Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto Books

"A bestseller when it was first published in 1925, A Daughter of the Samurai is the memoir of Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto: the youngest daughter of a renowned samurai, born durign Japan's last days of feudalism. Originally destined to be a Buddhist priestess, Etsu grows up a curly-haird tomboy in snowy Echigo, certain of her future role in her community. But as a young teenager, she is instead engaged to a Japanese merchant in Ohio -- and Etsu realizes she will eventually have to leave the only world she has ever known for the United States. Etsu arrives in Cincinnati as a bright-eyed and observant twenty-four-year-old, puzzled by the differences between the two cultures and alive to the contradictions, ironies, and beauty of both. Her memoir, reprinted for the first time in decades, is a tribute to the struggles of the first generation of Japanese immigrants and the unforgettable story of a strong and determined woman."--Page 4 of cover

The memoir chronicles the life of a woman born into a samurai family, detailing her transition from traditional Japanese customs to a modern American life. Raised with conservative values and samurai virtues, her journey is marked by personal loss and cultural clashes as she navigates arranged marriage and motherhood in the U.S. The narrative explores the profound social changes during the Meiji period, highlighting intimate episodes of love, duty, and family ties, while providing a unique perspective on the fading samurai way of life amidst evolving Japanese-American relations.

Growing up in a samurai family during the post-Meiji Restoration era, Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto shares her journey through a society with rigid expectations. As her family's influence declines, an arranged marriage leads her to America, where she navigates the challenges of adapting to a new culture while reflecting on her traditional upbringing. This autobiography offers a unique perspective on the intersection of personal identity and cultural change.