Sakurai Joji - Sakurai Joji

Chemist. Established the Japanese chemical research and education system. Born as the son of Sakurai Jintaro, a samurai of the Kaga domain. He lost his father at the age of five, but entered the domain's English school, Chienkan, at the age of 11, and further studied English under the Englishman Percival Osborn (1842-1905). In 1871 (Meiji 4), he moved to Tokyo with his mother, and entered Daigaku Nanko (later the University of Tokyo) at the age of 13. After five years of study, in 1876 he was selected along with Sugiura Shigetake to study in England, where he studied chemistry under Williamson at the University of London. A year later, he achieved the highest score in the exam and received a gold medal, and the following year in 1878, he won a scholarship. During his study abroad, he researched organic mercury compounds, and in 1879 was elected a life member of the London Chemical Society. He returned to Japan in 1881 and immediately became a lecturer at the University of Tokyo, and the following year, in 1882, at the tender age of 24, he became the first Japanese professor of chemistry. He pointed out that conventional chemical research was limited to analysis and synthesis, and advocated that we should move on to theoretical chemistry that clarifies the movement of atoms, and energetically introduced the results of the emerging field of physical chemistry. He also carried out original research, such as improving the boiling point elevation measurement method (1892) and determining the structure of glycochol (glycine) and amidosulfonic acid (sulfamic acid) by conductivity measurement (1894, 1897). He advocated a mandatory retirement age for professors and retired from Tokyo Imperial University in 1919 (Taisho 8) at the age of 60. He demonstrated his administrative skills in promoting and organizing science, and was instrumental in establishing the RIKEN (1917), the Academic Research Council (1920), and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (1932). He also served as president of the Imperial Academy, president of the Chemical Society of Japan, member of the House of Peers, and Privy Councilor, and was selected as an honorary member of many foreign academic societies.

[Masao Uchida]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

化学者。日本の化学研究教育組織の確立者。加賀藩士桜井甚太郎の子として生まれる。5歳で父を失ったが、11歳のとき藩の英語学校致遠館(ちえんかん)に入り、さらにイギリス人オズボーンPercival Osborn（1842―1905）から英語を学んだ。1871年（明治4）母とともに上京、13歳で大学南校（後の東京大学）に入学した。5年間の勉学ののち、1876年杉浦重剛(しげたけ)とともに選ばれてイギリスに留学、ロンドン大学のウィリアムソンのもとで化学を学んだ。1年後の試験では第1位の成績で金賞牌(はい)を受け、翌1878年は奨学金を獲得した。留学中、有機水銀化合物を研究、1879年にはロンドン化学会終身会員に選ばれた。1881年に帰国、ただちに東京大学講師、翌1882年弱冠24歳で最初の日本人化学教授となった。彼は、従来の化学研究が分析と合成のみにとどまっていることを指摘し、これからは原子の運動を明らかにする理論化学へ進むべきことを唱えて、新興の物理化学の成果を精力的に紹介した。また自らも沸点上昇測定法の改良（1892）、伝導度測定によるグリココル（グリシン）やアミドスルホン酸（スルファミン酸）の構造決定（1894、1897）など独自の研究を行った。教授定年制を提唱して1919年（大正8）満60歳で東京帝国大学を退いた。科学の振興と組織化に行政手腕を発揮し、理化学研究所（1917）、学術研究会議（1920）、学術振興会（1932）などの創設に尽力したほか、帝国学士院院長、日本化学会会長、貴族院議員、枢密顧問官などを歴任、また多くの外国学会の名誉会員にも選ばれた。

［内田正夫］

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