Ikutaro Kakehashi (梯 郁太郎, Kakehashi Ikutarō; 7 February 1930 – 1 April 2017), also known by the nickname Taro, was a…
Ikutaro Kakehashi (梯 郁太郎, Kakehashi Ikutarō; 7 February 1930 – 1 April 2017), also known by the nickname Taro, was a Japanese engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur. He founded the musical instrument manufacturers Ace Tone, Roland Corporation and Boss Corporation, and the audiovisual electronics company ATV Corporation. Kakehashi founded Ace Tone in 1960 to produce electronic organs and early drum machines. He founded Roland in 1972 and was involved in the development of various influential electronic instruments, such as the TR-808 and TR-909 drum machines and the TB-303 and Juno-60 synthesizers, in addition to Boss guitar amplifiers and effects pedals. He was also key to the development of MIDI, a technical standard that connects a wide variety of electronic instruments, in the 1980s; in 2013, Kakehashi received a Technical Grammy Award, shared with Dave Smith of Sequential, for the invention of MIDI. Kakehashi's inventions are credited with shaping popular music genres such as electronic, dance, hip hop, R&B, rock and pop music.
Famous Japanese People: Technician・Engineer
Technician・Engineer: 94 people
Shinichiro Sakurai (桜井 眞一郎, Sakurai Shin'ichirō; 1929–2011) was a Japanese engineer for Prince Motor Company and later…
Shinichiro Sakurai (桜井 眞一郎, Sakurai Shin'ichirō; 1929–2011) was a Japanese engineer for Prince Motor Company and later Nissan. He continued to work in the automotive field up until his death. He is best known for the development of several generations of the Nissan Skyline, earning him the nickname "Father of the Skyline".
Tadahiro Sekimoto (関本忠弘, Sekimoto Tadahiro; November 14, 1926 – November 11, 2007) was a Japanese electronics engineer…
Tadahiro Sekimoto (関本忠弘, Sekimoto Tadahiro; November 14, 1926 – November 11, 2007) was a Japanese electronics engineer, a recipient of the IEEE Medal of Honor (2004), chairman of Japan's Institute for International Socio-Economic Studies (IISE), and former chairman of the Board of Councilors of the Japan Federation of Economic Organizations (Keidanren) who served as president and later chairman of Japan's NEC Corporation (NEC). Born in Hyōgo, Japan, Sekimoto earned his BS in physics in 1948 and his Doctor of Engineering degree in 1962 at the University of Tokyo. On 11 November 2007, he died after a series of strokes.
Nobutoshi Kihara (木原 信敏 Kihara Nobutoshi, 14 October 1926 – 13 February 2011) was an engineer at Sony, best known for…
Nobutoshi Kihara (木原 信敏 Kihara Nobutoshi, 14 October 1926 – 13 February 2011) was an engineer at Sony, best known for his work on the original Walkman cassette-tape player in the 1970s and was commonly called Mr. Walkman (Nobutoshi Kihara) in the press. Born in Tokyo, Kihara attended Waseda University, then joined Sony's predecessor, Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation in 1947 as a new university graduate. He retired from Sony in 2006. While at Sony, he worked on Japan's first magnetic tape recorders, portable tape recorders, music stereo systems, Betamax video, digital cameras, a compact cassette magazine-type recorder and Japan's first transistor radio. In 1964, a team led by Kihara developed the CV-2000, the world's first VTR intended for home usage. He also was instrumental in creating cassette versions of the VTR (Video Tape Recorder), established the basis for the U-matic system. In 1981, was involved in the development of the Mavica digital still camera, which used floppy disks to record images and developed the Mavigraph color video printer in 1982. In 1988, Mr. Kihara jointly established the Sony-Kihara Research Center with Sony, becoming the center's president. His tutoring methods were dubbed the "Kihara School", and turned out many of Sony's future engineers. Masaru Ibuka, a Sony co-founder, referred to Mr. Kihara as "a godlike person", because he would create a prototype of a concept he and Mr. Ibuka had discussed, often within a day. Nobutoshi Kihara died at 5:20 am on 13 February 2011, due to heart failure. He was 84.
Takeo Okuno (奥野 健男, Okuno Takeo; July 25, 1926–November 26, 1997), was a Japanese chemist and a leading literary critic…
Takeo Okuno (奥野 健男, Okuno Takeo; July 25, 1926–November 26, 1997), was a Japanese chemist and a leading literary critic of the postwar era. A close friend of philosopher Takaaki Yoshimoto and writer Yukio Mishima, he helped draw attention to a new generation of postwar Japanese authors and push the Japanese literary world to break free from hegemonic ideologies and pursue more individualistic forms of expression.
Shoichiro Toyoda (Japanese: 豊田 章一郞, Hepburn: Toyoda Shōichirō; 27 February 1925 – 14 February 2023) was a Japanese…
Shoichiro Toyoda (Japanese: 豊田 章一郞, Hepburn: Toyoda Shōichirō; 27 February 1925 – 14 February 2023) was a Japanese business executive who served as chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation from 1992 to 1999, as well as chairman of the influential Japan Business Federation (日本経済団体連合会, Nippon Keidanren) from 1994 to 1998. Under Toyoda's leadership, Toyota started manufacturing vehicles overseas and undertook the development of the Lexus brand. He was the grandson of the Toyoda Automatic Loom Works founder Sakichi Toyoda and the son of the Toyota Motor founder Kiichiro Toyoda.
Kazutoshi Sasayama (笹山 幸俊, Sasayama Kazutoshi) is a Japanese politician who served as mayor of Kobe, the capital city…
Kazutoshi Sasayama (笹山 幸俊, Sasayama Kazutoshi) is a Japanese politician who served as mayor of Kobe, the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. He served as the mayor of the city from 1989 until 2001. He was also the mayor when the Great Hanshin earthquake struck Kobe in 1995.
Takeshi Taketsuru (Japanese: 竹鶴威, 6 March 1924 – 17 December 2014) was a Japanese whisky distiller. He was the nephew…
Takeshi Taketsuru (Japanese: 竹鶴威, 6 March 1924 – 17 December 2014) was a Japanese whisky distiller. He was the nephew of Masataka Taketsuru, from his sister Nobuyo, and his wife Rita Taketsuru, the founders of the Nikka Whisky company before being adopted by them after his father's death in 1943. After their deaths, he took over the company, and expanded its business substantially. He died on 17 December 2014, at the age of 90. Having married his wife, Utako, in 1951, he is survived by his two children, Kotaro and Minobu.
Kenichi Yamamoto (山本健一, Yamamoto Kenichi; 16 September 1922 – 20 December 2017) was a Japanese mechanical engineer and…
Kenichi Yamamoto (山本健一, Yamamoto Kenichi; 16 September 1922 – 20 December 2017) was a Japanese mechanical engineer and business executive. He supervised the development of the Mazda Wankel rotary combustion engine, and served as Mazda's President (1984–1987) and Chairman (1987–1992).
Heitaro Nakajima (中島 平太郎, Nakajima Heitarō; 19 March 1921 – 9 December 2017) was a Japanese digital audio pioneer, who…
Heitaro Nakajima (中島 平太郎, Nakajima Heitarō; 19 March 1921 – 9 December 2017) was a Japanese digital audio pioneer, who led Sony's Compact Disc project in the 1970s. Born in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, Nakajima graduated from the Tokyo Institute of Technology with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1944, and earned a Doctor of Engineering degree from Kyushu University in 1958. In 1971, Nakajima joined Sony as a managing director, hired by Sony's co-founder and president at large, Masaru Ibuka. He became president of Aiwa in 1984. In 1989, he received the first IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Electronics Award and in 1993 he was awarded the Purple Ribbon Medal for CD development.
Akio Morita (盛田 昭夫, Morita Akio; January 26, 1921 – October 3, 1999) was a Japanese entrepreneur and co-founder of Sony…
Akio Morita (盛田 昭夫, Morita Akio; January 26, 1921 – October 3, 1999) was a Japanese entrepreneur and co-founder of Sony along with Masaru Ibuka.
Shinroku Momose (百瀬 晋六, Momose Shinroku; 20 February 1919 – 21 January 1997) was a Japanese aircraft and automotive…
Shinroku Momose (百瀬 晋六, Momose Shinroku; 20 February 1919 – 21 January 1997) was a Japanese aircraft and automotive engineer. He is famous for the development of the Subaru 360, the Subaru Sambar and the Subaru 1000 series.
Kazuo Iwama (岩間 和夫, Iwama Kazuo; 1919–1982) was a Japanese engineer who became the president of Sony. Iwama was born in…
Kazuo Iwama (岩間 和夫, Iwama Kazuo; 1919–1982) was a Japanese engineer who became the president of Sony. Iwama was born in Nagoya and studied geophysics. He worked in a seismology laboratory at the University of Tokyo until 1946, when Akio Morita hired him to work at a predecessor of Sony. By 1950, he was a director of the company. At Sony, he helped introduce the first Japanese transistor radio in 1954, and the first transistor television set in 1960. He headed the Sony Corporation of America from 1971 to 1973, and became president of Sony from 1976 until his death of colon cancer on August 25, 1982.
Mutsuo Sugimura (杉浦 睦夫, Sugiura Mutsuo; March 13, 1918 – August 26, 1986) was a Japanese engineer famous for being the…
Mutsuo Sugimura (杉浦 睦夫, Sugiura Mutsuo; March 13, 1918 – August 26, 1986) was a Japanese engineer famous for being the first to develop a Gastro-camera (a present-day Esophagogastroduodenoscope). His story was illustrated in the NHK TV documentary feature, "Project X: Challengers: The Development of a Gastro-camera Wholly Made in Japan". Sugiura graduated from Tokyo Polytechnic University in 1938 and then joined Olympus Corporation. While working at this company, he first developed an Esophagogastroduodenoscope in 1950. He died in 1986 at the age of 68.
Jiro Tanaka (田中 次郎, Tanaka Jirō; 16 January 1917 – 2017) was a Japanese aircraft and automotive engineer.
Tatsuo Hasegawa (長谷川 龍雄, Hasegawa Tatsuo, February 8, 1916 – April 29, 2008) was a Japanese automotive engineer, and…
Tatsuo Hasegawa (長谷川 龍雄, Hasegawa Tatsuo, February 8, 1916 – April 29, 2008) was a Japanese automotive engineer, and known as the development chief of the first Toyota Corolla. He built the base of the economy cars in Japan through the development of the Corolla and the Toyota Publica.
Ohno Taiichi (大野耐一, Ōno Taiichi; February 29, 1912 – May 28, 1990) was a Japanese industrial engineer and businessman.…
Ohno Taiichi (大野耐一, Ōno Taiichi; February 29, 1912 – May 28, 1990) was a Japanese industrial engineer and businessman. He is considered to be the father of the Toyota Production System, which inspired Lean Manufacturing in the U.S. He devised the seven wastes (or muda in Japanese) as part of this system. He wrote several books about the system, including Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production.
Shigeo Shingo (新郷 重夫, Shingō Shigeo; 1909–1990) was a Japanese industrial engineer who was considered as the world’s…
Shigeo Shingo (新郷 重夫, Shingō Shigeo; 1909–1990) was a Japanese industrial engineer who was considered as the world’s leading expert on manufacturing practices and the Toyota Production System.
Masaru Ibuka (井深 大 Ibuka Masaru; April 11, 1908 – December 19, 1997) was a Japanese electronics industrialist and…
Masaru Ibuka (井深 大 Ibuka Masaru; April 11, 1908 – December 19, 1997) was a Japanese electronics industrialist and co-founder of Sony, along with Akio Morita.
Akira Nakashima (中嶋 章 or 中島 章, also written as Nakashima Akira, Nakasima Akira or Nakajima Akira, 5 January 1908 – 29…
Akira Nakashima (中嶋 章 or 中島 章, also written as Nakashima Akira, Nakasima Akira or Nakajima Akira, 5 January 1908 – 29 October 1970) was a Japanese electrical engineer of the NEC. He received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Imperial University of Tokyo. Akira Nakashima independently introduced switching circuit theory in papers from 1934 to 1936, concurrent with Victor Shestakov and Claude Shannon, laying the foundations for digital circuit design, in digital computers and other areas of modern technology. However, Shannon's ideas were markedly different in approach and theoretical framework compared to the work of Nakashima, whose work was still based on the existent circuit theory of the time and took a grounded approach, whereas Shannon based his work on mathematics and was far more abstract, thereby breaking new ground and setting up an approach that now dominates modern electrical engineering.
Jiro Horikoshi (堀越 二郎, Horikoshi Jirō; 22 June 1903 – 11 January 1982) was a Japanese aeronautical engineer. He was the…
Jiro Horikoshi (堀越 二郎, Horikoshi Jirō; 22 June 1903 – 11 January 1982) was a Japanese aeronautical engineer. He was the chief engineer of several Japanese fighter aircraft designs used during World War II, most notably the Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter, as well as the NAMC YS-11.
Eizaburō Nishibori (西堀 栄三郎, Nishibori Eizaburō; January 28, 1903 – April 13, 1989) was a Japanese scientist, alpinist…
Eizaburō Nishibori (西堀 栄三郎, Nishibori Eizaburō; January 28, 1903 – April 13, 1989) was a Japanese scientist, alpinist and technologist. He is also known as the captain of the primary Japanese Antarctica wintering party.
Yanosuke Hirai (平井 弥之助, Hirai Yanosuke; May 16, 1902 – February 21, 1986) was a Japanese civil engineer and corporate…
Yanosuke Hirai (平井 弥之助, Hirai Yanosuke; May 16, 1902 – February 21, 1986) was a Japanese civil engineer and corporate executive in the electric power industry. He developed electric power generation in the Tohoku region during the Shōwa era with unusual foresight and a deep sense of responsibility. 25 years after his death, Hirai’s foresight protected lives and environment from the March 11, 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. The Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant (Miyagi Prefecture), designed and built under his watch, was the sole plant in the region that fully resisted the disaster of March 11, 2011: all of its three reactors successfully withstood the seismic event and subsequent tsunami, shutting down safely as designed and virtually without any incident. The site of the plant even ended up providing a refuge for three months to more than 300 neighboring people who had lost their homes.
Kiro Honjo (本庄 季郎, Honjō Kirō) (1901–1990) was a Japanese aircraft designer who worked for Mitsubishi and designed…
Kiro Honjo (本庄 季郎, Honjō Kirō) (1901–1990) was a Japanese aircraft designer who worked for Mitsubishi and designed aircraft used in World War II such as the Mitsubishi G3M (Nell) and the Mitsubishi G4M (Betty). During the American occupation of Japan following the end of World War II, Japanese companies, including Mitsubishi, were banned from producing aircraft. For this reason, Honjo began work on non-aircraft products for civilian use. For example, he designed the Mitsubishi “Cross” bicycle (jujigo), which was made of surplus duralumin left over from wartime aircraft production. Honjo also designed the winning glider used by Oka Ryoki in 1977 in the first Japan International Birdman Rally. On April 21, 1990, Honjo died at the age of 88 from prostate cancer. He was portrayed in the 2013 Japanese animated movie The Wind Rises as a colleague of the designer of the Zero fighter, Jiro Horikoshi, going back to their days at Tokyo Imperial University. In reality, however, Honjo was senior to Horikoshi.
Hideo Shima (島 秀雄, Shima Hideo; 20 May 1901 – 18 March 1998) was a Japanese engineer and the driving force behind the…
Hideo Shima (島 秀雄, Shima Hideo; 20 May 1901 – 18 March 1998) was a Japanese engineer and the driving force behind the building of the first bullet train (Shinkansen). Shima was born in Osaka in 1901, and educated at the Tokyo Imperial University, where he studied Mechanical Engineering. His father was part of a group of officials that had built up Japan's emerging railroad industry.
Yoji Ito (伊藤 庸二, Itō Yōji; 5 March 1901–9 May 1955) was an engineer and scientist who had a major role in the Japanese…
Yoji Ito (伊藤 庸二, Itō Yōji; 5 March 1901–9 May 1955) was an engineer and scientist who had a major role in the Japanese development of magnetrons and the Radio Range Finder (RRF – the code name for a radar).
Toshiwo Doko (土光 敏夫 Dokō Toshio; September 15, 1896 – August 4, 1988) was a Japanese engineer born in Mitsu District…
Toshiwo Doko (土光 敏夫 Dokō Toshio; September 15, 1896 – August 4, 1988) was a Japanese engineer born in Mitsu District, Okayama, Manager, President and Chairman of Ishikawajima Heavy Industry (IHI) and Toshiba.
Kiichiro Toyoda (Japanese: 豊田 喜一郎（とよだ きいちろう）, Hepburn: Toyoda Kiichirō; 11 June 1894 – 27 March 1952) was a Japanese…
Kiichiro Toyoda (Japanese: 豊田 喜一郎（とよだ きいちろう）, Hepburn: Toyoda Kiichirō; 11 June 1894 – 27 March 1952) was a Japanese engineer and businessman, and the son of Toyoda Loom Works founder Sakichi Toyoda. His decision to change Toyoda's focus from automatic loom manufacturing into automobile manufacturing created what later became Toyota.
Yasujiro Niwa (丹羽 保次郎, Niwa Yasujirō; April 1, 1893 – February 28, 1975) was a Japanese electrical scientist from…
Yasujiro Niwa (丹羽 保次郎, Niwa Yasujirō; April 1, 1893 – February 28, 1975) was a Japanese electrical scientist from Matsusaka, Mie. In the 1920s, he invented a simple device for phototelegraphic transmission through cable and later via radio, a technology that contributed to the development of mechanical television in Japan. He later became the Director of the Department of Electronic Engineering at the University of Tokyo. He was awarded the Order of Cultural Merits and the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure. On April 18, 1985, the Japan Patent Office selected him as one of Ten Japanese Great Inventors.
Eiichi Hosokawa was a Japanese industrialist and a pioneering inventor in the field of fine grinding mill technology.…
Eiichi Hosokawa was a Japanese industrialist and a pioneering inventor in the field of fine grinding mill technology. He is credited for inventing the "Micron mill" and is also known for founding Hosokawa Micron Corporation.
Tachū Naitō (内藤 多仲, Naitō Tachū; 12 June 1886 – 25 August 1970) was a Japanese architect, engineer, and professor. He…
Tachū Naitō (内藤 多仲, Naitō Tachū; 12 June 1886 – 25 August 1970) was a Japanese architect, engineer, and professor. He was a father of earthquake-proof design and built many broadcasting and observation towers, including the Tokyo Tower.
Yoichi Hatta (八田 與一, Hatta Yoichi; February 21, 1886 – May 8, 1942) was a Japanese engineer, known for his…
Yoichi Hatta (八田 與一, Hatta Yoichi; February 21, 1886 – May 8, 1942) was a Japanese engineer, known for his contributions in hydraulic engineering in the Japanese-ruled Taiwan. Hatta was born in Kanazawa, Ishikawa. After graduating from Tokyo Imperial University in 1910, he joined the Seat of Governor-General of Taiwan and served as a technician of the government. He was the designer of Chianan Canal and Wusanto Reservoir. He was killed on board the transport ship Taiyō Maru, when it was torpedoed and sunk on May 8, 1942 by US submarine Grenadier. In contemporary Taiwan, he is honored for his contributions to irrigation.
Sazō Idemitsu (出光 佐三, Idemitsu Sazō; August 22, 1885 – March 7, 1981) was a Japanese businessman and founder of the…
Sazō Idemitsu (出光 佐三, Idemitsu Sazō; August 22, 1885 – March 7, 1981) was a Japanese businessman and founder of the petroleum company Idemitsu Kosan. He graduated from Kobe University (then Kobe Koto Shogyo Gakko). He was also an art collector, especially fond of Sengai Gibon and of Georges Rouault. He is the father of the Japanese experimental video artist, Mako Idemitsu.
Mikishi Abe (阿部 美樹志, Abe Mikishi; 1883–1965) was a Japanese architect and civil engineer, known for his PhD thesis on…
Mikishi Abe (阿部 美樹志, Abe Mikishi; 1883–1965) was a Japanese architect and civil engineer, known for his PhD thesis on reinforced concrete frames, and for several concrete buildings. Abe was responsible for designing the first elevated railway using reinforced concrete. He contributed to many architectural and engineering works of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Shortly after World War Two, he was the second president of the War Reconstruction Agency (currently the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) and the Secretary-General of the Construction Agency (Deputy Secretary of Construction) after the war. On March 4, 1947, he was appointed as a member of the Imperial House of Representatives, and remained in office until the abolition of the House of Peers on May 2, the same year. Mikishi Abe was the student of A.N Talbot of United States. He is credited of spreading the Talbot's message of pragmatism in Japan.
Nobuchika "Shinkin" Sugimura (杉村 信近, Nobuchika Sugimura) was a Japanese inventor and patent attorney. He was the first…
Nobuchika "Shinkin" Sugimura (杉村 信近, Nobuchika Sugimura) was a Japanese inventor and patent attorney. He was the first chairman of the Japan Patent Attorneys Association.
Yoshiaki Hatta (八田 嘉明, Hatta Yoshiaki; 14 September 1879 – 26 April 1964), was an engineer, entrepreneur, politician…
Yoshiaki Hatta (八田 嘉明, Hatta Yoshiaki; 14 September 1879 – 26 April 1964), was an engineer, entrepreneur, politician and cabinet minister in the Empire of Japan, serving as a member of the Upper House of the Diet of Japan, and five times as a cabinet minister.
Shinpei Mykawa (前川 真平, Maekawa Shinpei; December 1, 1874 in Aichi, Japan – April 24, 1906 in Erin Station, Texas) was a…
Shinpei Mykawa (前川 真平, Maekawa Shinpei; December 1, 1874 in Aichi, Japan – April 24, 1906 in Erin Station, Texas) was a Japanese rice farmer who introduced the cultivation of rice in parts of southeast Texas. The community of Mykawa and Mykawa Road in Houston are named after him.
Namihei Odaira (小平 浪平, Odaira Namihei; January 15, 1874 – October 5, 1951) was a Japanese entrepreneur and…
Namihei Odaira (小平 浪平, Odaira Namihei; January 15, 1874 – October 5, 1951) was a Japanese entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded Hitachi.
Takuji Iwasaki (岩崎 卓爾, Iwasaki Takuji; November 17, 1869 – May 2, 1937) was a Japanese meteorologist, biologist…
Takuji Iwasaki (岩崎 卓爾, Iwasaki Takuji; November 17, 1869 – May 2, 1937) was a Japanese meteorologist, biologist, ethnologist historian. He was a meteorologist at the Ishigaki Weather Station, Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture. Initially, when weather forecasting was in its infancy, he had been badly criticized by local people when his forecast of a typhoon was incorrect. Nevertheless, his work as a meteorologist was better understood by locals later in his career, which endeared him to people.
Ryutaro Nomura (Japanese: 野村龍太郎) (February 27, 1859 – September 18, 1943) was a Japanese businessman. He was born in…
Ryutaro Nomura (Japanese: 野村龍太郎) (February 27, 1859 – September 18, 1943) was a Japanese businessman. He was born in Gifu Prefecture. He was a graduate of the University of Tokyo. He was twice President of the South Manchuria Railway (1913–1914, 1919–1921). He was a recipient of the Order of the Sacred Treasure and the Order of the Rising Sun.
Kunihiko Iwadare (岩垂 邦彦, Iwadare Kunihiko; August 15, 1857 – December 20, 1941) was a Japanese businessman. A graduate…
Kunihiko Iwadare (岩垂 邦彦, Iwadare Kunihiko; August 15, 1857 – December 20, 1941) was a Japanese businessman. A graduate of the Imperial College of Engineering (Kobu Daigaku) in Tokyo, he worked as a telegraph engineer for the Japanese government.
Hiroshi Imai (Japanese: 今井 宏, Hepburn: Imai Hiroshi) is a Japanese Formula One and motorsports engineer. He is…
Hiroshi Imai (Japanese: 今井 宏, Hepburn: Imai Hiroshi) is a Japanese Formula One and motorsports engineer. He is currently the Vice President of Motorsport at the Bridgestone tyre company.
Git ( ) is a distributed version control software system that is capable of managing versions of source code or data.…
Git ( ) is a distributed version control software system that is capable of managing versions of source code or data. It is often used to control source code by programmers who are developing software collaboratively. It was originally created by Linus Torvalds for version control in the development of the Linux kernel. Design goals of Git include speed, data integrity, and support for distributed, non-linear workflows—thousands of parallel branches running on different computers. As with most other distributed version control systems, and unlike most client–server systems, Git maintains a local copy of the entire repository, also known as the "repo", with history and version-tracking abilities, independent of network access or a central server. A repository is stored on each computer in a standard directory with additional, hidden files to provide version control capabilities. Git provides features to synchronize changes between repositories that share history; for asynchronous collaboration, this extends to repositories on remote machines. Although all repositories (with the same history) are peers, developers often use a central server to host a repository to hold an integrated copy. Today, Git is the version control system most commonly used by software developers. It is the most popular distributed version control system, with nearly 95% of developers reporting it as their primary version control system as of 2022. It is the most widely used source-code management tool among professional developers. Several different software forges offer Git repository services, including GitHub, SourceForge, Bitbucket and GitLab.
Kaichi Watanabe (渡邊 嘉一, Watanabe Kaichi; 22 March 1858 – 4 December 1932) was a Japanese engineer who studied and…
Kaichi Watanabe (渡邊 嘉一, Watanabe Kaichi; 22 March 1858 – 4 December 1932) was a Japanese engineer who studied and worked in Scotland, United Kingdom during the 1880s. He was one of the first Japanese engineers who came to study in the UK. He is best known for his work with Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker in cantilever bridge construction, notably on the Forth Bridge. Watanabe studied under Henry Dyer, the Scottish engineer associated with technical education in Japan. After obtaining a degree from the Faculty of Technology of the University of Tokyo, he studied at the University of Glasgow from 1885 and graduated with a Civil Engineering and Bachelor of Science degree, and worked as a construction foreman on the Forth Bridge, which crossed the Firth of Forth in eastern Scotland in 1890. Watanabe's image became well known in the 1887 photograph illustrating the cantilever principle, in which he poses with Fowler and Baker, suspended between the engineers who form a cantilever structure with their arms. Watanabe returned to Japan in 1888, where he became the chief engineer of the Nippon Doboku Company. He then worked at a number of other companies, including the Hokuestsu Railway Company. He was president of the Sangu Railway Company, Keio Electric Tramway, the Ishikawajima shipyard in Tokyo, and the Kansai Gas company. Conductor Takashi Asahina was the illegitimate son of Watanabe.