Kensaku Shimaki (島木 健作, Shimaki Kensaku; 7 September 1903 – 17 August 1945) was the pen name of Asakura Kikuo (朝倉 菊雄)…Kensaku Shimaki (島木 健作, Shimaki Kensaku; 7 September 1903 – 17 August 1945) was the pen name of Asakura Kikuo (朝倉 菊雄), a Japanese author active during the Shōwa period in Japan. He had an interest in leftist ideology and was arrested in 1928 due to his ties to the Japanese Communist Party. Throughout his literary career, Shimaki wrote multiple novels and stories with a common theme being proletariat life. Some of his works were published by magazines and journals. He associated with Nobel laureate Kawabata Yasunari.
Baron Dan Takuma (團 琢磨; September 7, 1858 – March 5, 1932) was a Japanese businessman who was Director-General of…Baron Dan Takuma (團 琢磨; September 7, 1858 – March 5, 1932) was a Japanese businessman who was Director-General of Mitsui, one of the leading Japanese zaibatsu (family conglomerates). He was a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was married to the younger sister of statesman Kaneko Kentarō. During the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War, there were some U.S. financiers who wished to profit by lending money to Russia so she could continue her war efforts against Japan. In contrast and in support of ending this war, Frank A. Vanderlip, Jacob Schiff and other U.S. financiers supported President Theodore Roosevelt's successful role as peacemaker between Russia and Japan. Their action was greatly appreciated by many of the leaders of Japan. The early decades of the 1900s were often challenging in terms of U.S. Japan relations. Frank A. Vanderlip and his American and Japanese allies strove to encourage increased business and trade between their nations, which could also enhance the mutual respect and understanding between the U.S. and Japan. The 1908 photo illustration to the right is linked to Frank A. Vanderlip during his U.S. business delegation’s visit to Japan, where they were greeted by Baron Shibusawa Eiichi, Prince Tokugawa Iesato (a.k.a. Prince Iyesato Tokugawa), and Baron Dan Takuma and other Japanese representatives. These statesmen often allied together to promote peace and international commerce. During following year in 1909, in reciprocation for Frank A. Vanderlip’s 1908 business delegation’s visit to Japan, Baron Shibusawa accompanied by his approximately sixty member Japanese business/goodwill delegation toured the United States. During their U.S. visit, the Japanese were greeted by the Vanderlip family and top representatives of American Industry, such as General Electric and Westinghouse. As president of the Japan Society of Manhattan, Frank A. Vanderlip strove to maintain political goodwill and better understanding between the U.S. and Japan. Takuma Dan continued the cultivation of closer relations between Japan and the Western powers. In 1921, he also led a Japanese Businessmen's Mission, in which a group of Japanese business leaders visited the United States, Great Britain, and France to discuss bilateral economic issues and to promote personal ties with businesspeople of those countries. In 1927, Dan bought out Takasago Life Insurance and established Mitsui Life, as a subsidiary of Mitsui Group. On March 5, 1932, Dan was assassinated by right-wing nationalist Gorō Hishinuma for his role in Mitsui's betting against the Japanese economy in favor of Britain, as part of the League of Blood Incident. Hishinuma was sentenced to life in prison for Dan's murder. He was released under an amnesty in 1940, and died in 1990. Dan's son was embryologist Dan Katsuma, and his grandson was composer Dan Ikuma.
Baron Takatomi Senge (千家 尊福; 7 September 1845 – 3 January 1918) was a Japanese priest and politician. He served as…Baron Takatomi Senge (千家 尊福; 7 September 1845 – 3 January 1918) was a Japanese priest and politician. He served as governor of three prefectures. He was Governor of Saitama from 1894 to 1897, Governor of Shizuoka from 1897 to 1898, and Governor of Tokyo from 1898 to 1908. He was also a member of the House of Peers. He was an organizer of the 1907 Tokyo Industrial Exhibition. He was a Shinto Priest and the founder of Izumo-taishakyo, and the 80th high priest of Izumo-taisha (an eightieth generation descendant of the first Izumo no Kuni no Miyatsuko). He founded the Mokuyōkai (木曜会, The Thursday Association) a Japanese political faction dedicated to representing the interests of barons over higher nobility.