Hitoshi Kihara

Geneticist. Born in Tokyo. Graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido Imperial University (1918). After working as an assistant at the Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto Imperial University, he became a professor there (1927). He is known for his cytogenetic research on grasses. In particular, he established a method for genome analysis of wheat species, which succeeded in elucidating the ancestry of cultivated wheat. He also succeeded in studying the sex chromosomes of sorrel and in the production of seedless watermelons. He received the Imperial Prize (1943) for his "cytogenetic research on wheat," received the Order of Culture in 1948 (Showa 23), and was named a Person of Cultural Merit in 1951. In addition to mentoring many young geneticists and shaping the direction of genetics in Japan, he was also active as an athlete, serving as an officer in sports organizations such as skiing, and leading the Kyoto University Karakoram Expedition (1955). He established the Kihara Institute of Biological Sciences (1942), was elected director of the National Institute of Genetics (1948), and served as honorary chairman of numerous related international conferences. His books include "Cytogenetical Studies on Wheat" (1943).

[Sato Shichiro]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

遺伝学者。東京都出身。北海道帝国大学農学部卒業（1918）。京都帝国大学農学部助手を経て、同教授となる（1927）。イネ科植物の細胞遺伝学的研究によって著名。とくにコムギ類のゲノム分析の方法を確立、これによって栽培コムギの祖先の解明に成功した。またスイバの性染色体の研究、種なしスイカの結実にも成功した。「小麦の細胞遺伝学的研究」で恩賜賞（1943）を受賞、1948年（昭和23）に文化勲章を受け、1951年に文化功労者に指名された。多くの後進遺伝学者を育てて日本の遺伝学を方向づけたほか、スポーツマンとしても活躍、スキーなどのスポーツ団体の役員となり、また京都大学カラコルム探検隊（1955）の隊長を務めた。木原生物学研究所を設立（1942）、国立遺伝学研究所長に選ばれ（1948）、数々の関連国際会議の名誉会長を務めた。著書に『小麦の細胞遺伝学的研究』（1943）がある。

［佐藤七郎］

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