Reikichi Kita (北 昤吉, Kita Reikichi, 21 July 1885 – 5 August 1961) was a Japanese philosopher, educator, political…Reikichi Kita (北 昤吉, Kita Reikichi, 21 July 1885 – 5 August 1961) was a Japanese philosopher, educator, political commentator, and politician. He served eight terms in the House of Representatives and was a founder of Tama Art University. He also served as Policy Research Council Chairman of the Japan Liberal Party. He was the younger brother of Ikki Kita, one of the main ideologues of the February 26 Incident.
Morita Fukui (July 14, 1885 – December 27, 1965) was the first Commissioner of Baseball in Japan. (Matsutarō Shōriki…Morita Fukui (July 14, 1885 – December 27, 1965) was the first Commissioner of Baseball in Japan. (Matsutarō Shōriki, media mogul and owner of the Yomiuri Giants, was instrumental in the formation of Nippon Professional Baseball in 1949–1950, and acted unofficially as the league's first commissioner in 1950.) A lawyer, prosecutor, politician, Fukui was sworn in as Commissioner in 1951.
Gunji Koizumi (小泉 軍治, Koizumi Gunji; 8 July 1885 – 15 April 1965), known affectionately by colleagues as G.K., was a…Gunji Koizumi (小泉 軍治, Koizumi Gunji; 8 July 1885 – 15 April 1965), known affectionately by colleagues as G.K., was a Japanese master of judo who introduced this martial art to the United Kingdom, and came to be known as the 'Father of British Judo.' He was the founder of the Budokwai, a pioneering Japanese martial arts society in England. Koizumi helped establish the British Judo Association, and founded the European Judo Union. He held the rank of 8th dan in judo. Koizumi's apparent suicide in 1965 shocked the worldwide judo community.
Michiji Tajima (Japanese: 田島道治) (July 2, 1885 – December 2, 1968) was a Japanese businessman and educator. He was Grand…Michiji Tajima (Japanese: 田島道治) (July 2, 1885 – December 2, 1968) was a Japanese businessman and educator. He was Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Office (June 5, 1948 – May 31, 1949) and continued as Grand Steward of its successor, the Imperial Household Agency (June 1, 1949 – December 16, 1953). He graduated from the University of Tokyo. Documents written by Tajima and made public by the Japanese broadcaster NHK in 2019 suggest that Emperor Hirohito sought to apologize to the Japanese people for the damage caused during World War II. These include 18 notebooks, as well as a 1948 draft for an apology speech written in preparation for Japan gaining independence from Allied occupation in April 1952, which included phrases such as "deep shame" due to "my fault" (for the war). However, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida sought to avoid all mention of the war by Hirohito, and the passage referencing the emperor's "remorse" was dropped altogether.
Zenmaro Toki (土岐 善麿 Toki Zenmaro; June 8, 1885 – April 15, 1980) was a Japanese Naturalist tanka poet. After initially…Zenmaro Toki (土岐 善麿 Toki Zenmaro; June 8, 1885 – April 15, 1980) was a Japanese Naturalist tanka poet. After initially taking up tanka in his teens, he studied under Kun'en Kaneko, and when in attendance at Waseda University he socialized with other notable Naturalist poets such as Bokusui Wakayama. Later, he earned the respect of the famous poet Takuboku Ishikawa, with whom he corresponded until the latter's death in 1912.
Kawabata Shotarō (川端 昇太郎; 6 June 1885 – 10 April 1966), later known as Kawabata Ryūshi (川端 龍子; Japanese pronunciation…Kawabata Shotarō (川端 昇太郎; 6 June 1885 – 10 April 1966), later known as Kawabata Ryūshi (川端 龍子; Japanese pronunciation: [ka.wa.ba.ta (|) ɾʲɯꜜː.ɕi],), was a Japanese Nihonga artist active during the Taishō and Shōwa periods.
Chōshin Chibana (知花 朝信, Chibana Chōshin; 5 June 1885 – 26 February 1969) was an Okinawan martial artist who developed…Chōshin Chibana (知花 朝信, Chibana Chōshin; 5 June 1885 – 26 February 1969) was an Okinawan martial artist who developed Kobayashi Shōrin-ryū karate based on what he had learned from Ankō Itosu. He was the last of the pre-World War karate masters, also called the "Last Warrior of Shuri" He was the first to establish a Japanese ryu name for an Okinawan karate style, calling Itosu's karate "Shorin-Ryu" (小林流 or "the small forest school") in 1929.
Kansuke Naka (中 勘助, Naka Kansuke; 22 May 1885 – 3 May 1965) was a Japanese novelist and essayist. Naka was born in…Kansuke Naka (中 勘助, Naka Kansuke; 22 May 1885 – 3 May 1965) was a Japanese novelist and essayist. Naka was born in Tokyo. He lived in Hiratsuka from 1926 to 1932, and he was evacuated to Shizuoka Prefecture during World War II, but otherwise he spent most of his life in Tokyo. He married Kazuko Shimada in 1942. Naka was one of the students taught by Natsume Sōseki at the University of Tokyo before Sōseki gave up teaching to write for the newspaper Asahi Shimbun. It was Sōseki who arranged the serial publication in that paper of Naka's first novel Gin no saji ("The Silver Spoon"), a nostalgic depiction of his childhood and teens. The novel was published from 1911 to 1913 and translated in 1976 by Etsuko Terasaki. It is popular in Japan and is an account of life in Tokyo at the beginning of the 20th century during the Meiji era, replete with historical details as well as a contemporary sense of isolation; it follows Naka's psychological journey from childhood to adulthood. Naka also wrote Inu ("The Dog", 1922) and Rōkan (a collection of poems, 1935). Naka was praised by Tetsurō Watsuji, a leading critic, and also by Zhou Zuoren, for his rare willingness to criticize Japanese nationalists.
Soemu Toyoda (豊田 副武, Toyoda Soemu; 22 May 1885 – 22 September 1957) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy in…Soemu Toyoda (豊田 副武, Toyoda Soemu; 22 May 1885 – 22 September 1957) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II.
Suiko Sugiura (17 May 1885 – 16 February 1960) (or 杉浦翠子 in Japanese, すぎうら すいこ in kana), born Midori Iwasaki, was a…Suiko Sugiura (17 May 1885 – 16 February 1960) (or 杉浦翠子 in Japanese, すぎうら すいこ in kana), born Midori Iwasaki, was a Japanese poet.
Naokuni Nomura (野村 直邦, Nomura Naokuni; 15 May 1885 – 12 December 1973) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy…Naokuni Nomura (野村 直邦, Nomura Naokuni; 15 May 1885 – 12 December 1973) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and briefly served as Navy Minister in the 1940s.
Hideo Nagata (長田 秀雄, Nagata Hideo) (13 May 1885 – 5 May 1949) was a poet and playwright in Shōwa period Japan. He also…Hideo Nagata (長田 秀雄, Nagata Hideo) (13 May 1885 – 5 May 1949) was a poet and playwright in Shōwa period Japan. He also was a scriptwriter. Born in Tokyo, Nagata was the son of a Shinto priest at the Kikuchi Jinja. Interested in literature and poetry from an early age, he developed his own style of modern poetry and was ranked alongside Kitahara Hakushu and Kinoshita Mokutaro by the literary magazine Myōjō ("Bright Star"). He later turned his creative talents to the modern theater, and then to the relatively new medium of cinema. He died in 1949, and his grave is at the Somei Cemetery in Sugamo, Tokyo.
Saneatsu Mushanokōji (武者小路 実篤(實篤), Mushanokōji Saneatsu; 12 May 1885 – 9 April 1976) was a Japanese novelist…Saneatsu Mushanokōji (武者小路 実篤(實篤), Mushanokōji Saneatsu; 12 May 1885 – 9 April 1976) was a Japanese novelist, playwright, poet, artist, and philosopher active during the late Taishō and Shōwa periods of Japan. Later on in life he requested that the pronunciation of his surname (as far as was concerned) be changed from the usual Mushanokōji, to Mushakōji, but without much success. He was nicknamed Musha and Futo-o by his colleagues.
Yaeko Nogami (野上 弥生子, Nogami Yaeko; 6 May 1885 – 30 March 1985) was the pen-name of a novelist of the Shōwa period…Yaeko Nogami (野上 弥生子, Nogami Yaeko; 6 May 1885 – 30 March 1985) was the pen-name of a novelist of the Shōwa period Japan. Her maiden name was Kotegawa Yae.
Dakotsu Iida (飯田 蛇笏, Iida Dakotsu; 26 April 1885 – 3 October 1962) was a Japanese haiku poet from what is now part of…Dakotsu Iida (飯田 蛇笏, Iida Dakotsu; 26 April 1885 – 3 October 1962) was a Japanese haiku poet from what is now part of the city of Fuefuki, Yamanashi, Japan. Commonly referred to as Dakotsu, his real name was Takeji Iida (飯田 武治, Iida Takeji). He trained under Kyoshi Takahama, and was a frequent contributor to such haiku journals as Hototogisu (magazine) and Unmo . He was chief editor of Unmo until his death, upon which his son, the prominent haiku poet Ryuta Iida, took over as the editor of Unmo.
Matsutarō Shōriki (正力 松太郎, Shōriki Matsutarō; 11 April 1885 – 9 October 1969) was a Japanese media proprietor and…Matsutarō Shōriki (正力 松太郎, Shōriki Matsutarō; 11 April 1885 – 9 October 1969) was a Japanese media proprietor and politician. He was the owner of the Yomiuri Shimbun, founder of the Yomiuri Giants and the Nippon Television Network Corporation. After a career as a police officer, Shoriki acquired the bankrupt Yomiuri Shimbun in 1924. Under his management it would become one of the major newspapers in Japan. Shoriki also popularised professional baseball in Japan during this time and founded the Yomiuri Giants. After the war Shoriki was arrested as a war criminal, but the charges were dropped in 1947. He founded Japan's first commercial television station, Nippon Television Network Corporation in 1952. Shoriki also became a prominent supporter of nuclear power in Japan. In 1955 he was elected to the House of Representatives. Shoriki became the first chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission under Prime Minister Ichiro Hatoyama and Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission under Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. For his varied activities he received several appellations, such as the "father of Japanese professional baseball," the "father of Japanese private broadcasting" and the “father of Japanese nuclear power”.
George Masa (1885 – 1933) was a Japanese photographer and advocate for the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains…George Masa (1885 – 1933) was a Japanese photographer and advocate for the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Appalachian Trail. Born in Tokyo and raised with the name Shoji Endo, he moved to Asheville and was known variously as G. M Iizuka, George M. Iizuka, Masahara Iizuka, etc. before adopting George Masa as his professional name. Masa lived and worked in the United States as a businessman and professional photographer. His photographs of the mountains “played a large role” in the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In 2018 Masa was inducted into the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame in recognition of his mapping and trail work on behalf of the Appalachian Trail.
Kinnosuke Ogura (born Sakata, Yamagata, 1885 – 1962, Japanese: 小倉金之助) was a Japanese mathematician and historian of…Kinnosuke Ogura (born Sakata, Yamagata, 1885 – 1962, Japanese: 小倉金之助) was a Japanese mathematician and historian of mathematics. He graduated in 1905 from Tokyo College of Science (now Tokyo Science University), and was a lecturer there from 1910 to 1911. He was assistant at the Department of Mathematics of the new Tohoku Imperial University from 1911 to 1917, and received his Ph.D. in 1916 with a thesis on trajectories in the conservative field of force. He did research in France for two years, from 1919 to 1922. He was an Invited Speaker of the ICM in 1920 at Strasbourg. Ogura was a researcher from 1917 to 1937 at the Shiomi Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (antecedent of the Faculty of Science, Osaka Imperial University). He was appointed in 1940 as Chief Director of Tokyo College of Science. In 1946 he was elected President of the Association of Democratic Scientists of Japan. Ogura died in 1962. His Collected Works appeared in eight volumes in 1974.
Yoshikazu Uchida (内田 祥三, Uchida Yoshikazu; February 23, 1885 – December 14, 1972) was a Japanese architect and…Yoshikazu Uchida (内田 祥三, Uchida Yoshikazu; February 23, 1885 – December 14, 1972) was a Japanese architect and structural engineer. He designed many buildings on the campus of the University of Tokyo, and served as the 14th president of the university.
Zengo Yoshida (吉田 善吾, Yoshida Zengo; 14 February 1885 – 14 November 1966) was a Japanese admiral in the Imperial…Zengo Yoshida (吉田 善吾, Yoshida Zengo; 14 February 1885 – 14 November 1966) was a Japanese admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy.
Tatsunosuke Takasaki (高碕達之助, Takasaki Tatsunosuke; 7 February 1885 – 24 February 1964) was a Japanese…Tatsunosuke Takasaki (高碕達之助, Takasaki Tatsunosuke; 7 February 1885 – 24 February 1964) was a Japanese businessman-politician.
Hajime Tanabe (田辺 元, Tanabe Hajime; February 3, 1885 – April 29, 1962) was a Japanese philosopher of science…Hajime Tanabe (田辺 元, Tanabe Hajime; February 3, 1885 – April 29, 1962) was a Japanese philosopher of science, particularly of mathematics and physics. His work brought together elements of Buddhism, scientific thought, Western philosophy, Christianity, and Marxism. In the postwar years, Tanabe coined the concept of metanoetics, proposing that the limits of speculative philosophy and reason must be surpassed by metanoia. Tanabe was a key member of what has become known in the West as the Kyoto School, alongside philosophers Kitarō Nishida (also Tanabe's teacher) and Keiji Nishitani. He taught at Tōhoku Imperial University beginning in 1913 and later at Kyōto Imperial University, and studied at the universities of Berlin, Leipzig, and Freiburg in the 1920s under figures such as Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger. In 1947 he became a member of the Japan Academy, and in 1950 he received the Order of Cultural Merit.
Haru Wazaki (Japanese: 和崎ハル; 1 February 1885 – 30 December 1952) was a Japanese politician. She was one of the first…Haru Wazaki (Japanese: 和崎ハル; 1 February 1885 – 30 December 1952) was a Japanese politician. She was one of the first group of women elected to the House of Representatives in 1946.
Seison Maeda (前田 青邨, Maeda Seison; January 27, 1885 – October 29, 1977) was the art-name of a nihonga painter in the…Seison Maeda (前田 青邨, Maeda Seison; January 27, 1885 – October 29, 1977) was the art-name of a nihonga painter in the Taishō and Shōwa periods of Japan. His legal name was Maeda Renzō. He is considered one of the greatest contemporary Japanese painters, and one of the leaders of the Nihonga movement.
Hakushū Kitahara (北原 白秋, Kitahara Hakushū; 25 January 1885 – 2 November 1942) is the pen-name of Kitahara Ryūkichi (北原…Hakushū Kitahara (北原 白秋, Kitahara Hakushū; 25 January 1885 – 2 November 1942) is the pen-name of Kitahara Ryūkichi (北原 隆吉), a Japanese tanka poet active during the Taishō and Shōwa periods of Japan. He is regarded as one of the most popular and important poets in modern Japanese literature.
General Seishirō Itagaki (板垣 征四郎, Itagaki Seishirō; 21 January 1885 – 23 December 1948) was a Japanese military officer…General Seishirō Itagaki (板垣 征四郎, Itagaki Seishirō; 21 January 1885 – 23 December 1948) was a Japanese military officer and politician who served as a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II and War Minister from 1938 to 1939. He was a disciple of Kanji Ishiwara and his ideas were strongly influenced by his apocalyptic Buddhist beliefs, being firmly convinced of the idea of a "Final War" in which Japan would unite the entire world into a single nation, resulting in an era of true peace, regeneration and harmony. Itagaki was a main conspirator behind the Mukden Incident and held prestigious chief of staff posts in the Kwantung Army and China Expeditionary Army during the early Second Sino–Japanese War. Itagaki became War Minister but fell from grace after Japanese defeat in the Soviet–Japanese border conflicts. Thereafter, he served as general for several field armies until surrendering Japanese forces in Southeast Asia in 1945. Itagaki was ultimately convicted of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East and executed in 1948.
Ozaki Hōsai (尾崎 放哉; 20 January 1885 – 7 April 1926) was the haigo (haikai pen name) of Ozaki Hideo, a Japanese poet of…Ozaki Hōsai (尾崎 放哉; 20 January 1885 – 7 April 1926) was the haigo (haikai pen name) of Ozaki Hideo, a Japanese poet of the late Meiji and Taishō periods of Japan. An alcoholic, Ozaki witnessed the birth of the modern free verse haiku movement. His verses are permeated with loneliness, most likely a result of the isolation, poverty and poor health of his final years.
Ōsugi Sakae (Japanese: 大杉 栄; 17 January 1885 – 16 September 1923) was a Japanese anarchist writer and social critic of…Ōsugi Sakae (Japanese: 大杉 栄; 17 January 1885 – 16 September 1923) was a Japanese anarchist writer and social critic of the Taishō period. His thought centered on individualism, direct action, and the "expansion of the ego" as philosophical underpinnings for social and personal revolution. Born into a military family, Ōsugi was expelled from military school for insubordination and turned to language studies and radical politics in Tokyo. After a series of prison terms between 1906 and 1910, which he considered his "real education," he emerged as a leading voice in the Japanese anarchist movement. Through his journals, such as Kindai shisō (Modern Thought) and Rōdō undō (The Labor Movement), he introduced the works of European thinkers like Peter Kropotkin, Georges Sorel, and Henri Bergson to Japan, synthesizing their ideas into his own philosophy. His advocacy of free love and his controversial personal life, which included simultaneous relationships with three women, led to a violent attack against him in 1916 and his temporary ostracism from the socialist movement. Ōsugi became a key figure in the Japanese labor movement, advocating for syndicalism and workers' autonomy while strongly criticizing both state authority and the emerging Bolshevism. In the chaotic aftermath of the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, Ōsugi, his partner and fellow anarchist Itō Noe, and his six-year-old nephew were arrested by a squad of military police led by Captain Amakasu Masahiko. They were beaten and strangled, their bodies disposed of in a well. Their murders, known as the Amakasu Incident, became a symbol of state violence against radicals during the period.
Kanzō Uchiyama (内山 完造, Uchiyama Kanzō; January 11, 1885 – September 21, 1959), also known with his Chinese name (鄔其山…Kanzō Uchiyama (内山 完造, Uchiyama Kanzō; January 11, 1885 – September 21, 1959), also known with his Chinese name (鄔其山; Wū Qíshān), was the proprietor of the Uchiyama Bookstore, whose frequent visitors were both Chinese and Japanese intellectuals before World War II. Uchiyama was a Christian.
Yin Ju-keng; (Chinese: 殷汝耕; pinyin: Yīn Rǔgēng; Wade–Giles: Yin Ju-keng; Hepburn: In Jyokou; 1885 - December 1, 1947)…Yin Ju-keng; (Chinese: 殷汝耕; pinyin: Yīn Rǔgēng; Wade–Giles: Yin Ju-keng; Hepburn: In Jyokou; 1885 - December 1, 1947) was a politician in the early Republic of China, later noted for his role as chairman in the Japanese-controlled East Hebei Autonomous Government and subsequent puppet regimes, such as the Wang Jingwei regime, during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Hideki Tojo (30 December 1884 – 23 December 1948) was a Japanese military officer and politician who served as Prime…Hideki Tojo (30 December 1884 – 23 December 1948) was a Japanese military officer and politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1941 to 1944 during World War II. His leadership was marked by widespread state violence and mass killings perpetrated in the name of Japanese nationalism. Born into a military family of samurai descent in Kōjimachi, Tokyo, Tojo followed in his father's footsteps by pursuing a military career, graduating from the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1905. After serving as a military attaché in Germany, he rose to prominence in the 1930s as a member of the Tōseiha (lit. 'Control Faction') within the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). In 1937, as chief of staff of the Kwantung Army, he led operations during the Japanese invasion of China. By 1940, he was appointed Minister of the Army, where he advocated a tripartite alliance with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. In October 1941, he was appointed Prime Minister of Japan by Emperor Hirohito. Upon taking office as Prime Minister, Tojo prioritized the total mobilization of the Empire of Japan for "total war". He enforced strict censorship and utilized the Kempeitai (military police) to suppress dissent while promoting an ideology of absolute loyalty to the Emperor. His foreign policy was defined by the pursuit of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, a concept used to justify aggressive expansion into Southeast Asia and the Pacific in order to secure natural resources. On 7 December 1941, Tojo's cabinet oversaw the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor which resulted in his country's entry into World War II on the side of the Axis powers. Despite achieving significant territorial gains in Asia and the Pacific during the opening months of the conflict, the tide decisively turned against Japan following its defeat at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. In the capacity of his nation's head of government throughout most of the war, Tojo presided over numerous war crimes, including the massacre and starvation of thousands of POWs and millions of civilians. As Allied forces closed in on the Japanese home islands, Tojo's hold on power steadily declined before he was ultimately forced to resign on 18 July 1944 upon the fall of Saipan. After his nation's surrender to the Allied powers in September 1945, he was arrested, convicted by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in the Tokyo Trials, sentenced to death, and hanged on 23 December 1948. To this day, Tojo's complicity in the July 1937 invasion of China, the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and numerous acts of mass murder have firmly intertwined his legacy with the Empire of Japan's warmongering brutality during the early Shōwa era.
Yoriyasu Arima (有馬 頼寧, Arima Yoriyasu; 17 December 1884 – 9 January 1957) was a Japanese politician before and during…Yoriyasu Arima (有馬 頼寧, Arima Yoriyasu; 17 December 1884 – 9 January 1957) was a Japanese politician before and during World War II. His wife was the daughter of Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa.
Seibo Kitamura (北村 西望, Kitamura Seibō; 16 December 1884 – 4 March 1987) was a Japanese sculptor. He is known as the…Seibo Kitamura (北村 西望, Kitamura Seibō; 16 December 1884 – 4 March 1987) was a Japanese sculptor. He is known as the sculptor of the 10-meter-tall Peace Statue in Nagasaki Peace Park. He is most often referred to as "Seibo".
Kiyoaki Saibara (1884–1972) and his father Seito Saibara are credited with much of the success of the Texas Gulf Coast…Kiyoaki Saibara (1884–1972) and his father Seito Saibara are credited with much of the success of the Texas Gulf Coast rice crop. Born in Japan, Saibara came to Webster, Texas on his father's orders to help begin a rice crop. Saibara was the first Japanese person to gain United States citizenship in Texas. He and his first wife Shimoyo had six children. A historical marker was erected in Webster in honour of Seito and Kiyoaki.
Isei Otsuka (大塚 惟精, Ōtsuka Isei, 11 December 1884 – 6 August 1945) was a Japanese politician who served as governor of…Isei Otsuka (大塚 惟精, Ōtsuka Isei, 11 December 1884 – 6 August 1945) was a Japanese politician who served as governor of Hiroshima Prefecture from April to June 1945. He was also governor of Tochigi Prefecture (1924–1926), Fukuoka Prefecture (1926–1927) and Ishikawa Prefecture (1927). He was killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
Shōji Nishikawa (Japanese: 西川 正治, Nishikawa Shōji, 5 December 1884 – 5 January 1952) was a Japanese physicist and a…Shōji Nishikawa (Japanese: 西川 正治, Nishikawa Shōji, 5 December 1884 – 5 January 1952) was a Japanese physicist and a founding father of crystallography in Japan.
Koshiba Hiroshi (小柴 博; Tsuwano-chō, Shimane November 9, 1884 – June 19, 1925) was one of the founders of the Japanese…Koshiba Hiroshi (小柴 博; Tsuwano-chō, Shimane November 9, 1884 – June 19, 1925) was one of the founders of the Japanese Scouting movement. He graduated from Tsuwano Elementary School. He entered Himeji Junior High School, a state school run by Hyogo Prefecture, but dropped out due to family reasons. In 1903, he became a student at Shimane Normal School. In 1905, he received a full Elementary School Teacher's licence, and became a teacher at Tsuwano Elementary School. In 1907, he went to Tokyo, and worked at Akasaka Jinjo High School. Together with his colleagues, Hasunuma Monzō (蓮沼門三) and Iso Kikuma (磯規矩馬), he participated in the Shūyōdan (修養団) movement. In 1909, he started the youth branch of the Shuyodan (修養団幼年会, Shūyōdan Yōnenkai). This group received support from, among others, Kurushima Takehiko (久留島武彦), Kishibe Fukuo (岸辺福雄) and Amano Kijihiko (天野雉彦), and held 61 meetings in six years, before being disbanded. It is reported that meetings consisted of events such as readings of children's stories and inspirational and improving stories, singing, excursions and group training, and were always extremely popular. On October 7, 1913, Hasunuma Monzō and Uryū Kisaburō (瓜生喜三郎) had a discussion about youth education with Japan's ambassador to Russia Motono Ichirō (本野一郎), where Motono explained in detail about the Boy Scout principles and organization in Europe. They were greatly impressed, and told Koshiba how wonderful this organization was. Koshiba immediately set to work on forming a youth education group, founding the Tokyo Shōnengun (東京少年軍) ("Tokyo Youth Army"). This group's first excursion was to the temple known as Mejiro Fudōson (目黒不動尊) to visit the grave of Aoki Kon'yō (青木昆陽), and dig for imo potatoes. In 1920, he participated in the First World Scout Jamboree in England, together with Shimoda Toyomatsu and Richard Suzuki. On April 13, 1921, he reorganized the Shūyōdan Yōnenbu to form the Tokyo Shōnengun ("Tokyo Youth Army"). This was the first youth group based on the British Boy Scout training methods to be founded in Japan. On June 19, 1925, he died in his Tokyo home of heart failure, aged 42.
Shintarō Suzuki (鈴木 信太郎, Suzuki Shintarō; 8 November 1884 – 27 June 1958) was a Japanese politician. He was born in…Shintarō Suzuki (鈴木 信太郎, Suzuki Shintarō; 8 November 1884 – 27 June 1958) was a Japanese politician. He was born in Yamagata Prefecture. He was the son-in-law of Tokonami Takejirō. He was governor of Nara Prefecture (1923–1926), Gifu Prefecture (1926–1927), Yamanashi Prefecture (1927–1929), Nagano Prefecture (1929–1931), Nagasaki Prefecture (1931–1935) and Kyoto Prefecture (1935–1936). He was a member of the Government-General of Taiwan.
Kanokogi Kazunobu (鹿子木員信, 1884–1949) was a Japanese professor, philosopher, mountaineer and author. Although less well…Kanokogi Kazunobu (鹿子木員信, 1884–1949) was a Japanese professor, philosopher, mountaineer and author. Although less well known than Ikki Kita, Kanokogi has been referred to on several occasions as "the pioneer of Japanese totalitarianism." After training as a naval engineer, he saw combat in the Russo-Japanese War; after converting to Christianity he resigned his commission and travelled to the United States to study theology at Union Theological Seminary and philosophy at Columbia University. He received his doctorate (supervised by Rudolf Eucken) while studying in Germany at the University of Jena. After returning to Japan in 1912 he taught at Keio University, Tokyo Imperial University and Kyushu Imperial University. Kanokogi became involved in the Pan-Asianism movement, which led to him travelling to India. He was arrested by the British in Calcutta, and deported to Singapore, where he was imprisoned briefly. Following this incident, he began advocating for Indian independence. Kanokogi was a nationalist who emphasised the importance of the Imperial family in Japanese history. One of his principal works was Der Geist Japans ("The Spirit of Japan"), which was derived from a collection of lectures he gave in Germany arguing against Chinese influences on Japanese history. He was a member of the Yūzonsha society. After the war, he was held at Sugamo Prison as a Class-A war criminal. He was released in 1946 on medical grounds because he was diagnosed with terminal pulmonary tuberculosis, and died three years later from this condition.
Sakuhei Fujiwhara (藤原 咲平, Fujiwara Sakuhei; October 29, 1884 – September 22, 1950) was a Japanese meteorologist who…Sakuhei Fujiwhara (藤原 咲平, Fujiwara Sakuhei; October 29, 1884 – September 22, 1950) was a Japanese meteorologist who became the namesake for the Fujiwhara effect. Novelist Jirō Nitta is his nephew and mathematician Masahiko Fujiwara is his grandnephew.
Admiral Shirō Takasu (高須 四郎, Takasu Shirō; October 27, 1884 – September 2, 1944) was a career naval officer in the…Admiral Shirō Takasu (高須 四郎, Takasu Shirō; October 27, 1884 – September 2, 1944) was a career naval officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
Motonori Matsuyama (松山 基範, Matsuyama Motonori; October 25, 1884 – January 27, 1958) was a Japanese geophysicist who was…Motonori Matsuyama (松山 基範, Matsuyama Motonori; October 25, 1884 – January 27, 1958) was a Japanese geophysicist who was (in the late 1920s) the first to provide systematic evidence that the Earth's magnetic field had been reversed in the early Pleistocene and to suggest that long periods existed in the past in which the polarity was reversed. He remarked that the Earth's field had later changed to the present polarity. The era of reversed polarity preceding the current Brunhes Chron of normal polarity is now called the Matuyama Reversed Chron; and the transition between them is called the Brunhes–Matuyama or Matuyama-Brunhes reversal.
Nobuteru Mori (21 October 1884 – 1 March 1941) was a Japanese businessman and politician who founded Showa Denko, a…Nobuteru Mori (21 October 1884 – 1 March 1941) was a Japanese businessman and politician who founded Showa Denko, a leading Japanese chemical engineering firm, in the 1930s. He was also a member of the Japanese House of Representatives. Mori was the father of Mutsuko Miki, an activist and former First Lady, and the father-in-law of former Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Miki.
Masataka Murata (村田 正太, Murata Masataka; October 5, 1884 – December 20, 1974) was a Japanese physician. He invented a…Masataka Murata (村田 正太, Murata Masataka; October 5, 1884 – December 20, 1974) was a Japanese physician. He invented a Murata's method for the serodiagnosis of syphilis, and studied leprosy. He worked at the Osaka Prefectural Sotojima Sanatorium and was the director between 1926 and 1933. He treated leprosy patients as respectable persons. After the Sotojima Incident, in which communists were against religious societies, he resigned as the director of the sanatorium. Later, he personally studied leprosy at his house, and died in 1974.
Tsuji Jun (辻 潤, Tsuji Jun; October 4, 1884 – November 24, 1944) was a Japanese author: a poet, essayist, playwright…Tsuji Jun (辻 潤, Tsuji Jun; October 4, 1884 – November 24, 1944) was a Japanese author: a poet, essayist, playwright, and translator. He has also been described as a Dadaist, nihilist, Epicurean, shakuhachi musician, actor and bohemian. He translated Max Stirner's The Ego and Its Own and Cesare Lombroso's The Man of Genius into Japanese. Born in Tōkyō, Tsuji sought escape in literature from a childhood he described as "nothing but destitution, hardship, and a series of traumatizing difficulties". He became interested in the works of Tolstoy, Kōtoku Shūsui's socialist anarchism, and the literature of Oscar Wilde and Voltaire, among many others. Later, in 1920 Tsuji was introduced to Dada and became a self-proclaimed first Dadaist of Japan, a title also claimed by Tsuji's contemporary, Shinkichi Takahashi. Tsuji became a fervent proponent of Stirnerite egoist anarchism, which would become a point of contention between himself and Takahashi. He wrote one of the prologues for famed feminist poet Hayashi Fumiko's 1929 (I Saw a Pale Horse (蒼馬を見たり, Ao Uma wo Mitari) and was active in the radical artistic circles of his time.
Korokurō Shimomura (Japanese: 下村虎六郎, 3 October 1884 – 20 April 1955), better known by his pen name Kojin Shimomura…Korokurō Shimomura (Japanese: 下村虎六郎, 3 October 1884 – 20 April 1955), better known by his pen name Kojin Shimomura (下村湖人), was a Japanese educator, novelist, essayist, and social thinker. He served as principal of Taichū First Middle School (now Taichung First Senior High School) in Japanese Taiwan and later principal of Taihoku Higher School. He was known for his educational philosophy, liberal humanism, and criticism of Japanese militarism during the early Shōwa period.
Tanzan Ishibashi (石橋 湛山, Ishibashi Tanzan; 25 September 1884 – 25 April 1973) was a Japanese journalist and politician…Tanzan Ishibashi (石橋 湛山, Ishibashi Tanzan; 25 September 1884 – 25 April 1973) was a Japanese journalist and politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1956 to 1957. Born in Tokyo, Ishibashi became a journalist after graduating from Waseda University in 1907. In 1911, he joined the Tōyō Keizai Shimpo ("Eastern Economic Journal") and served as its editor-in-chief from 1925 to 1946 and president from 1941. In the 1930s, Ishibashi was one of the few critics of Japanese imperialism, and became well known as a liberal economist. From 1946 to 1947, Ishibashi served as finance minister under Shigeru Yoshida. He was elected into the National Diet in 1947, but was purged for openly opposing the U.S. occupation policies; he returned to the Diet in 1952, after which he allied with Ichiro Hatoyama and served as his minister of international trade and industry. Ishibashi succeeded Hatoyama as prime minister in 1956, simultaneously serving as director of the Defense Agency, but resigned soon after due to ill health.
Hachirō Arita (有田 八郎, Arita Hachirō; 21 September 1884 – 4 March 1965) was a Japanese politician and diplomat who…Hachirō Arita (有田 八郎, Arita Hachirō; 21 September 1884 – 4 March 1965) was a Japanese politician and diplomat who served as the Minister for Foreign Affairs for three terms. He coined the term Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, which provided an official agenda for Imperial Japan's expansionism. After the war, Arita was active as a leftist politician. The circumstances surrounding his second marriage and his unsuccessful 1959 run for Governor of Tokyo served as the model for the novel After the Banquet by Yukio Mishima. This led to a famous court case in which Arita successfully sued for invasion of privacy.