Okura Kishichiro

Baron Okura Kishichiro (大倉喜七郎 1882-1963) was a primary patron in the establishment of the Nihon Ki-in or Japanese Go Association in 1924, organizing and supporting professional go players in Japan following the Meiji Restoration and subsequent ceasing of government support for the four houses.

Okura studied at Trinity College, Cambridge from 1903 to 1906 but he did not graduate. He was a son of Okura Kihachiro (1837-1928) who as an entrepreneur built up the Okura-gumi and founded the giant Okura zaibatsu (family trust) and the Okura Shogyo Gakko which later became Tokyo Keizai University Tokyo University of Economics? in 1949. He was the President of the Imperial Hotel, and the Okura luxury hotel chain is still an important one in Japan today.

In his honor, in 1964, the Nihon Kiin created the Okura prize for promoting go. Awarded approximately annually, the prestigious prize has been awarded to Westerners, notably Felix Dueball and Edward Lasker, as well as Asians.

John F. I think a case can be made for disputing removal of "non-go related facts". The reference (not mine) to motor cars highlights the fact that the burgeoning car industry was probably the main advertiser in Kido when Okura was in charge of the Nihon Ki-in, and while I have no idea whether he was responsible for this, there is a good chance he was. The reference to racing may be a useful reminder he was prepared to be a risk-taker (e.g. being responsible for locating Go Seigen in Japan).

Herman: Ok, that might be a useful addition to the article. I mainly edited it like that because it was a straight copy from wikipedia, so I thought I would make it more suitable for Sensei's Library.

Willemien I would like at least to keep the link to the wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kishichiro_Okura, but more hope that others gan tell more about him. (I guess that on the Nihon Ki-in site there is more about him, as he is in the Nihon Ki-in Hall of Fame but I cannot read Japanese) Also I thought that the Tokyo University of Economics? !TUE was involved in a computer? go tournament, that is why I made a link for it.