Michitaro Oshima

Background

Michitaro Oshima was born in 1860 in Morioka, Iwate, Japan. He was the eldest son of Takato Qshima, a retainer of the Morioka Clan.

After graduating from Tokyo University's Science Department (1877), he went to Germany and graduated from Freiburg University (1881).

He was appointed professor at his alma mater in 1910. He completed the Hanyang Iron Works and installed mining facilities in Tayeh Mine.

He introduced new refining processes for silver, gold and copper in Ota Mine (Aomori Prefecture) and Komaki Mine (Akita Prefecture). These processes became standard in Japan. He introduced renovations in Ikuno Silver Mine (1890). He contributed greatly to the development of iron and steel making technology.