Baron
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...
was a Japanese
physician
A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...
and
bacteriologist. He is remembered as the co-discoverer of the infectious agent of
bubonic plague
Bubonic plague is one of three types of Plague (disease), plague caused by the Bacteria, bacterium ''Yersinia pestis''. One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and ...
in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
during
an outbreak in 1894, almost simultaneously with
Alexandre Yersin.
Kitasato was nominated for the first annual
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine () is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, acco ...
in 1901. Kitasato and
Emil von Behring
Emil von Behring (; Emil Adolf von Behring: born Emil Adolf Behring; 15 March 1854 – 31 March 1917), was a German physiologist who received the 1901 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the first one awarded in that field, for his discovery ...
, working together in
Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
in 1890, announced the discovery of
diphtheria
Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacteria, bacterium ''Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild Course (medicine), clinical course, but in some outbreaks, the mortality rate approaches 10%. Signs a ...
antitoxin
An antitoxin is an antibody with the ability to neutralize a specific toxin. Antitoxins are produced by certain animals, plants, and bacterium, bacteria in response to toxin exposure. Although they are most effective in neutralizing toxins, the ...
serum. Von Behring was awarded the 1901 Nobel Prize because of this work, but Kitasato was not.
Biography
Kitasato was born in Okuni village,
Higo Province, (present-day
Oguni Town,
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 ...
,
Kyūshū
is the third-largest island of Japan's four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa and the other Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regio ...
), the son of Kitasato Korenobu, a
village head, and Tei, the daughter of 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 ...
. His parents were strict about his education and sent him to a relative's home and requested rigid discipline. He is said to have inherited his leadership qualities from his mother. He was educated at Kumamoto Medical School and a predecessor of
Tokyo Imperial University.
He studied under
Robert Koch in the
University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin (, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany.
The university was established by Frederick William III on the initiative of Wilhelm von Humbol ...
from 1885 to 1891. In 1889, he became the first person to grow the
tetanus bacillus in pure
culture
Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...
, and in 1890 cooperated with
Emil von Behring
Emil von Behring (; Emil Adolf von Behring: born Emil Adolf Behring; 15 March 1854 – 31 March 1917), was a German physiologist who received the 1901 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the first one awarded in that field, for his discovery ...
in developing a serum therapy for tetanus using this pure culture. He also worked on
antitoxin
An antitoxin is an antibody with the ability to neutralize a specific toxin. Antitoxins are produced by certain animals, plants, and bacterium, bacteria in response to toxin exposure. Although they are most effective in neutralizing toxins, the ...
s for
diphtheria
Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacteria, bacterium ''Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild Course (medicine), clinical course, but in some outbreaks, the mortality rate approaches 10%. Signs a ...
and
anthrax
Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis'' or ''Bacillus cereus'' biovar ''anthracis''. Infection typically occurs by contact with the skin, inhalation, or intestinal absorption. Symptom onset occurs between one ...
. Kitasato and Behring demonstrated the value of antitoxin in preventing disease by causing
passive immunity to tetanus in an animal that received graded injections of blood serum from another animal infected with the disease. Kitasato's discoveries on tetanus and
von Behring's work on diphtheria lead to the field of serotherapy, which has benefitted many worldwide.
After returning to Japan in 1891, he founded the Institute for Study of Infectious Diseases with the assistance of
Fukuzawa Yukichi. One of his early assistants was
August von Wassermann. Kitasato demonstrated how dead cultures can be used in
vaccination
Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...
. He also studied the mode of infection in
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
.
He traveled to Hong Kong in 1894 at the request of the Japanese government during
an outbreak of the
bubonic plague
Bubonic plague is one of three types of Plague (disease), plague caused by the Bacteria, bacterium ''Yersinia pestis''. One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and ...
, and identified a
bacterium
Bacteria (; : bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among the ...
that he concluded was causing the disease. Yersin, working separately, found the same organism several days later. Because Kitasato's initial reports were vague and somewhat contradictory, and later reports proved inaccurate, some scientific historians give Yersin sole credit for the discovery; while others advise dual credit. However, a thorough analysis of the morphology of the organism discovered by Kitasato by microbiologists determined that although his samples likely became contaminated with pneumococci later, leading to the conflicting reports from his laboratory, there is "little doubt that Kitasato did isolate, study, and reasonably characterize the plague bacillus" in Hong Kong and "should not be denied this credit". Four years later, Kitasato and his student
Shiga Kiyoshi were able to isolate and describe the organism that caused
dysentery
Dysentery ( , ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications may include dehyd ...
.
After his work on the Bubonic Plague in Hong Kong, Kitasato continued his work on infectious diseases by researching Northeast Asian epidemic plagues and in 1909, he presented a paper on Tuberculosis in Europe. In 1911, Kitasato found himself in Manchuria amidst one of their most severe pneumonic plagues studying its prevention,
as he believed his purpose was to investigate the science behind public health and provide advancement in that field.

When the Institute for Infectious Diseases was incorporated into
Tokyo Imperial University in 1914, he resigned in protest and founded the
Kitasato Institute (the forerunner of
Kitasato University), which he headed for the rest of his life. While Kitasato was still involved with the activities of the newly established institute, he also organized a new medical facility, in collaboration with
Yukichi, that has since become a prominent center of medical learning in Japan.
In September 1921, Kitasato founded, together with several medical scientists, the Sekisen Ken-onki Corporation, with the intention of manufacturing the most reliable clinical thermometer possible. The company was later renamed
Terumo Corporation.
Kitasato also was the first dean of medicine at
Keio University, first president of the Japan Medical Association, and served on the
House of Peers. He was ennobled with the title of ''danshaku'' (
baron
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...
) in the ''
kazoku
The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan, which existed between 1869 and 1947. It was formed by merging the feudal lords (''Daimyo, daimyō'') and court nobles (''kuge'') into one system modelled after the British peerage. Distin ...
'' peerage system in February 1924. Although Kitasato transitioned from actively studying disease to politics and conferences, he continued improving upon his work on tuberculosis up until his death and made significant contributions in the realm of public health.
Kitasato was elected an International Member of the
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...
in 1914.
Kitasato Shibasaburō died of an
intracranial hemorrhage
Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) refers to any form of Hemorrhage, bleeding Internal bleeding, within the Human skull, skull. It can result from trauma, vascular abnormalities, hypertension, or other medical conditions. ICH is broadly categorized ...
at his home in
Azabu,
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 ...
, on June 13, 1931. His grave is at the
Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo.

His portrait is adorned on the new
1,000 yen banknote issued in July 2024.
See also
*
Kitasato flask, laboratory glassware named in his honor
* ''
Kitasatospora'', an Actinobacteria genus named after Kitasato Shibasaburō
*
Satoshi Ōmura
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Kitasato University homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kitasato, Shibasaburo
1853 births
1931 deaths
Japanese infectious disease physicians
Japanese bacteriologists
Kazoku
People from Kumamoto Prefecture
Scientists from Kumamoto Prefecture
Academic staff of Keio University
Foreign members of the Royal Society
Tetanus
Burials at Aoyama Cemetery
Plague (disease)
International members of the American Philosophical Society