ABSTRACT
The fighting in China threatened to disrupt Kato Shidzue's political activism as well. In May 1937, just before leaving America, Shidzue had learned that Margaret Sanger and several other friends would be stopping in Japan on their way to China. After the Marco Polo Incident of July 7th Shidzue, like Kato Kanju, became apprehensive. During the rest of that month, as hostilities with China intensified, and the nationalists and militarists won the hour, opposition to Japan's imperialist adventure began to crumble. Both political and social activists became nervous, but Shidzue determined to go forward with her plans. She opened her birth control clinic on July 31st and continued her lecture arrangements for Sanger and her entourage. Once in Tokyo Sanger felt well enough to carry out her heavy schedule. Shidzue arranged formal lectures for physicians, birth control advocates, Tokyo municipal leaders, including the mayor and health department officials, and social activists.
