Yanagida Toshiko

Yanagida Toshiko was the first resident of Nagoya, Japan baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). She was the first LDS Relief Society president in Japan and has written many works about her life and the history of the LDS Church in Japan as well as many tanka.
Yanagida's connections with the LDS Church in Japan reach back nearly to the start of the church in that country. Her uncle, Takahashi Nikichi was baptized in 1908, only seven years after LDS missionaries first came to Japan. Yanagida's father, Takagi Tomigoro, was baptized in 1915. Yanagida was baptized in August 1949 on a short visit to Tokyo. She was confirmed by the mission president Edward L. Clissold. Her husband, Yanagida Tohkichi, was baptized in September 1950 after missionaries had come to Nagoya.
Yanagida first became a branch relief society president in 1951. She was called as district relief society president in 1961. In 1964 she was called as Relief Society president of the Northern Far East Mission, giving her responsibility to supervise the Relief Societies in all of Japan and Korea. In 1968 when the Japanese mission was split and the Osaka Japan Mission was created Yanagida was assigned to be mission relief society president under the general supervision of the mission president's wife, Chieko N. Okazaki.
Among books by Yanagida are Seiki wo koete—Matsujitsu-Seito-Iesu-Kirisuto-Kyokai Dendo 100 -nen no Ayumi, a history of the first 100 years of the LDS Church in Japan, and her autobiography Ashiato.
Yanagida Tokisho also served in several leadership positions in the LDS Church including in a district presidency. She died in 2008.

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