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
Governor of Tokyo
In office
23 April 1959 – 22 April 1967
Preceded bySeiichirō Yasui
Succeeded byRyokichi Minobe
President of Ibaraki University
In office
1 October 1953 – 18 September 1958
Preceded byKyōhei Suzuki
Succeeded byTadashi Futakata (acting)
Personal details
Born(1893-01-16)January 16, 1893
Osaka, Japan
DiedMay 26, 1983(1983-05-26) (aged 90)
Spouse
Teruko Azuma
(m. 1919)
Alma materTokyo Imperial University

Education

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Born in Osaka, he attended Tokyo Imperial University and studied at the University of London, specializing in physical chemistry and physiology.[2]

Career

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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

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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]

References

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  1. ^ "歴代市長、長官、知事". Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d "Biographical information". Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  3. ^ "歴代学長". Ibaraki University. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  4. ^ Barker, Philip (7 February 2020). "The doctor who made the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games possible". Inside the games. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  5. ^ a b Odeven, Ed (24 August 2013). "A look back at when Tokyo was awarded 1964 Olympics". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Ryotaro Azuma Is Dead at 90; A Former Governor of Tokyo". The New York Times. 27 May 1983. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Tokyo
1959–1967
Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by President of the Japan Amateur Athletic Association
1947–1958
Succeeded by
President of the Japanese Olympic Committee
1947–1958
Preceded by President of the Ski Association of Japan
1968–1975
Succeeded by
Motohiko Ban
Academic offices
Preceded by
Kyōhei Suzuki
President of Ibaraki University
1953–1958
Succeeded by
Tadashi Futakata
Acting
Other offices
Preceded by
Tadashi Adachi
President of the Japan Good Deed Association
1961–1965
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Seiichirō Yasui
President of the Japan Good Deed Association
1972–1983
Succeeded by
Tadashi Adachi
Preceded by
Jitsuzō Kawanishi
President of the Japanese Red Cross Society
1968–1978
Succeeded by