Masatoshi Ōkōchi

Personal life

Ancestry

History

• 1903 – After graduating from college, he became a lecturer. His subsequent visits to Europe were privately financed.
• 1911 – After returning to Japan, he was appointed professor at the Tokyo Imperial University.
• : During that time, he collaborated with Torahiko Terada on the experiment involving flying bullets.
• 1914 – He received a Doctor of Engineering.
• February 27, 1915 – He was elected as Viscount in the House of Peers.
• 1918 – He served as parliamentary vice-minister of the Ministry of the Navy of Japan under Hara Takashi.
• September 30, 1921 – Under the recommendation of the president of the University of Tokyo, Yamakawa Kenjirō, he was elevated to his position as director of Riken.
• : There, he introduced the laboratory system to bring freedom to senior researchers at Riken, further advancing the commercialization of research results, making Riken an international research institute.
• 1925 – He resigned his position as professor at the University of Tokyo to devote to his position as director of Riken.
• 1927 – For the purpose of commercializing research results on Kogyo Co, Ltd., Riken started production of the first practical use piston ring in Japan.
• : Seventy-six companies merged into the Riken Konzern, causing Riken to account for the leadership of this zaibatsu.
• April 1, 1930 – He was ordained into the Japanese honors system, and he was bestowed upon the Order of the Sacred Treasure.
• July 19, 1930 – He resigned as a member of the House of Peers.
• April 2, 1934 – He was appointed as the fourth head of Tokyo's physical school.
• May 1936 – He was appointed as president of Tokyo's physical school.
• September 1937 – He resigned as president of Tokyo's physical school.
• February 10, 1938 – He was elected as Viscount in the House of Peers in a representative election.
• 1943 – He was appointed as an adviser of Tojo's cabinet.
• December 6, 1945 – He was charged for war crimes as a Class A war criminal suspect.
• December 13, 1945 – He was detained in Sugamo Prison.
• December 25, 1945 – He resigned as principal of Tokyo's physical school.
• April 1946 – He was released from custody.
• April 7, 1946 – He resigned as a member of the House of Peers for the last time.
• October 1946 – He resigned as the director of Riken.
• : Until his resignation, he supported the researchers' studies in a wide range of fields in the royalties of Riken's companies.
• : Also, one year after the resignation, he was purged from running for public office.
• August 6, 1951 – His purge from office has been softened.
• August 29, 1952 – He died from a cerebral infarction at the age of 73. Before his death, he was bestowed upon the Order of the Rising Sun.
• : His grave is located at Heirin-ji at Niiza, Saitama.