In 1903, she decided to travel overseas and study in Japan, leaving her two children behind. She initially entered a Japanese language school in Surugadai, but later transferred to the Girls' Practical School in Kōjimachi, run by Shimoda Utako. The school prepared Qiujin with the skill she needed for the revolutionary later on. With the education from Shimoda school, many female activists participated in the Republican Revolution in 1911. Qin Jin became active in several groups and organizations such as the Traids with the goal to overthrow the Manchu rule. She joined the mutual love association which was an all women's nationalist Chinese group. Qiu was fond of martial arts, and she was known by her acquaintances for wearing Western male dress and for her nationalist, anti-Manchu ideology. She joined the anti-Qing society Guangfuhui, led by Cai Yuanpei, which in 1905 joined together with a variety of overseas Chinese revolutionary groups to form the Tongmenghui, led by Sun Yat-sen.