Official

First of all, let's take a quick look at what kind of person Pocahontas was.

Pocahontas (around 1595-1617)
Born around 1595 as the daughter of Paulhatan, a powerful chief of the Argonkins (now living around Virginia).
In 1607, he met European settlers, including Captain John Smith, who landed in Jamestown.
Stopping the execution of Smith and others captured by the Argonkins, contributing to easing tensions between indigenous peoples and settlers.
He later married John Rolf. It was converted to Christianity and received the name Rebecca.
In 1616, he traveled to U.K. with his husband and his young son, and had an audience with James I at the time, and was generously entertained.
He died in 1617 due to a fatal disease (with various theories such as tuberculosis) and was buried in St. George's, England, after reunion of excitement with Captain Smith, who thought he died many years ago.

As mentioned above, Pocahontas lived in an era when colonial activities had just begun.
Although his life was short, he is still highly valued in terms of contribution to peace and cross-cultural exchange.

In 1929, First Lady Eadies Wilson, who supported President Wilson, visited her grave.
With this opportunity, it was widely known that she was a descendant of Pocahontas!
And at this time there is another famous person who was visiting the grave with her.
It is Rudolf Bowling Toysler, the founder of St. Luke's International Hospital.

Was the purpose of researching tuberculosis as a doctor?...The answer is "No."
Surprisingly, he is also a descendant of Pocahontas' son, Thomas Rolf (the ancestor of the prestigious Bolling family in Virginia), Mary Jefferson Bowling as his mother, is also a descendant of Pocahontas, and the president's wife is a descendant.

From here, we will take a look at Toysler's social contribution in Japan while visiting places related to Toysler in Chuo-ku, keeping in mind the contribution of Pocahontas to easing tensions (peace) during cross-cultural contact.

Toysler, the founder and first director of the current St. Luke International Hospital, was a person who spent his life working hard to open a modern hospital in Japan.
I will omit the details, but his contribution to Japanese society was highly appreciated, including training nurses and serving as a humanitarian hospital for poor patients.
For the expansion of the hospital, gifts from the Emperor Meiji and donations from the Mitsui and Iwasaki families and celebrities were collected, and later they were awarded the Order of the Fifth Order of Treasure for goodwill between Japan and the United States.

(Toysler Memorial Hall in Tangible Cultural Property)

At present, there is a memorial with his monument and his name in Akashicho.
Although it is a little far from Ginza and Tsukiji, it is a recommended area when you want to take a quiet walk along the Sumida River.

Nearby is the St. Luke's Tower, which pioneered the development of waterfront.
From RESTAURANT LUKE with SKY LOUNGE on the 47th floor, you can enjoy wonderful views day and night.
It is perfect when you want to have a special lunch or dinner at a reasonable price, and it is nice to have a window seat that is easy for you to use alone.♪

When you come near you, learn about Toysler's achievements while thinking about Pocahontas, and take a break at the waterfront.

By the way, the story of Pocahontas that I mentioned this time goes back to the early 17th century.
In Japan, when Ieyasu Tokugawa opened the Edo Shogunate, it may feel quite like an old story.
Even though it has been turned into a movie several times, are there still people who still think about the event?...

In 2002, the 100th anniversary celebration was held at St. Luke's International Hospital.
The grandchildren of Toysler who attended there brought and showed off Pocahontas necklaces that have been handed down as heirlooms.
It is said that it was made of shells and was made of gold.
In this way, it seems that the connection between Toysler and Pocahontas is also reported in Japan.

In 2017, the British community, including the church with Pocahontas graves, joined together to commemorate the 400th anniversary of her death.
In addition, her contribution to peace has been handed down to U.K., such as her statue, which has become a cultural property, has been re-evaluated.

I will not quote, but the movie featuring Pocahontas as the main character contains a number of quotes and lessons learned about cross-cultural exchange.
It seems that Toysler's achievements in Japan also had extraordinary efforts and hardships to gain the trust of the Japanese people.
Knowing the life of these two people who have unexpected connections and actively interacting with people with different cultures remind me that I can learn about values and things that I did not know. Was.
Now, about a year ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Games, there seems to be a lot to learn from them*.

Minoru Ishiyama "Toysler and Bolling Family People-Pocahontas Necklace", Tsukiji Reservation Study Group "Tsukiji Reservation" Vol. 3 (Aki Shobo, 2004)
Masao Shimizu, “Hundred Story of Tsukiji Remaining in Tokyo” (Winter Seisha, 2007)
100 Years History of St. Luke's International Hospital (2002)
Indian Country Today (2017) Pocahontas Death Day Celebrations in England. Available at: https://newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/archive/pocahontas-death-day-celebrations-in-england-NOPRn25AaEaIKX7Knwfvkg/ (Accessed: 30 April 2019).
Lehigh University (2018) The Pocahontas Archive. Available at: http://digital.lib.lehigh.edu/trial/pocahontas/bib.php (Accessed: 30 April 2019).
Maev Kennedy (2017) 'Pocahontas statue in Gravesend relisted 400 years after her death', The Guardian, 16 March. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2017/mar/16/pocahontas-statue-gravesend-400-years-listed (Accessed: 29 April 2019).
Perelman, E. A. (2011). The Exponent of Breath: The Role of Foreign Evangelical Organizations in Combating Japan's Tuberculosis Epidemic of the Early 20th Century. UC Berkeley. Available at: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/32d241sf (Accessed: 29 April 2019).