| 1874 | (23 years old) | | October 28: Dora arrives in Yokohama. |
| | | | November 1: Dora arrives at MEC missionary, Rev. Julius Soper’s home in Tsukiji, Tokyo. |
| | | | Monday, November 16: Dora begins teaching English in a room at Heizo Okada’s home near a Japanese Christian Sen Tsuda’s home in Azabu. Aoyama Gakuin commemorates this day as the foundation of the school. This tiny is called Girl’s Elementary School. |
| 1875 | (24 years old) | | Early spring: Dora can no longer use Heizo Okada’s home, so she moves to Tsuda’s home. |
| | | | She requests a budget for a missionary home in Tokyo for the following year. |
| | | | May: The general executive committee has no budget for a missionary home for Dora. |
| | | | June: Dora moves her classroom to Yakushido (a Buddhist temple) in Azabu. Rev.Soper holds worship services there on Sundays with Dora and her students. |
| | | | Dora learns that there is no budget for her for a school building and begins to find a suitable place. |
| | | | October: Four of Dora’s students express their intent to be baptized. |
| | | | October 27: The missionary home for the Sopers is completed in block 11 of the foreign settlement in Tsukiji. |
| | | | November 1: Salvation School opens in a building at Daishoin (a Buddhist temple) in Mita. Dora lives together with the students. |
| 1876 | (25 years old) | | February: The sign for Salvation School is removed due to trouble at the temple, but Dora continues to use the temple building. |
| | | | April 9: Four first students are baptized (Tsune Arai, Koto Tsuda, Chiyo Iwamura, and Ito Mizushima). |
| | | | May: The general executive committee approves Dora’s budget, and Tsukiji is chosen for relocation. Additional missionaries are approved. |
| | | | Summer: Dora climbs Mt. Fuji. |
| | | | September 27: Olive Whiting arrives in Japan. Dora and Whiting commute to Mita while staying at the Soper’s home in Tsukiji. |
| | | | December: The school building is completed in block 10 of the foreign settlement. |
| 1877 | (26 years old) | | January: Kaigan Jyogakko (Seaside Girls’ School) opens. |
| | | | January 28: The Tsukiji Methodist Episcopal Church (Tsukiji Methodist Church) is consecrated in block 11 of the foreign settlement. |
| | | | Dora drafts a plan and budget for the next year, requests two additional teachers and funds for a second school building. |
| 1878 | (27 years old) | | May: The general executive committee approves the construction of the second school building and decides to send Matilda Spencer and Mary Holbrook to the school. |
| | | | October 21: Spencer and Holbrook arrive in Japan, at which point Dora’s return to America is already decided. |
| 1879 | (28 years old) | | January: The second school building is completed. |
| | | | November 1: Dora returns to America via Yokohama. |
