Hirotaro Ando

Agronomist. Born in Hyogo Prefecture. Graduated from Tokyo Imperial University in 1895 (Meiji 28), he immediately joined the Agricultural Experiment Station of the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce (Nishigahara, Tokyo), became its director in 1920 (Taisho 9), and retired in 1941 (Showa 16). During this time, he served as professor at the Faculty of Agriculture of Tokyo Imperial University and Kyushu Imperial University, and also served as director of the Horticultural Experiment Station. He became a member of the Imperial Academy in 1921. After retiring from the Agricultural Experiment Station, he served as counselor to the Central Meteorological Observatory, director of the East Asian Agricultural Research Institute, president of the Agricultural Society of Japan, vice president of the Agricultural Association of Greater Japan, adviser to the Imperial Agricultural Association, adviser to the Food Control Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and honorary director of the North China Industrial Science Research Institute. In 1944, he was appointed as an adviser to the Cabinet by imperial appointment. In 1946 (Showa 21), he resigned as a member of the Academy due to being purged from public office, but was reappointed in 1951, and was awarded the Order of Culture in 1956.

When the Tohoku region suffered cold weather damage in the late 1800s, he contributed to countermeasures against the damage through pioneering research into frost damage to plants, and later made a great contribution to the establishment of an organization for improving crop varieties in Japan. His 1951 book "Miscellaneous Notes on the History of Rice Cultivation in Ancient Japan" is a cornerstone of research in this field. He was a man of integrity and tolerance.

[Yoichi Fukushima]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

農学者。兵庫県に生まれる。1895年（明治28）東京帝国大学卒業、ただちに農商務省農事試験場（東京・西ヶ原）に入り、1920年（大正9）同場長、1941年（昭和16）退官。この間東京帝国大学および、九州帝国大学の農学部教授をそれぞれ兼任、園芸試験場長をも兼ねた。1921年帝国学士院会員。農事試験場長を退官後、中央気象台参与、東亜農業研究所長、日本農学会会長、大日本農会副会頭、帝国農会顧問、農林省食糧管理局顧問、華北産業科学研究所名誉所長を歴任、1944年勅任により内閣顧問となった。1946年（昭和21）公職追放のため学士院会員を辞したが、1951年再任、1956年文化勲章受章。

　1800年代末の東北冷害に際し、植物凍害の研究など先駆的研究から冷害対策に貢献、その後日本における作物品種改良組織の確立に多大の功績を残した。1951年刊行の『日本古代稲作史雑考』はこの方面での研究の一礎石である。清廉かつ包容力の優れた人格者であった。

［福島要一］

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