Morgan O-yuki (モルガンお雪)
Morgan O-yuki (November 1881 - May 18, 1963)
Her real name was Yuki KATO, the name she used as a geisha was' Yukika', and her Christian name was Therese, after Therese of Lisieux.
She was born into a family whose ancesters had been samurai, and her older sister ran "Kato Ro," an Ochaya and Okiya (tea house and lodging house where a maiko or geisha lives) in Gion Kobu. O-yuki became a Maiko at the age of 14, exhibiting outstanding skill in Japanese chants and dance, being particularly skilled with the Chinese fiddle. In 1901, she met with an American, George Morgan, who proposed marriage. At the time, Yuki had a boyfriend who was a student at Kyoto University; however, Morgan's proposal was published in the newspaper, causing their breakup. Later, after Morgan paid a huge amount of money at the time, 40,000 yen, the couple married in Yokohama in 1904, and moved to America and then to Paris. She was a great hit in Paris society; however, her husband died in 1915. Morgan's inheritance was contested in court, and Yuki won. She received a huge inheritance and lived comfortably in Europe. In 1938, she returned to Kyoto because of World War II. After the war, she was baptized a Christian, and lived a quiet and secluded life as a Catholic for her remaining life. Catholic kinugasa church was made possible from her donation. In 1963, she died in a small house in front of Daitoku-ji Temple in Murasakino (Kita Ward, Kyoto City).
Age at death: 81
She is buried in Dojuin, a sub-temple of Tofuku-ji Temple. Some of her ashes are also buried in the Catholic Cemetery behind Kinkaku-ji Temple.
The huge inheritance from her husband was donated to research conducted by her boyfriend during her stay in Europe, Baron Tanzar, leaving her with almost nothing. She couldn't remarry, in the fear of the legacy being confiscated by the bereaved family of her husband. Even though she reluctantly married an American, an Anti-Japanese bill prevented her from obtaining American citizenship, and when she returned to Japan, she was seen as a woman who had been blinded by greed. Her life had been filled with hardship and many vicissitudes.
Her life was the subject of the musical "Morgan O-yuki" in 1959
In 1984, Sumi KOSAKAI wrote a biography entitled "Morgan O-yuki".