Furuichi Kohi

Furuichi Kōi (古市公威 1854-1934) was a civil engineer, the president of Kōka Daigaku, the present college of engineering of the Tokyo University.

In 1854 he was born as a son of Huruichi Takashi who was Himego clan’s member in Edo. In Meiji 2, he entered Kaisei-jyo, in Meiji 3, he was elected student on scholarship in Himego han, and entered Daigaku Nankō, then studied abroad to Central des Arts et Manufactures in Paris as the Ministry of Education first student studying abroad. In Meiji 12 (1879), he graduated and got the degree of BE. In the same year he entered the Faculty of Science of Université de Paris, in 1889 graduated, got Bachelor of Science, and went home and took up a post as Naimusho Doboku-kyoku Yatoi. In 1881, he became the University of Tokyo lecturer and after that, he concurrently held the posts of the university teacher with the bureaucrat technical expert. In 1886, when he was 32 years old, he was installed in Koka Daigaku which was the forerunner of Tokyo Daigaku Kougakubu (the University of Tokyo engineering department) first president, in 1888 was received the degree of the first Kougaku Hakushi (Doctor of Engineering) and in 1894 was installed in the first engineering works Doboku Gikan (Vice-Minister for Engineering Affairs) in Naimusho. He attempted to improve an engineering works public administration and established Doboku Hōki (an engineering works law). His typical services include the construction of Yokohama-ko. He contributed to improve the reputation of the engineering technology in Japan in the world as the first chairman in Nihon Kougakkai (Japan Federation of Engineering Societies).

Episode

*"Mishima Yukio"(三島由紀夫)’s real name was "Hiraoka Kimitake" and his father namede Kimitake. His grandfather was "naimu kanryo" (a domestic affair of state bureaucrat) and was indebted to Furuichi, by such a reason Yukio was named Kimitake.
*While studying abroad in France, he was advised by an aunt in the boardinghouse to take a day off. Then he answered "Japan delay 1 day when I rested for 1 day ".
*"Furuichi Kōi"'s statue is on just the left in the front gate in University of Tokyo "Hongo" premises entering.