Profile
Sugi Mibai
Birth:
1891
Death:
1969
Training Location(s):
PhD, University of Michigan (1930)
MA, University of Michigan (1921)
BA, Mills College (1919)
BA, Kobe College (1915)
BA, Baika Women's College (1910)
Primary Affiliation(s):
Professor, Baika Junior College (1956)
Commissioner of the Education Board, Hyogo Prefecture (1948–1952)
Instructor, Kobe College (1915)
Other Media:
Oklahoma State University Psychology Museum & Resource Center. (n.d.). Mibai Sugi (1891–1969). Retrieved March 13, 2025, from https://cas.okstate.edu/psychology/psychology_museum_resource_center/special_exhibits/japanese_psychology/mibai_sugi.html
Career Focus:
Social psychology; depth psychology; psychophysiology ; history of social psychology; Japanese psychology
Biography
Sugi Mibai was born on April 9, 1891, in the Tsuna District of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.
Her academic journey began in 1910 with her graduation from Baika Women’s College, followed by the completion of a bachelor's degree in English Literature at Kobe College in 1915. Mibai’s upbringing and early education enabled her to pursue further studies in the United States, an uncommon opportunity for women at a time, when access to higher education was still severely limited. In 1919, she earned a bachelor's degree from Mills College, becoming one of the few Japanese women of her generation to study abroad. She then continued her studies in psychology at the University of Michigan, where she obtained a Master of Arts degree in 1921 with a thesis titled Reading and Retention.
In 1930, Mibai received a scholarship from the University of Michigan and returned to complete her doctoral studies. Her Ph.D. dissertation, An Experimental Study of Apparent Movement (1931), contributed significantly to experimental psychology and the study of visual perception. Notably, Mibai was the third female psychologist in Japan to earn a doctoral degree abroad, placing her among the pioneering generation of Japanese women psychologists.
Upon returning to Japan in 1931, Mibai joined the faculty of Kobe College as a professor and later served as Dean. In these roles, she worked tirelessly to advance women’s higher education in Japan despite the restrictive social climate of the time. Unfortunately, the practical outcomes of these efforts remain insufficiently documented.
Following World War II, Mibai turned her attention to public service and politics. In 1947, she was elected to the Japanese Diet as one of the first female members of the House of Councillors. Her lifelong commitment to women’s education continued with her appointment as director of Baika Academy in 1949, and later as a professor at Baika Junior College in 1956.
Throughout her later years, Mibai received numerous honors, including honorary membership in the Japanese Psychological Association (JPA) and recognition for her contributions as an educator and scholar. She passed away in 1969, leaving a legacy of pioneering achievements in both psychology and the advancement of women’s education in Japan.
by Ghazal Khodadadizadeh (2025)
To cite this article, see Credits
Selected Works
McVeigh, B. J. (2020). The early development of psychology in Japan: A forgotten chapter in the history of psychology. Genealogy, 4(2), 61. https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy4020061
Takasuna, M. (2010). The position of female psychologists. In Y. Nishikawa & M. Takasuna (Eds.), History of psychology (Revised edition) (pp. 224–235). The Open University of Japan.
Mibai, S. (1931). An experimental study of apparent movement. Psychological Monographs, 42(3), i–91. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0093295
Mibai, S. (1922). The effects of repetitions upon retention. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 5(2), 147–151. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0070099
Sugi Mibai
Birth:
1891
Death:
1969
Training Location(s):
PhD, University of Michigan (1930)
MA, University of Michigan (1921)
BA, Mills College (1919)
BA, Kobe College (1915)
BA, Baika Women's College (1910)
Primary Affiliation(s):
Professor, Baika Junior College (1956)
Commissioner of the Education Board, Hyogo Prefecture (1948–1952)
Instructor, Kobe College (1915)
Other Media:
Oklahoma State University Psychology Museum & Resource Center. (n.d.). Mibai Sugi (1891–1969). Retrieved March 13, 2025, from https://cas.okstate.edu/psychology/psychology_museum_resource_center/special_exhibits/japanese_psychology/mibai_sugi.html
Career Focus:
Social psychology; depth psychology; psychophysiology ; history of social psychology; Japanese psychology
Biography
Sugi Mibai was born on April 9, 1891, in the Tsuna District of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.
Her academic journey began in 1910 with her graduation from Baika Women’s College, followed by the completion of a bachelor's degree in English Literature at Kobe College in 1915. Mibai’s upbringing and early education enabled her to pursue further studies in the United States, an uncommon opportunity for women at a time, when access to higher education was still severely limited. In 1919, she earned a bachelor's degree from Mills College, becoming one of the few Japanese women of her generation to study abroad. She then continued her studies in psychology at the University of Michigan, where she obtained a Master of Arts degree in 1921 with a thesis titled Reading and Retention.
In 1930, Mibai received a scholarship from the University of Michigan and returned to complete her doctoral studies. Her Ph.D. dissertation, An Experimental Study of Apparent Movement (1931), contributed significantly to experimental psychology and the study of visual perception. Notably, Mibai was the third female psychologist in Japan to earn a doctoral degree abroad, placing her among the pioneering generation of Japanese women psychologists.
Upon returning to Japan in 1931, Mibai joined the faculty of Kobe College as a professor and later served as Dean. In these roles, she worked tirelessly to advance women’s higher education in Japan despite the restrictive social climate of the time. Unfortunately, the practical outcomes of these efforts remain insufficiently documented.
Following World War II, Mibai turned her attention to public service and politics. In 1947, she was elected to the Japanese Diet as one of the first female members of the House of Councillors. Her lifelong commitment to women’s education continued with her appointment as director of Baika Academy in 1949, and later as a professor at Baika Junior College in 1956.
Throughout her later years, Mibai received numerous honors, including honorary membership in the Japanese Psychological Association (JPA) and recognition for her contributions as an educator and scholar. She passed away in 1969, leaving a legacy of pioneering achievements in both psychology and the advancement of women’s education in Japan.
by Ghazal Khodadadizadeh (2025)
To cite this article, see Credits
Selected Works
McVeigh, B. J. (2020). The early development of psychology in Japan: A forgotten chapter in the history of psychology. Genealogy, 4(2), 61. https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy4020061
Takasuna, M. (2010). The position of female psychologists. In Y. Nishikawa & M. Takasuna (Eds.), History of psychology (Revised edition) (pp. 224–235). The Open University of Japan.
Mibai, S. (1931). An experimental study of apparent movement. Psychological Monographs, 42(3), i–91. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0093295
Mibai, S. (1922). The effects of repetitions upon retention. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 5(2), 147–151. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0070099