was a Japanese physician and physiologist. Hashida was born in Tottori in 1882. He became a medical professor of

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

. He also became the Headmaster of the

First Higher School The First Higher School (第一高等学校, Daiichi ''Kōtō Gakkō'') was a university preparatory boy's boarding school in Tokyo, Japan. It is the direct predecessor of the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Tokyo. Overview ...

in 1937. He 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 ...

from 1940 to 1943 under the Konoe and Tōjō

cabinets A cabinet in governing is a group of people with the constitutional or legal task to rule a country or state, or advise a head of state, usually from the executive branch. Their members are known as ministers and secretaries and they are ...

. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Hashida came under suspicion of war crimes committed during his tenure as minister during the war. Hashida denied wrongdoing and committed

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

by taking

potassium cyanide Potassium cyanide is a compound with the formula KCN. It is a colorless salt, similar in appearance to sugar, that is highly soluble in water. Most KCN is used in gold mining, organic synthesis, and electroplating. Smaller applications include ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hasida, Kunihiko 1882 births 1945 suicides 1945 deaths University of Tokyo alumni Academic staff of the University of Tokyo Japanese physiologists Education ministers of Japan Suicides by poison in Japan Suicides by cyanide poisoning Japanese politicians who died by suicide Scientists from Tottori Prefecture