Ichiro Kaga

2.1. Birth and Family

Ichiro Kaga was born in Osaka Prefecture in 1898. While some sources, including the defunct Sports References website, state his birth date as June 10, 1898, other contemporary Japanese records from his lifetime, such as the 1937 "Jinji Koshinroku 11th Edition" and the 1933 "Japan Sportsmen's Dictionary Showa 8th Edition," indicate August of 1898, with some specifying August 30. He was the eldest son of Unozo Kaga (加賀 卯之吉_{Kaga Unozo}^Japanese), a prominent figure who served as a member of the House of Representatives. His biological mother was Hisayo Yamada (山田ひさよ_{Yamada Hisayo}^Japanese), from Osaka Prefecture, and Ichiro was regarded as an illegitimate child. His immediate family also included his younger brothers, Jiro Kaga (加賀 二郎_{Kaga Jiro}^Japanese), who later became a managing director at Shochiku and an executive director at Kabuki-za, and Shiro Kaga (加賀 四郎_{Kaga Shiro}^Japanese), a producer at Daiei Film.

2.2. Education and Early Athletic Career

Kaga's educational journey began at Hyogo Prefectural Itami Junior High School, where he was noted as an athlete in the school's sports club. An article in the Kobe Shimbun also mentioned Kaga as a senior member of the former Itami Junior High School baseball team, whose records are not officially preserved. However, another book from 1934, "Sports Jinzokuki" by Yukidate Koagari, alternatively states that he was a baseball player during his time at Sakai Junior High School. He later matriculated at Meiji University, where he transitioned from baseball to sprint running in track and field.

3.1. Olympic Participation

While studying at Meiji University, Kaga was selected to represent Japan at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. He competed in two sprint events: the men's 100 metres and the men's 200 metres.

3.2. Major Domestic and International Competitions

In 1921, Kaga achieved a notable victory at the Japan Athletics Championships, where he secured first place in the men's 200 metres with a time of 23.6 seconds. The same year, he participated in the 5th Far Eastern Championship Games held in Shanghai, where he earned third place in both the 100-yard dash and the 220-yard dash.

After graduating from Meiji University's commercial department in 1922, Kaga was briefly enrolled as a volunteer soldier in the 1st Infantry Regiment in 1923, as noted in contemporary documents. He made a return to international competition at the 7th Far Eastern Championship Games in Manila in 1925, after a two-tournament absence. Although he placed fourth in the 100 metres and did not secure a medal, contemporary newspapers reported that he was initially not a representative but accompanied the team for observation. He was added to the representative roster by the coaches' meeting after showing strong performance during practice in Shanghai before arriving in Manila.

4.1. Professional and Corporate Career

After his university graduation, Kaga entered the corporate world. According to "Sports Jinzokuki" by Yukidate Koagari, he was affiliated with the old Seibu Railway company and was involved in the design of the Kami-Igusa Athletic Field, which opened in 1927. A March 1929 issue of "Salaryman" magazine noted his transition from Seibu, where he managed the Kami-Igusa Athletic Field, to "Kanda Mizuno Sports Shop" (likely a misspelling of Mizuno). In the same year, he became a guest reporter for the sports department of the Yomiuri Shimbun. Subsequently, he worked for Tokiwa Life Insurance Company. In 1932, Tokiwa Life Insurance also employed other prominent track and field athletes, such as Seiichiro Tsuda (long-distance runner) and Tatsuo Saimei (decathlete).

4.2. Coaching and Administrative Roles

Kaga's commitment to athletics continued through various coaching and administrative positions. He served as an official for the Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF). His administrative duties included serving as an executive official for the Japanese athletic delegation at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and again at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. In February 1940, he was appointed head coach of the Meiji University track and field club, his alma mater.

4.3. Public Service and Other Activities

Kaga also dedicated himself to public service. By 1938, he was working as an official for the Tokyo City government. The 1942 "Tokyo City Official Directory" lists him as a "lecturer" in the Physical Education section of the Tokyo City Bureau of Citizens' Affairs, having joined the Tokyo City government on June 7, 1936. This affiliation was also mentioned in a magazine article from a discussion he attended in the same year.

In 1940, Kaga was appointed as the Facilities Manager for the East Asian Games, which were slated to be held in Tokyo. However, he fell ill with a stomach ulcer after his appointment, and another individual had to take over the practical duties. Beyond track and field, Kaga also shared his expertise with professional baseball teams. He was invited multiple times to coach during their training camps before the war, including for the Tokyo Giants in 1937 and the Hankyu Army in 1941.

5.1. Physical Characteristics

Kaga was unusually tall for a Japanese sprinter of his time, standing at 69 in ^{(176 cm)}. After his retirement, he was described as possessing a "representative physique for a sprint type" but was also noted as someone who, despite being "expected to achieve much in the future," retired from competitive athletics without fully realizing his potential.

5.2. Notable Anecdotes

A memorable incident from Kaga's personal life involved an injury during the Hakone Ekiden race. Nobumasa Kawamoto wrote in a 1940 magazine article that Kaga, while serving as a coach for Meiji University, fell from a sidecar accompanying the Hakone Ekiden race, sustaining a significant injury to his lower body.

6.1. Death

Ichiro Kaga passed away on November 5, 1946, at his home while convalescing. He was 49 years old (48 years old at the time of his death).

6.2. Posthumous Recognition

After his death, Kaga's enduring legacy in Japanese athletics was acknowledged by the Japan Association of Athletics Federations. He was posthumously awarded the JAAF Order of Merit in 1948, recognizing his significant contributions to the sport.

7.1. Immediate Family

• Father**: Unozo Kaga (加賀 卯之吉_{Kaga Unozo}^Japanese), who served as a member of the House of Representatives.
• Mother**: Hisayo Yamada (山田ひさよ_{Yamada Hisayo}^Japanese), from Osaka Prefecture.
• Brothers**:
  • Jiro Kaga (加賀 二郎_{Kaga Jiro}^Japanese), who served as a managing director of Shochiku and an executive director and film producer for Kabuki-za.
  • Shiro Kaga (加賀 四郎_{Kaga Shiro}^Japanese), a producer at Daiei Film.
• Daughter**: Yoshiko Kaga (加賀美子_{Kaga Yoshiko}^Japanese), who died on August 11, 1936, at the age of 13.

7.2. Other Notable Relatives

• Nephew**: Yoshiji Kaga (加賀 義二_{Kaga Yoshiji}^Japanese), a television producer and former employee of Nippon Television.
• Niece**: Mariko Kaga (加賀 まりこ_{Kaga Mariko}^Japanese), a renowned actress.