Inazo Nitobe (1862-1933) became a Christian while a college student, and later a Friend. He rose to fame as an agricultural sugar expert, was the president of several colleges, was a Carnegie exchange professor to the United States, and was a tireless worker for Japanese- U.S. understanding. Most notably, he was the leader of the Japanese delegation to the League of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1919, and when he arrived there he was promptly appointed under-secretary general of the League. Nitobe is famous for coining the phrase, "Bridge across the Pacific"; for writing the history of William Penn; and for the book, Bushido: The Soul of Japan. He is the only known Quaker whose picture is on his country's currency.
Nitobe stemmed from a Samurai (Japanese nobility) family on Honshu, the main island of Japan. His grandfather was distinguished for developing irrigation projects and bringing much additional land under cultivation. His father died when he was five and his mother when he was 13. He was the youngest of eight and was raised by his uncle, who adopted him.
At 13, he entered Tokyo English School. By studying English, he became acquainted with Christianity and the Bible. In 1877 he entered the newly founded Sapparo Agricultural College in the northern island of Hokkaido and graduated in 1881. William S. Clark, from Amherst College, was the viceprincipal of the Sapparo Agricultural College, although he left the college before Nitobe started attending. He left a strong influence on the students, particularly in the way ethics was taught. He said the only way he could teach ethics was by teaching the Bible. All of his students became Christians and signed Clark's "Covenant of Believers in Jesus."
