Kunihiko Hashida - Kunihiko Hashida

Physiologist and educational administrator. Born in Tottori City. His real surname was Fujita, and he was adopted into the Hashida family at the age of 16. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Tokyo Imperial University in 1908 (Meiji 41), and became an assistant in the physiology department at the same university, where he researched physiology. In 1914 (Taisho 3), he studied abroad in Germany and Switzerland, and returned to Japan in 1918, becoming an assistant professor of physiology at his alma mater, earning his medical doctorate in 1921 and being appointed professor the following year in 1922. He conducted experiments on the generation of bioelectricity and published many research papers. In 1937 (Showa 12), he also served as principal of First High School, and in 1940, he was appointed Minister of Education in the second Konoe Fumimaro Cabinet, remaining in the position in the following Tojo Hideki Cabinet, during which time he was in charge of educational administration during World War II, including the promulgation of the National School Act, publication of "The Way of the Subject," the "Guidance Guidelines for Home Education in Wartime," and the decision to shorten the years of middle and high school education, before retiring in 1943. After the war, he was suspected of being a war criminal and committed suicide by taking poison on September 14, 1945.

[Otori Ranzaburo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

生理学者、教育行政家。鳥取市生まれ。本姓を藤田といい、16歳のとき橋田家の養嗣子(しし)となった。1908年（明治41）東京帝国大学医科大学を卒業、同大学生理学教室助手となり、生理学を研究。1914年（大正3）ドイツ、スイスに留学、1918年に帰国、母校の生理学助教授となり、1921年医学博士号を取得、翌1922年教授に任ぜられた。生物電気の発生に関する実験を行い、多くの研究論文を発表した。1937年（昭和12）には第一高等学校長を兼任、1940年に第二次近衛文麿(このえふみまろ)内閣の文部大臣に就任、次の東条英機(とうじょうひでき)内閣でも留任し、この間に国民学校令の公布、『臣民の道』の刊行、「戦時家庭教育指導要項」や中学・高校の年限短縮の決定など、第二次世界大戦中の教育行政を担当し、1943年に退任した。戦後、戦犯の容疑を受け、昭和20年9月14日、服毒自殺した。

［大鳥蘭三郎］

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