Akinao Kishimoto

Background

Akinao Kishimoto was born in Tosa Province (Kochi Prefecture). Original personal name: Jirosuke.

Achievements

• Akinao Kishimoto was sent to an island called Oki-no-shima, situated 16 kilometers from the mainland, with an area of little more than 20 square kilometers and consisting of about 100houses, mostly inhabited by fishermen. The island was so badly situated that whenever a storm hit it, all com¬munications were severed. Famine struck the area very often. There were no rice paddies and whatever vegetables were grown were destroyed by wild deer. Faced with this, Akinao settled down to bring the island some sort of security. He built stone walls round the farms to save the crop from wild animals and encouraged the islanders to grow sweet potatoes and wheat. Very soon the island prospered, and because of this he was elevated to the rank of a samurai (1776).