13 Facts About Nobu Shirase

Nobu Shirase was a Japanese army officer and explorer.

Unable to attract government support for his Antarctic venture, Shirase raised the finance privately.

Nobu Shirase was born on 13 June 1861, in the Jorenji temple at Konoura, where his father served as a Buddhist priest.

An opportunity arose in 1893, when Nobu Shirase was able to join an expedition led by Naritada Gunji to the northern islands in the chain.

Nobu Shirase blamed the disaster on poor organisation and leadership, but nevertheless found the experience of Arctic invaluable for his future plans.

Nobu Shirase would have to move quickly, as other expeditions, notably those of Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen, were in the field.

Nobu Shirase was forced to retreat to Sydney, Australia, and winter there.

In November 1911, his expedition refreshed and replenished, Nobu Shirase set out for the Antarctic again.

Nobu Shirase was invited to give a personal account of his experiences to the Imperial family.

Nobu Shirase's memoir, published in 1913, has a lukewarm reception, while beyond Japan's boundaries the expedition was either unnoticed or disregarded.

The government offered no help, and Nobu Shirase was faced with responsibility for a large debt.

Two years later, in 1935, Nobu Shirase was able to settle the last of his expedition's outstanding debts.

Nobu Shirase lived through the war years unobtrusively, in a rented room above a fish shop, and died on 4 September 1946 at the age of 85.