was a politician and cabinet minister in the pre-war Empire of Japan

Empire of Japan

The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...

.

Biography

Arai was a native of Niigata Prefecture

Niigata Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Honshū on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The capital is the city of Niigata. The name "Niigata" literally means "new lagoon".- History :...

. After graduating from Niigata University

Niigata University

is a national university in Niigata, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It was established in 1949 and has its major origins in Niigata Medical College and in Niigata Higher School . It is one of the largest Japanese national universities on the Sea of Japan.The university comprises nine faculties and...

, he worked for a period as an elementary school teacher. Subsequently relocating to Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, he graduated from the law school of Tokyo Imperial University, specializing in French law

Law of France

In academic terms, French law can be divided into two main categories: private or judicial law and public law .Judicial law includes, in particular:*civil law ; and*criminal law ....

. His classmates included the future Prime Minister of Japan

Prime Minister of Japan

The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...

, Wakatsuki Reijirō

Wakatsuki Reijiro

ōBaron was a Japanese politician and the 25th and 28th Prime Minister of Japan. Opposition politicians of the time derogatorily labeled him Usotsuki Reijirō, or "Reijirō the Liar".- Early life :...

 and President of the Permanent Court of International Justice

Permanent Court of International Justice

The Permanent Court of International Justice, often called the World Court, was an international court attached to the League of Nations. Created in 1922 , the Court was initially met with a good reaction from states and academics alike, with many cases submitted to it for its first decade of...

 Mineichirō Adachi

Mineichirō Adachi

was a Japanese legal expert and President of the Permanent Court of International Justice at the Hague in 1931-1934.-Early life:Adachi was born in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. In 1892, he graduated from the law school of Tokyo University, and began his legal and diplomatic career.-Legal and...

. In 1892, he accepted a post in the Ministry of Finance

Ministry of Finance (Japan)

The ' is one of cabinet-level ministries of the Japanese government. The ministry was once named Ōkura-shō . The Ministry is headed by the Minister of Finance , who is a member of the Cabinet and is typically chosen from members of the Diet by the Prime Minister.The Ministry's origin was back in...

, rising to head the Budget Bureau. During this period, he also served as a lecturer at the predecessor to Hosei University

Hosei University

is a private university based in Tokyo, Japan.The university originated in a school of law, Tōkyō Hōgakusha , established in 1880, and the following year renamed Tōkyō Hōgakkō . This was from 1883 headed by Dr. Gustave Emile Boissonade, and was heavily influenced by the French legal tradition...

.
In 1907, Arai was sent to Korea

Korea under Japanese rule

Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....

, which had recently become a protectorate of Japan, as a bureaucrat under the Japanese Resident-General of Korea. Following the annexation of Korea in 1910, Arai was assigned to head the Treasury Bureau under the Governor-General of Korea

Governor-General of Korea

The post of Japanese Governor-General of Korea served as the chief administrator of the Japanese government in Korea while it was held as the Japanese colony of Chōsen from 1910 to 1945...

, a post he held to 1917.
In May 1917, Arai was recalled to Japan, and was appointed to a seat in the Upper House

House of Peers (Japan)

The ' was the upper house of the Imperial Diet as mandated under the Constitution of the Empire of Japan ....

 of the Diet of Japan

Diet of Japan

The is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...

. In 1922, he was asked to become Minister of Agriculture & Commerce

Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce

The was a cabinet-level ministry in the government of the Empire of Japan from 1881-1925. It was briefly recreated as the during World War II-History:...

 under the Katō Tomosaburō

Kato Tomosaburo

Viscount was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy, cabinet minister, and Prime Minister of Japan from 12 June 1922 to 24 August 1923.-Biography:...

 administration.
Arai resigned his seat in the House of Peers in October 1926 and was appointed to the Privy Council

Privy Council (Japan)

was an advisory council to the Emperor of Japan that operated from 1888 to 1947.-Functions:Modeled in part upon the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, this body advised the throne on matters of grave importance including:...

. He became Vice-President of the Privy Council in 1936, and died in office in 1938.