Okakura Yoshisaburo - Okakura Yoshisaburo

A scholar of English and English literature. Born in Yokohama. Younger brother of Okakura Tenshin. Moved to Tokyo at the age of 5. Studied at a private school for Chinese classics, English studies, and other schools, and entered the Faculty of Letters of the Imperial University (the predecessor of the Faculty of Letters of the University of Tokyo), graduating with a degree as a graduate student. Taught Japanese in Gyeongseong (Seoul), Korea, and became a professor at Zoshikan (later the Seventh High School) in Kagoshima. From 1902 (Meiji 35), he studied in England, France, and Germany for three years, researching English and linguistics. After returning to Japan, he became a professor at Tokyo Higher Normal School (now Tsukuba University), and after retiring in 1925 (Taisho 14), he became a professor at Rikkyo University. In his later years, he devoted himself to "basic English," and tried to use it in English education, but he died just as the preparations were almost complete. He made great contributions to the spread of English, such as through radio English courses and the compilation of an English-Japanese dictionary.

[Kouichi Miyata October 19, 2018]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

英語学者、英文学者。横浜に生まれる。岡倉天心の弟。5歳のとき東京に移る。漢学塾、英学塾その他で修業し、帝国大学文科大学（東京大学文学部の前身）選科に入学、得業士の学位を得て卒業。朝鮮の京城（ソウル）で日本語を教え、鹿児島の造士館（後の第七高等学校）の教授を経て、1902年（明治35）から3年間、イギリス、フランス、ドイツに留学し、英語、言語学などを研究。帰国後東京高等師範学校（現、筑波(つくば)大学）の教授を務め、1925年（大正14）の定年退職後は立教大学教授となった。晩年には「ベーシック英語」に専心、これを英語教育に利用しようとしたが、その準備がほぼ整ったころ死去した。ラジオによる英語講座や英和辞典の編纂(へんさん)など、英語の普及に業績があった。

［宮田幸一　2018年10月19日］

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