Baron Nariakira Arisaka (有坂 成章 Arisaka Nariakira) was a prominent Japanese arms designer and general. The designer of the Arisaka rifle, Arisaka is considered one of the leading arms designers in Japan, alongside Kijirō Nambu.
History[]
Born the second son of a shōgun and given the name Shiro, Arisaka was then adopted into the Arisaka family line at the age of 11 where he gained his current name. Arisaka enlisted into the Imperial Japanese Army in 1870; come 1891, he would catch the attention of pioneering firearms designer Tsuneyoshi Murata. This would eventually lead to Arisaka landing a job at the Tokyo Arsenal.
Arisaka began designing his eponymous rifle starting in 1897, known as the Type 30, which would later be adopted as the standard rifle of the Imperial Japanese Army. Arisaka was later appointed the head of the Army's Technical Bureau in 1903 and oversaw a department which was tasked in improving older weapons.
Arisaka had his rank promoted a number of times during his tenure in the Army for his service and work, and was eventually conferred the rank of Lieutenant General and later Baron for his services to the Japanese arms industry. In his last years, Arisaka suffered intracerebral hemorrhage and died in 1915.[1]
Works[]
Arisaka was most known for the design of his eponymous rifle; he also designed a number of artillery pieces during his military tenure.
References[]
- ↑ IJN Official Gazette