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 in 1929 and as the 16th

Mayor of Tokyo The is the head of government of Tokyo. In 1943, upon the unification of Tokyo City and Tokyo Prefecture, the position of Governor was created. The current title was adopted in 1947 due to the enactment of the Local Autonomy Law. Overview The ...

from 1937 to 1939.

Early life

Kobashi was born in Kumamoto, Japan, on 25 October 1870 as the eldest son of Motoo Kobashi, a

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

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 to ...

. He graduated from Law College of the Imperial University of Tokyo in 1898.

Career

Following his graduation, Kobashi joined the Home Ministry 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 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 Development of the Japane ...

and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1920, serving three consecutive terms. Keigo Kiyoura Cabinet 19240107

Kobashi was appointed

Chief Cabinet Secretary The is a member of the cabinet and is the leader and chief executive of the Cabinet Secretariat of Japan. The Chief Cabinet Secretary coordinates the policies of ministries and agencies in the executive branch, and also serves as the government ...

in the

Kiyoura Cabinet The Kiyoura Cabinet is the 23rd Cabinet of Japan led by Kiyoura Keigo Count was a Japanese politician. He was the Prime Minister of Japan in 1924, during the period which historians have called the " Taishō Democracy". Early life Kiyou ...

on 7 January 1924 as a member of

Seiyūhontō The Seiyūhontō (, lit. ''Orthodox Constitutional Friends Party'') was a political party in Japan. It was active from 1924 until 1927. History The party was established on 29 January 1924 following a split in the Rikken Seiyūkai over Prime Min ...

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

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. I ...

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

Hamaguchi Cabinet The Hamaguchi Cabinet is the 27th Cabinet of Japan The is the chief executive body of the government of Japan. It consists of the prime minister, who is appointed by the emperor after being designated by the National Diet, and up to ninetee ...

. 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

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 (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, three weeks shy of his 69th birthday. He was buried at Tama Cemetery and was posthumously awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun.

References

{{s-end 1870 births 1939 deaths 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