Masako Nakada, born in Tokyo in 1910, broke barriers in 1938 by passing the higher bar examinations alongside Yoshiko Muto and Ai Kume, ultimately becoming a female attorney. Her career spanned elite education, wartime evacuation to Tottori, and pioneering legal advocacy for women.
Strategic Career Milestones for Legal Professionals
- Pioneering Qualification: Passed the higher civil service examination in law in Showa 13 (1938), establishing a legal career alongside contemporaries Yoshiko Muto and Ai Kume.
- Public Engagement Model: Built widespread public legal literacy through the popular “Women’s Legal Consultation” column in the widely read magazine Shufu-no-Tomo.
- Institutional Leadership: Broke regional barriers by serving as the first female president of the Tottori Bar Association and a director of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.
Nakada Wins Free-Throw World Championship During School Years
Nakada’s academic path began at the attached elementary school of the Tokyo Women’s Higher Normal School, followed by the Tokyo Prefectural Second Higher Girls’ School and the Women’s School of Economics. During her time at the higher girls’ school, she developed an avid interest in basketball, capturing a victory at the free-throw world championship tournament. Photographic evidence preserved from this era shows Nakada holding the championship trophy alongside her teammates, illustrating a competitive drive that preceded her legal studies.
At the Women's School of Economics, Nakada studied political science under Sakuzo Yoshino and legal studies under Sakae Wagatsuma. Reflecting on this formative period, Nakada later noted that her three-year conclusion at the institution was simply that she wanted to study much more.
Establishing a Legal Practice in Marunouchi
After completing her judicial apprenticeship, Nakada registered as a lawyer in Showa 15 (1940). She commenced her professional practice at the law office of Chuzo Iwata, located in the Marunouchi district of Tokyo.
Her impact quickly extended beyond traditional courtroom litigation through a strategic partnership with Shufu-no-Tomo publishing house. Nakada authored the “Women’s Legal Consultation” serial within the pages of the popular women’s magazine, answering reader-submitted inquiries and demystifying statutory rights. She also conducted in-person consultations for women one day a week at the Shufu-no-Tomo building in Ochanomizu, providing professional counsel that had previously been unavailable to many everyday citizens.
Nakada Practices Law in Tottori After Wartime Relocation
Having married in Showa 14 (1939), Nakada relocated to Tottori Prefecture during wartime evacuations in Showa 20 (1945). Following the conclusion of hostilities, she established a private law practice from her residence in Tottori City, maintaining legal services for the local community throughout the postwar reconstruction. Her husband, Yoshio Nakada, won election to the House of Councillors in Showa 25 (1950), serving three terms and adding a prominent legislative dimension to her domestic profile as a politician’s spouse.
Nakada eventually assumed leadership roles within the profession, breaking gender barriers as the first female president of the Tottori Bar Association and serving on the board of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations. Her historical legacy is preserved today through the Tottori Bar Association’s mascot character, “Masako-sensei,” which models its design on her likeness. Extensive archival records documenting her professional life are currently deposited at the Tottori City History Museum.
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