Physicist. He graduated from the Faculty of Science of the University of Tokyo in 1882. After studying in England and Germany, he was commissioned professor of the Science College of the Imperial University in 1891 and received his Doctor of Science degree. He measured gravity and geomagnetism across Japan and established a latitude observatory in Mizusawa, Iwate Prefecture in 1899. In addition, he was engaged in the study of Aeronautics and instrumental in the advancement of Aeronautics and the diffusion of the Metric System and Japanese style Romanization. He was commissioned a member of the Japan Imperial Academy in 1906 and selected member of the House of Peers in 1925. He was awarded the Order of Culture (aeronautics and geophysics) in 1944.