Naoharu Shiraishi - Uncle Shiraishi

Civil engineer. Born in 1858 as the eldest son of Confucian scholar Kyuke Bosai (Tanehira) of Tosa Province (Kochi Prefecture). At the age of 14, he was adopted by Shiraishi Sakae. Inspired by the pro-imperial ideology of his uncle Nakajima Nobuyuki, he secretly fled to Choshu (Yamaguchi Prefecture). In the Meiji era, he stayed with Goto Shojiro in Tokyo, and graduated from the Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo in 1881 (Meiji 14). After working for the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce and Tokyo Prefecture, he was ordered to study in the United States and Germany in 1883. He returned to Japan in 1887 and immediately became a professor in the Faculty of Engineering at the Imperial University. He retired from government in 1890 and became president of the Kansai Railway Company, but resigned in 1898 to take part in major construction projects such as Japan's first reinforced concrete warehouse at Wadamisaki, Kobe (1906), the largest dry dock in the Orient in Nagasaki (1904), and the Wakamatsu Port. He also participated in the management of companies such as Japan-Korea Gas Electric (later Keijo Electric), Nippon Chisso Fertilizer (now Chisso), and Inawashiro Hydroelectric Power (which became part of Tokyo Electric Power Company after passing through Tokyo Electric Light Company). In 1912 (Meiji 45), he became a member of the Seiyukai Party of parliament and played an active role. In 1919 (Taisho 8), he became president of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers, but died in February of the same year. He went by the pen name Naoji Nangaku, and was also fond of poetry.

[Satoshi Ihara]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

土木工学者。安政(あんせい)4年、土佐国（高知県）の藩儒久家忘斎(きゅうけぼうさい)（種平(たねひら)）の長子に生まれる。14歳で白石栄の養嗣子(ようしし)となる。叔父中島信行(のぶゆき)の勤王論に刺激されてひそかに長州（山口県）に走ったこともある。明治になって、東京で後藤象二郎家に寄寓(きぐう)し、1881年（明治14）東京大学理学部土木工学科を卒業。農商務省、東京府勤務を経て、1883年命ぜられてアメリカ、ドイツに留学。1887年帰国、ただちに帝国大学工科大学教授。1890年退官し、関西鉄道会社社長になるが、1898年これを辞し、日本初の鉄筋コンクリートによる神戸和田岬の大倉庫（1906）や東洋一の長崎のドライ・ドック（1904）、若松築港などの大工事建設にあたった。さらに日韓瓦斯(ガス)電気（後の京城電気）、日本窒素肥料（現、チッソ）、猪苗代(いなわしろ)水力（東京電燈会社を経て東京電力の一部となる）などの会社経営に携わった。1912年（明治45）政友会代議士となって活躍した。1919年（大正8）土木学会会長となるが、同年2月死去。直治南岳と号し、詩にも親しんだ。

［井原　聰］

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