Born: 1911 (Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture)
Died: 1985
Biography:
Choko Mabuchi (松葉 ちょう子, Mabuchi Chōko, 5 June 1911 – 23 February 1985) was a Japanese female pilot and a pioneer of overseas flight among female pilots, along with Kiku Nishizaki. Her experience as a pioneer female pilot served as the basis for the lead character, played by Yōko Asaji, in the popular NHK Asadora TV series Kumo no Jūtan in 1976.
Born on 5 June 1911 in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Choko Mabuchi moved between many cities when she was very young due to her father’s job in the military. She entered a girls’ school in Osaka. As a girl who was 168 cm tall and weighed 62 kg, she had a large figure for a woman during the 1920s. In 1931, she entered the Japan Women’s College of Physical Education.
Choko Mabuchi started working as a Physical Education teacher at Ferris Girls’ School in Yokohama and won many medals as a discus thrower. She dreamed of competing in the 1932 Summer Olympics. Mabuchi was nominated as a discus thrower at the Los Angeles Olympics and reached the final selection but was ultimately defeated. While she was having a hard time overcoming her depression, her friend Kiyoko Nagayama, also a college friend, asked her to try out for the Asia Aviation School together in May 1933.
The Asia Aviation School was opened that year by a pioneer pilot, Kinjirō Ōnuma, who expanded his business of aircraft manufacture to train pilots. Eventually, Mabuchi met Kiku Nishizaki (née Matsumoto) at the aviation school. Nishizaki had transferred from Andō Hikōki Kenkyūsho (Andō Airplane Laboratory). Mabuchi and Nishizaki were chosen to fly to Manchuria to celebrate the new founding of the region.
In March 1934, Mabuchi became a licensed second-class pilot, being the 13th or 18th female pilot to achieve this distinction. One month later, in April, she flew solo to Kurotake mountain on Izu Peninsula as part of her training and to personally pay condolences to her senior pilot, Park Kyung-won.
In July, Mabuchi and Kiku Nishizaki invited two other second-class female pilots to found the Nihon Joshi Hikōshi Kurabu (Japan Women Aviators’ Club). Then, Mabuchi flew a Salmson 2 to Kazuno, Akita, to thank her grandmother for supporting her tuition to attend the aviation school before departing on an overseas friendship flight bound for Manchuria.
On 26 October 1933, Mabuchi and Kiku Nishizaki departed Tokyo for Manchuria, each of them aboard a Salmson 2. Mabuchi’s plane was named Yellow Butterfly after her first name, Choko, while Nisizaki’s was named White Chrysanthemum after her first name, Kiku. Mabuchi was the pilot in command with a first officer, carrying messages from the mayor of Kanagawa Prefecture, the mayor of Yokohama, as well as writings and paintings by elementary school pupils.
Mabuchi’s flight to Manchuria was a significant achievement for female pilots at the time. It showcased the abilities and determination of women in aviation and shattered gender stereotypes. She became an inspiration for many aspiring female pilots in Japan.
Choko Mabuchi continued her aviation career and later became a prominent figure in women’s aviation history. Her contributions to the field paved the way for future generations of female pilots and left a lasting impact on the aviation industry.