Ichita Kobashi (小橋一太) (25 October 1870 – 2 October 1939) was a Japanese bureaucrat and politician who served as the

Minister of Education An education minister (sometimes minister of education) is a position in the governments of some countries responsible for dealing with educational matters. Where known, the government department, ministry, or agency that develops policy and deli ...

in 1929 and as the 16th mayor of Tokyo from 1937 to 1939.

Early life

Kobashi was born in

Kumamoto is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2. had a populat ...

, Japan, on 25 October 1870 as the eldest son of Motoo Kobashi, a

samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

in the

Kumamoto Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Kumamoto Prefecture has a population of 1,748,134 () and has a geographic area of . Kumamoto Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the north, Ōita Prefecture t ...

. He graduated from Law College of the Imperial

University of Tokyo The University of Tokyo (, abbreviated as in Japanese and UTokyo in English) is a public research university in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1877 as the nation's first modern university by the merger of several pre-westernisation era ins ...

in 1898.

Career

Following his graduation, Kobashi joined the

Home Ministry An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a Ministry (government department), government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law e ...

and served as the director general of the Sanitary Affairs Bureau, director general of the Local Affairs Bureau, and director general of the Civil Engineering Bureau before finally assuming the post of Under-Secretary of Home Affairs on 25 April 1918. He became a member of the

Rikken Seiyūkai The was one of the main political party, political parties in the pre-war Empire of Japan. It was also known simply as the ''Seiyūkai''. Founded on September 15, 1900, by Itō Hirobumi,David S. Spencer, "Some Thoughts on the Political Devel ...

and was elected to the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

in 1920, serving three consecutive terms. Keigo Kiyoura Cabinet 19240107

Kobashi was appointed Chief Cabinet Secretary in the Kiyoura Cabinet on 7 January 1924 as a member of Seiyūhontō and held the position until the cabinet dissolved on 11 June 1924. Following his cabinet post in 1926, Kobashi served as the director of general affairs of the Seiyūhontō and as secretary general, before serving as the director of general affairs of the

Rikken Minseitō was one of the main political parties in pre-war Empire of Japan. It was commonly known as the ''Minseitō''. History The ''Minseitō'' was founded on 1 June 1927, by a merger of the '' Kenseikai'' and the ''Seiyu Hontō'' political parties. ...

in 1927. Kobashi's second cabinet position came on 2 July 1929, when he was appointed as the

in the Hamaguchi Cabinet. He resigned his position on 29 November 1929, following the Echigo Railway Scandal of which he was later acquitted. Kobashi was thereafter elected as the 16th Mayor of Tokyo on 28 June 1937. He held the position until his resignation on 14 April 1939.

Later life

Kobashi died on 2 October 1939 in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, three weeks shy of his 69th birthday. He was buried at

Tama Cemetery in Tokyo is the largest municipal cemetery in Japan. It is split between the cities of Fuchū, Tokyo, Fuchu and Koganei, Tokyo, Koganei within the Tokyo Metropolis. First established in April 1923 as , it was redesignated Tama Cemetery in 1935. ...

and was posthumously awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun.

References

{{s-end 1870 births 1939 deaths 20th-century mayors of places in Japan Mayors of Tokyo People from Kumamoto People from Kumamoto Prefecture University of Tokyo alumni Government ministers of Japan Education ministers of Japan Japanese politicians Members of the House of Representatives (Empire of Japan) Constitutional Democratic Party (Japan) politicians Rikken Seiyūkai politicians Politicians from Kumamoto Prefecture Grand Cordons of the Order of the Rising Sun