Kōrō Sasaki ( , 21 August 1895 – 1 October 1978) was a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

politician. He served as the mayor of

Nikkō is a Cities of Japan, city in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. , the city's population was 80,239, in 36,531 households. The population density was 55 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Nikkō is a popular destination for Japanese and ...

Tochigi Prefecture is a landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Tochigi Prefecture has a population of 1,897,649 (1 June 2023) and has a geographic area of 6,408 Square kilometre, km2 (2,474 Square mile, sq mi ...

from 1953 to 1969, overseeing its transition to an independent municipality in 1954. During his time as mayor, he promoted the city's development as an international cultural tourist destination. He was active in social education and served as president of the Tochigi Scout Council and the Tochigi Prefecture Skating Association.

Life and career

Kōrō Sasaki was born on 21 August 1895 in the city of

Morioka is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Iwate Prefecture located in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. On 1 August 2023, the city had an estimated population of 283,981 in 132,719 households, and a population density of . The total area of t ...

Iwate Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It is the second-largest Japanese prefecture (behind Hokkaido) at , with a population of 1,165,886 (as of July 1, 2023). Iwate Prefecture borders Aomori Pre ...

. In 1917 he graduated from Takachiho University and found employment with Furukawa Electric. He was held liable for having a number of employees dismissed at the end of

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 ...

. He retired from the company in 1945 and thereafter took up residence in

. That November he served as president of Betsukura Seisakusho Co. Ltd. and hired employees who had been laid off from Furukawa. Sasaki served on the Tochigi Prefectural Assembly from April 1951 to July 1953. Following the death of the mayor of

, Toshijirō Itō, Sasaki ran for and won the position in July 1953. He remained mayor until 27 August 1969. He oversaw the transition of Nikkō into , a process begun under Itō, which involved a merger with Okorogawa. He then became the first mayor of the new municipality on 11 February 1954. During his time as mayor Sasaki focused on such health and social welfare issues as human waste treatment facilities, garbage incinerators, and the development of Nikkō as an international cultural tourist destination. He was made an honorary citizen of Nikkō on 11 February 1971. Sasaki was dedicated to social education and served as president of the Tochigi Boy Scout Association and the Tochigi Prefecture Skating Association. Sasaki died at 05:15 on 1 October 1978 at age 83 at . He was appointed to the Senior Sixth Rank of the Imperial Court.

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* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sasaki, Koro 1895 births 1978 deaths 20th-century Japanese businesspeople Mayors of places in Tochigi Prefecture People associated with Scouting People from Iwate Prefecture Scouting in Japan