Kenji Tomita

Kenji Tomita (富田健治 November 1, 1897 – March 23, 1977) was a Japanese politician. He was born in Kobe. He graduated from Kyoto University. He was governor of Nagano Prefecture (1938–1940),^[1] served as Cabinet Secretary under Fumimaro Konoe,^[2] and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1952.^[3] He was a recipient of the Order of the Sacred Treasure.

Kenji Tomita in 1943

Tomita was a keen martial artist, studying judo and aikido. He used his influence to protect aikido's founder Morihei Ueshiba from arrest during the Second Oomoto Incident in 1935^[4] and was the first chairman of the Aikikai.^[5]

References

1. 『官報』第5810号、昭和21年5月30日。
2. Francis Pike (8 September 2016). Hirohito's War: The Pacific War, 1941–1945. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 234. ISBN 978-1-350-02122-8.
3. John M. Maki (1 May 2017). Japan's Commission on the Constitution: The Final Report. University of Washington Press. p. 401. ISBN 978-0-295-80401-9.
4. "Kenji Tomita". Aikido Journal. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
5. "About Aikido". Aikikai Foundation. Retrieved 14 February 2020.

Preceded by Seiichi Ōmura

Governor of Nagano 1938–1940

Succeeded by Minoru Suzuki