Yuki was hunting around on the web for her grandfather Ichiro Hatta and came across some very interesting letters from a striking English woman who stayed with him in the 1930s. Sarah Meyer was the first woman anywhere to achieve a black belt in Judo – she managed this during a year spent in Japan. I can’t believe her husband let her – there is a lot written between the lines, or at least I’d like to think so!

When we were in Japan for Yuki’s grandmother’s funeral, we discovered some old photos of an Englishwoman in a kimono. Yuki remembered the article about Sarah Meyer and realised these were pictures of her.

Yuki’s mother, Leiko, decided to donate these photographs to the archivist of London’s Kano Society. They invited Yuki’s family over to their AGM where the photos were presented along with some Hatta family memorabilia.

Here is Yuki and her Mom with a bunch of old fellows who could snap you like a twig…