Shūjirō Hara

Shūjirō Hara
原 脩次郎
Hara in 1929
Minister of Railways
In office
10 September 1931 – 13 December 1931
Prime MinisterWakatsuki Reijirō
Preceded byTasuku Egi
Succeeded byTokonami Takejirō
Minister of Colonial Affairs
In office
14 April 1931 – 10 September 1931
Prime MinisterWakatsuki Reijirō
Preceded byGenji Matsuda
Succeeded byWakatsuki Reijirō
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
10 May 1924 – 20 February 1932
Preceded byTeizō Ichimura
Succeeded byHorie Shōzaburō
ConstituencyIbaraki 6th (1924–1928)
Ibaraki 3rd (1928–1932)
In office
15 May 1912 – 10 May 1920
Preceded byMulti-member district
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
ConstituencyIbaraki Counties
Personal details
Born(1876-10-04)4 October 1876
Died6 March 1934(1934-03-06) (aged 62)
Resting placeTama Cemetery
PartyRikken Minseitō
Other political
affiliations
Rikken Kokumintō (1912–1913)
Rikken Dōshikai (1913–1916)
Kenseikai (1916–1927)
ChildrenTakeshi Hara
RelativesMitsuko Uchida (granddaughter)
Alma materChuo University

Shūjirō Hara (原 脩次郎, Hara Shūjirō; July 1, 1871 – March 6, 1934), was a businessman, politician and cabinet minister in the Empire of Japan, serving as a member of the Lower House of the Diet of Japan six times, and twice as a cabinet minister.

Biography

Hara was born in Ayabe City, Kyoto Prefecture, and was trained as a lawyer, graduating from the predecessor of Chuo University. In 1896, he moved to Hsinchu, Taiwan, where he worked as a judge for the new Japanese colonial government. In June 1901, he became head of the legal association of Tainan Prefecture, and in November 1901 was also made an assistant police commissioner under the Governor-General of Taiwan’s office in Tainan. Hara resigned in December 1904 to start his own sugar refining business. In December 1906, he was active in promoting the economic development of Taiwan’s east coast, becoming president of a joint venture company in August 1910 sponsoring immigration of Japanese settlers to Hualien County and a director of the company building Hualien Port, and the present of a company to supply electricity to the area.

Hara was first elected to the Lower House as a representative from his wife’s home prefecture of Ibaraki in the 1912 General Election. He was subsequently reelected five times.

On April 14, 1931, Hara was picked to be Minister of Colonial Affairs under the Second Wakatsuki Cabinet. On September 10, 1931, he traded that portfolio for that of Railway Minister, which he held to December 13, 1931. He subsequently served as a senior leader of the Rikken Minseitō political party.

Hara died at age 63, and his grave is at the Tama Cemetery in Fuchū, Tokyo.[1] A bronze bust of Hara is located in the Kameshiro Park in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki.

He is the maternal grandfather of Mitsuko Uchida.

References

  • Rengō Puresu Sha, The Japan biographical encyclopedia & who's who, Issue 3 Japan Biographical Research Dept., Rengo Press, Ltd., 1964. page 237