Yatarō Mishima


Viscount Yatarō Mishima was a Japanese businessman, central banker and the 8th Governor of the Bank of Japan. Viscount Mishima was a member of Japan's House of Peers.

Early life

Mishima was born in Kagoshima Prefecture.
In 1893, Mishima briefly married a daughter of Ōyama Iwao, whom he was forced to divorce when she caught tuberculosis. Their relationship was the basis for Kenjirō Tokutomi's popular 1899 novel The Cuckoo.
In 1894–1900 he studied at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York where he earned a M.A. degree.

Career

During 1911–1913, Mishima was head of the Yokohama Specie Bank.
Mishima was Governor of the Bank of Japan from February 28, 1913 to March 7, 1919. As head of the bank, Mishima encouraged policies of monetary restraint.
His sudden death in 1919 was unexpected.