Shinji Sogō, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Shinji Sogō

Japanese businessman

Date of Birth: 14-Apr-1884

Place of Birth: Niihama, Ehime Prefecture, Japan

Date of Death: 03-Oct-1981

Profession: manager

Nationality: Japan

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Shinji Sogo (?? ??, Sogo Shinji, 14 April 1884 – 3 October 1981) was the fourth president of the Japanese National Railways (JNR), and is credited with the creation of the first "bullet train", the Tokaido Shinkansen. Born in Niihama, Ehime, Shikoku, in 1884, Shinji Sogo graduated from the Faculty of Law at Tokyo Imperial University in 1909, and joined the Railway Agency.
While working for the Teito Reconstruction Agency after the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923, he was strongly influenced by Shinpei Goto, the Agency president.
After leaving the government railways in 1926, he became a director of the South Manchuria Railway.
While at the South Manchuria Railway, he became closely connected with Kwantung Army officer Ishiwara Kanji, the key force behind the Manchurian Incident.
Sogo acted as part of Ishiwara's "brain-trust" when Ishiwara was at the height of his power in 1936-1937.
Sogo was part of Ishiwara's efforts to deny General Kazushige Ugaki the position of Prime Minister in January 1937, and install General Senjuro Hayashi as Prime Minister.
He helped Hayashi form his cabinet.
Later that year his patron Ishiwara was forced out of power, and Sogo also lost his influence. After World War II, he served as Chairman of the Railway Welfare Association until he was appointed JNR president in 1955.