was a Japanese

ethnologist Ethnology (from the , meaning 'nation') is an academic field and discipline that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural, social, or sociocultural anthropology). Scien ...

and

Japanologist , sometimes known as Japanology in Europe, is a sub-field of area studies or East Asian studies involved in social sciences and humanities research on Japan. It incorporates fields such as the study of Japanese language, History of Japan, history, ...

. Oka is considered the leading figure in the establishment of Japanese ethnology since the 1930's.

Biography

He was born in Matsumoto,

Nagano Prefecture is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,007,682 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture ...

. He was a graduate of the

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 ...

and

Tohoku University is a public research university in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. It is colloquially referred to as or . Established in 1907 as the third of the Imperial Universities, after the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University, it initially focused on sc ...

. He served on the faculty of

Meiji University is a Private university, private research university in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Originally founded as Meiji Law School () by three lawyers in 1881, it became a university in April 1920. As of May 2023, Meiji has 32,261 undergradu ...

Kanagawa Dental University is a private university in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1910 in Kanda, Tokyo, Kanda, Tokyo as the . After the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, it relocated to Shinagawa. It relocated again to Ota-ku, Toky ...

Wayo Women's University is a private women's college in Ichikawa, Chiba file:Ichikawashiyakusyo.jpg, 240px, Ichikawa City Hall is a city in western Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 492,749 in 256,229 households and a population dens ...

Tokyo Metropolitan University , often referred to as TMU, is a Public university, public research university in Hachiōji, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan. In contrast to other non-private universities in Tokyo, the university is established under the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, ...

and

Tokyo University of Foreign Studies , often referred to as TUFS, is a specialist National university, national research university in Fuchū, Tokyo, Fuchū, Tokyo, Japan. TUFS is primarily devoted to foreign language, international relations, international affairs and area studies. ...

. He died on 15 December 1982 in Tokyo.

References

1898 births 1982 deaths People from Matsumoto, Nagano University of Tokyo alumni Tohoku University alumni Academic staff of Meiji University Academic staff of Kanagawa Dental University Academic staff of Wayo Women's University Academic staff of Tokyo Metropolitan University Academic staff of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies Japanese ethnologists Japanologists {{ethnologist-stub