Background
Yasaburo Shimonaka was born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1876.
弥三郎 下中
Yasaburo Shimonaka was born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1876.
Yasaburo Shimonaka studied by himself and became teacher of Saitama Normal School.
Yasaburo Shimonaka organized Keimeikai (Enlightenment Association), first teachers' union in Japan (1919) and vigorously pushed forward labor and social movements.
He launched publishing career by founding Heibon Publishing Company (1923). He carried out several large projects which included publication of "Great Encyclopedia," and became a leading encyclopedia publisher in Japan.
After the war embarked upon the great enterprise of publishing "The World Encyclopedia." Also he led cultural exchange with Southeast Asia and he was nominated president of International Technical Cooperation Association. He flew to India and opened up new avenue to international cultural exchange (1955). Also he advocated holding of World Religious Conferences, and was giving support to World Government movement, purpose of all these activities being establishment of world peace by civilians.