Draft:Mihoko Kayaba

Mihoko Kayaba 1906-1986 She was a Japanese Master in (Flower art) Ikebana, (Sandbox art) Bonseki, (Indigo dye Art)Aizome and (Leather craft) Koshu-inden from Morioka, Japan who live and taught most of her life in Mexico.

Early life Mihoko was born in 1906 to Seiichiro and Hisae Kayaba in Morioka, Japan, a lawyer family from the new era of modernization of the Japanese Government. She was the youngest of 3 other siblings.

As she approached her 18th birthday her parents would take her to (meeting parties) to find her suiter and possible husband. She did not want to have an arranged marriage only true love, and so many tried and failed, even an Indian prince who gave her an emerald ring. Then one day she heard laughter at a table, and saw a man telling stories of his faraway adventures in Mexico. She listened and was immediately drawn to him. Several days later she met him and fell in love with him. Her parents met him his name was Kiso Tsuru,they did not approve him as he was of lower class and considered a foreigner. But after Mihoko's insistence they accepted,and married in Tokyo when she turned 19.

'''Life in Mexico ''' A few months before her first travel to Mexico, she had her first child,as he was weak she lost him traveling by ship to Mexico. Then when she got to his house by the river, in San Luis Potosi she asked where she could take a bath, his answer was in the river, she saw Caiman and decided not to unless he guarded her. During the 20s and 30s she became a host for many Japanese dignitaries as she and her husband were unofficial ambassadors to Japan in Mexico. These and many more where her adventures with him,but despite their ups and downs in life she gave birth to 8 more children between 1929-1941.

Live in Mexico during WWII

Mihoko and Dr.Kiso Tsuru made many contributions to helping the Japanese people keep their rights, and the Government of Mexico, was influenced by the goodwill hosting that Mihoko gave the politicians. They were so well received and helped that the Mexican President at that time only took 10% of Japanese to concentration camps. The rest stayed at 3 haciendas given to them to use as they pleased. Mihoko helped them as much as she could, cooked meals, cleaned clothes in addition to raising her children too.

'''Life after 1950 ''' After raising her children till 1961 Mihoko continued to host many important Mexican dignitaries and when her husband passed away in 1966 she dedicated her life to becoming a teacher at UNAM teaching Japanese arts,such as Ikebana,Bonseki,Aizome,Koshu-inden and even ceramics.She passed away in 1986 in Mexico city.