She was also vice-president of the National Primary School Union's Female Teachers Association, director of the Tokyo Education Association's Women's Training Department, a member of the Japan International Association's Women's Committee, director of the Tokyo Women's Patriotic Association, and a councillor of the Dai Nippon Women's Association.[2] She was a representative of the 1928 Pan-Pacific Women's Conference in Hawaii.[9] During World War II, she became a member of the Imperial Rule Assistance Association's Central Cooperation Council.[2] [15]
After an unsuccessful attempt in the 1946 Japanese general election, where she received 21,185 votes for the House of Councillors national district among 120 candidates,[16] she was elected to the House of Councillors national district in the 1947 Japanese House of Councillors election.[2] She was a member of the Minshu Club and dedicated herself to issues involving education and female teachers.[17]
Kiuchi Kyō died on 7 November 1964 at the age of 80.[18]