Google Doodle Pay Tribute to Japanese Green Tea Researcher Michiyo Tsujimura

Today, Google celebrated the life and legacy of Japanese researcher, biochemist and educator Michiyo Tsujimura on her 133rd birthday. The Google doodle shows a variety of research components, a kile tea shrub, a cup of green tea, a pen, a flask, and a notepad. Michiyo is known for her groundbreaking scientific research on the nutritional benefits of green tea.

Michiyo Tsujimura was born this day in 1888 in Okegawa, Japan. She was Japan's first agricultural doctor in 1932. In addition to her research, Dr Tsujimura also made history as an educator when she became the first dean of the Faculty of Home Economics at the Higher Normal School for Women in Japan, Tokyo in 1950.

Tsujimura began researching the biochemistry of green tea together with Dr Umetaro Suzuki, famous for his discovery of vitamin B1. Their joint research revealed that green tea contained significant amounts of vitamin C, the first of many as yet unknown molecular compounds in green tea. In 1929, she isolated catechin, a bitter ingredient in tea. Then the following year, she isolated tannin, an even more bitter compound.

Michiyo Tsujimura passed away on June 1, 1969, at the age of 80. We can find a monument honouring Dr Tsujimura's accomplishments in her hometown of Okegawa today.