Toshiko Yuasa

Japan's first female nuclear physicist who pioneered research in France during WWII

Toshiko Yuasa (1909-1980) remains a groundbreaking figure in both scientific and gender history. Despite societal barriers against women in STEM, she became the first Japanese woman to earn a PhD in physics in France under Frédéric Joliot-Curie. Her work on artificial radioactivity laid foundations for postwar nuclear research.

During Japan's militarization, Yuasa courageously continued studies in Nazi-occupied Paris. Post-war, she developed beta-ray spectrometers at Tokyo's RIKEN institute, documented in ‘Physics and Society’ journals. Her dual resistance to gender norms and wartime politics makes her legacy unique.

Few know Yuasa secretly aided resistance groups by sharing lab resources. This unsung heroism, combined with her ‘Nuclear Women’ biography, reveals why she truly made difference across science and social justice.