Have you ever read "Hana Uzumi"?

As you all know, I spent until about the age of 40 indulging in delusional, crazy-person behavior (it's a long story, I know), so I had plenty of material for my delusions.
Most of it was about misfortune, illness, poverty, and so on, and because I did that, people now call me someone with "heavy money blocks."
Well, I can't erase the past, so I hope those blocks become as light as possible.

Anyway, back then, I was also a huge fan of daytime dramas, especially "Hana no Arashi" and "Botan to Bara." I also found the high-handed young lady and the unfortunate woman tropes—and of course, Machiko Satonaka's "Asunaro Zaka"—to be very delicious fodder for my delusions.
(I'm an old lady now, so don't mind that the eras are all mixed up.)

Among them, Junichi Watanabe's "Hana Uzumi" makes me feel frustrated when I re-read it now, but back then, I was obsessed with Ginko Ogino and researched her like a madwoman. (This was in an era without the internet. I also looked into people like Mitsuko Coudenhove-Kalergi.)
Ginko was the first female doctor in Japan.
While Siebold's daughter also practiced medicine, Ginko was the first woman to graduate from medical school and be officially recognized as a doctor. Anyone who does something for the very first time deserves respect, if nothing else.
As for Ginko, she initially married as her parents told her, following the social norms of the time, but she ended up contracting gonorrhea because of her husband's philandering, which led to their divorce. This gonorrhea would plague her until the very end.
I cannot hold back tears at the scene where she paints her own stomach pitch black with ink.
However, Ginko did not give up; she threw herself into her studies, and despite various obstacles, she finally became a doctor.
And! She also became a Christian.
Then, she met a young man and moved to Hokkaido with him. Wait! Ginko, is that man really okay? I thought. Sure, he wasn't what we'd call a "playboy" or a shady character; he was rugged, serious, and full of ideals. Plus, he respected and loved Ginko deeply. Honestly, you couldn't just ignore a young man like that...
However, because Ginko had struggled so much and had worked so stoically, she couldn't accept the weaknesses of others; in short, she was intolerant. In her case, she was intolerant of herself, too...
If I were Ginko's friend, there were many times I would have wanted to tell her, "It's okay to let go now."
In any case, Ginko acted as if she couldn't show weakness to anyone, not even her husband, and as if she shouldn't have any weaknesses herself.

What's strange is that Ginko Ogino is not known at all.
I wonder why.
Her way of life was incredibly dramatic and full of ups and downs. I think more people should know about her as a woman who blazed a trail where there was none.

It's currently available on Unlimited, so please, read it.

Since Junichi Watanabe became famous for books like "A Lost Paradise" and "Love's Exile," people tend to think this novel is of that same ilk, but I don't think any woman would regret reading "Hana Uzumi." I especially recommend it to those who have a desire to start their own business or take on a challenge.
You can really feel the sadness of being a trailblazer. And also, the weakness that comes from being a woman.