Utsunomiya Saburo (宇都宮三郎)
Saburo UTSUNOMIYA (November 15, 1834 - July 23, 1902) is a scholar of military science and an engineer, who played an active role from the end of Edo Period to the early Meiji Period.
Brief Personal History
UTSUNOMIYA was born in Nagoya as the son of a feudal retainer of Owari Domain; as he grew up, he studied Koshu-ryu Gungaku (the military strategy theory of Koshu region, based on the military strategy of Takeda clan who had once dominated this region with strong military power). Later he studied Western gunnery, and he worked at Bansho shirabesho of Edo bakufu or the Institute for the investigation of Western books. It is considered the word "Kagaku" (which literally means chemistry) was invented by UTSUNOMIYA.
After Meiji Restoration, he worked as an instructor at Kaisei Gakko, (Kaisei School) and also as the gikan (bureaucrat with specialized skills; he worked at Kobusho, the Ministry of Industry and No-Shomusho, the Agriculture and Commerce Ministry) of Meiji government. While he was in those positions, he developed the manufacturing process of cement, sodium carbonate, and fire-proof bricks.
Episode
It is said that he was the first person who bought life insurance in Japan.
Saneyuki AKIYAMA learned Koshu-ryu Gungaku under UTSUNOMIYA of his later years.