Ishiro Wada - Nashiro Wada

Mineralogist. Born in Obama, Wakasa Province (Fukui Prefecture). In 1873 (Meiji 6), he entered Tokyo Kaisei School to study mineralogy. In 1877, when the University of Tokyo was founded, he served as an assistant professor under Naumann. Later, together with Naumann, he proposed the establishment of the Geological Survey of Japan, and in 1882 he became its first director. In 1883, he studied abroad in Germany. After returning to Japan the following year in 1884, he concurrently served as a professor at the University of Tokyo, and was the first Japanese person to give lectures on mineralogy. In 1891, he resigned as professor, and served as director of the Mining Bureau and director of the government-run steelworks (later the Yahata Steel Works), and in 1917 (Taisho 6), he was appointed by imperial decree to the House of Peers. He had an interest in minerals since childhood, and made an effort to collect mineral specimens, leaving behind one of the world's finest collections. This "Wada specimen" is currently owned by Mitsubishi Materials. In 1993, a chlorine-containing calcium-aluminum nesosilicate mineral was discovered in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture, and was named wadalite. His mineralogy achievements included publications such as "Table of Identification of Metals and Stones" (1877) and "A Brief History of Metals and Stones in Japan" (1878), culminating in the publication of "Mineralogy of Japan" (1904).

[Satoshi Matsubara September 19, 2018]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鉱物学者。若狭(わかさ)国（福井県）小浜(おばま)の生まれ。1873年（明治6）東京開成学校に入学して鉱物学を学ぶ。1877年東京大学創設とともに、ナウマンのもとで助教を務めた。のちナウマンと地質調査所設立を建議し、1882年その初代所長となった。1883年ドイツへ留学。翌1884年帰国後、東京大学教授を兼任し、初めて日本人による鉱物学の講義を行った。1891年教授を辞し、鉱山局長、製鉄所（官営、後の八幡(やはた)製鉄所）長官を歴任し、1917年（大正6）貴族院議員に勅撰(ちょくせん)された。幼少のころから鉱物に興味をもち、鉱物標本の収集に努め、世界第一級のコレクションを残した。この「和田標本」は現在三菱(みつびし)マテリアルの所有となっている。1993年（平成5）に福島県郡山(こおりやま)市から発見された含塩素カルシウム‐アルミニウムのネソ珪酸(けいさん)塩鉱物が和田石wadaliteと命名された。鉱物学の業績は、『金石識別表』（1877）、『本邦金石略誌』（1878）などの著作を経て、『日本鉱物誌』（1904）で集大成された。

［松原　聰　2018年9月19日］

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