Dr. Junko Seiki Emy was a pioneering physician who served the Japanese and Japanese American communities in New York for over four decades. Born in Hiroshima, Japan on October 18, 1933, she spent her early childhood in Nagasaki, where her father, Yoshinori Seiki, was a physics professor at Nagasaki University. She was living in Nagasaki at the time of the atomic bombing in 1945, but fortunately, she happened to be on vacation in Korea and was spared the devastation. Her family later moved to Tokuyama (now part of Shūnan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture), where they had ancestral roots.

Dr. Emy began her medical studies at Nagasaki University, later transferring to Kyushu University, where she graduated in 1958. In a class of over 90 students, she was one of only two women—a testament to her determination and exceptional ability at a time when few women entered the medical profession. She was selected as one of just 20 recipients of a Fulbright Scholarship, which brought her to the United States for an internship at Milwaukee County Hospital from 1959 to 1960.

In 1960, Dr. Emy relocated to New York City to pursue her residency in neurology at Montefiore Hospital, part of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She went on to complete a fellowship at the National Institutes of Health. During this time, she met Dr. Robert Keiji Emy, a naval physician, and the two married in 1961. They settled in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, where they raised their family and established a joint private practice specializing in internal medicine and pediatrics.

From her home office, Dr. Emy provided trusted care to generations of Japanese families in the greater New York area. Known for her quiet strength, diagnostic skill, and deep empathy, she became a pillar of the Japanese-speaking community. Even after officially retiring in 2002 due to illness, her patients remembered her with respect and gratitude.

Dr. Emy and her husband later moved to Brooklyn’s Park Slope to be closer to their son’s family. Though limited physically in her final year, she continued to enjoy neighborhood walks and family time. She passed away on August 18, 2017, at the age of 83, from complications following a stroke.

Dr. Emy’s life story reflects the experience of postwar Japanese immigrants who contributed quietly but profoundly to the fabric of New York City. Her work as a physician, mentor, and cultural bridge leaves a lasting legacy.

References

• Dr. Junko Emy, Biography compiled by Michiyo Noda, Executive Director of the Japanese American Association of New York (JAANY), for the JAA archive.

• “Dr. Junko Seiki Emy Obituary,” Dignity Memorial, August 2017.
  https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/brooklyn-ny/junko-emy-7528619

• Otsuka, K. “Women in Japanese Medicine: A Historical Survey.” Japan Medical Journal, 1999. (Provides historical context on gender representation in postwar Japanese medical schools.)