Michiyo Tsujimura

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Tsujimura Michiyo

Japanese agricultural scientist and biochemist

Michiyo Tsujimura

Born	(1879-09-17)17 September 1879
Birth place	Okegawa, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
Died	1 June 1969(1969-06-01) (aged 89)
Place of death	Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Nationality	Japanese
Known for	Research on green tea components
Awards	Japan Prize of Agricultural Science

Michiyo Tsujimura (辻村 みちよ, September 17, 1879 – June 1, 1969) was a pioneering Japanese agricultural scientist and biochemist known for her groundbreaking research on the components of green tea.

Early Life and Education

Michiyo Tsujimura was born in Okegawa, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. She attended the Tokyo Women's Higher Normal School, where she developed an interest in the sciences.

Career

After graduating, Tsujimura began her career as an assistant teacher at Yokohama High School. She later joined the Hokkaido Imperial University as a laboratory assistant, where she worked under the guidance of Umetaro Suzuki, a prominent biochemist known for his discovery of vitamin B1.

In 1920, Tsujimura moved to Riken, a large research institute in Japan, where she worked with Seiichiro Tanaka. It was here that she began her research on the chemical components of green tea. In 1929, she and her colleague Jokichi Takamine successfully isolated vitamin C from green tea, making significant contributions to the understanding of the health benefits of green tea.

Research and Discoveries

Tsujimura's research focused on the nutritional and chemical properties of green tea. She discovered that green tea contains significant amounts of vitamin C, catechin, and tannin. Her work was instrumental in promoting the health benefits of green tea, which is now widely recognized for its antioxidant properties.

In 1932, Tsujimura earned her Ph.D. in agriculture from Tokyo Imperial University, becoming the first woman in Japan to receive such a degree. Her dissertation was titled "On the Chemical Components of Green Tea."

Later Life and Legacy

After her groundbreaking research at Riken, Tsujimura became a professor at Ochanomizu University and later at Tokyo Women's Higher Normal School. She continued her research and teaching until her retirement.

Michiyo Tsujimura passed away on June 1, 1969, in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Her contributions to the field of agricultural science and biochemistry have had a lasting impact, particularly in the study of green tea.

Awards and Honors

Tsujimura received several awards for her contributions to science, including the prestigious Japan Prize of Agricultural Science.

See Also

• Green tea
• Vitamin C
• Riken
• Ochanomizu University