shimpei goto

Count Shimpei Goto, 1857-1929 was a famous statesman of the Meiji and Taisho periods. His particular efforts were concentrated in the modernization of Japan in various fields, including administration, the economy and foreign relations, medical science and education. For instance, he worked for the government monopolization of sugar and camphor and also for the development of railways in Taiwan, then under Japanese rule, and the overcome revolts against Japanese rule from local Taiwanese. He was appointed Minister of State and took an active part in the process and development of Japanese Imperial expansion. Goto was born in 1857 in Iwate prefecture. First, he studied medicine and became the director of Aichi medical school at the age of 25. After receiving his M.D. degree in Germany, Goto became a member of the Public Health Bureau in Japan. By examining Itagaki Taisuke who had been attacked by a thug, he was appointed to the chief of medical bureau of interior ministry. Then he was appointed by Kodama Gentaro to the civilian governor of Taiwan. In 1906, he became the first president of Manchurian railroad then a foreign minister. He was elected mayor of Tokyo in 1920. He died in 1929. He seems to have had an interest in the founding of Karate and wrote a forward in the first book on the subject. Gichin Funakoshi's (referred to as the founder of Karate) first book 'Ryukyu Kempo Karate' (1922) contained forewords by such people as Marquis Hisamasa, the former Governor of Okinawa, Admiral Rakuro Yashiro, Vice Admiral Chosei Ogasawara, Count Shimpei Goto. In 1924, Citizen's forerunner, the Shokosha Watch Research Watch Institute produced its first pocket watch the CITIZEN. The then Mayor of Tokyo, Mr Shimpei Goto, named the watch CITIZEN with the hope that the watch, a luxury item of those times, would become widely available to ordinary citizens and be sold throughout the world.

Shimpei Goto

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