Ryotaro Azuma
Japanese physician and bureaucrat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ryōtarō Azuma (東 龍太郎, Azuma Ryōtarō; January 16, 1893 – May 26, 1983) was a Japanese physician and bureaucrat who served as Governor of Tokyo from 1959 to 1967.[1] In 1950, Azuma became a member of the international Olympic Committee (IOC).[2]
Ryōtarō Azuma | |
|---|---|
東 龍太郎 | |
 Azuma in 1963 | |
| Governor of Tokyo | |
| In office 23 April 1959 – 22 April 1967 | |
| Monarch | Hirohito |
| Preceded by | Seiichirō Yasui |
| Succeeded by | Ryokichi Minobe |
| President of Ibaraki University | |
| In office 1 October 1953 – 18 September 1958 | |
| Preceded by | Kyōhei Suzuki |
| Succeeded by | Tadashi Futakata (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 January 1893 |
| Died | 26 May 1983 (aged 90) |
| Resting place | Tama Cemetery |
| Party | Independent |
| Spouse |
Teruko Azuma (m. 1919) |
| Alma mater | Tokyo Imperial University |
Education
Born in Osaka, he attended Tokyo Imperial University and studied at the University of London, specializing in physical chemistry and physiology.[2]
Career
He served in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, took a position in the Health Ministry after the war, and later became head of Ibaraki University.[3] In the 1950s he served as head of the Japanese Olympic Committee and played a role in bringing the 1964 Summer Olympics to Tokyo.[4][5][6]
In 1959, he was nominated as the Liberal Democratic Party candidate for the Tokyo gubernatorial election. He defeated Socialist candidate Hachirō Arita and took office on April 27. Much of his legacy as governor surrounds the improvements to Tokyo before and during the 1964 Olympics, and accompanying pollution and administrative issues.[2]
Personal life
In 1919, he married Teruko, a daughter of Yamakawa Kenjirō.
He is interred in the Tama Reien Cemetery in Fuchū, Tokyo, Japan.[2][5][6]