Pioneer in urban policy research. After graduating from the Koto Shogyo Gakko (Higher Commercial School, later Hitotsubashi University) in 1893, he served at the Ministry of Finance and as a teacher in the Commercial School before becoming professor in 1897. He studied in Belgium for three years from the following year. He was known for his research in economic policy, traffic policy, etc, and became the deputy mayor of Osaka-city in 1914 and served as the mayor for over 11 years from 1923. During this period, in addition to the development of social capital such as the construction of the port and railways, he was instrumental in the implementation of urban social policy including the establishment of public markets, construction of city-provided housing as well as the establishment of the Osaka University of Commerce. He was selected as a member of the House of Peers in 1934. Jur.d..