In 1871, five young girls were sent by the Japanese government to the United States.
Upon their arrival in San Francisco they became celebrities, their travels and traditional clot.
Raised in traditional samurai households during the turmoil of civil war, three of these unusual ambassadors--Sutematsu Yamakawa, Shige Nagai, and Ume Tsuda--grew up as typical American schoolgirls.
Their mission: learn Western ways and return to help nurture a new generation of enlightened men to lead Japan.
In 1871, five young girls were sent by the Japanese government to the United States