Dr. Haruo Murase was a scholar, professor and executive and is recognized as a pioneer of insurance science in Japan.
At the age of only 22, and after studying marine insurance in Belgium, Dr. Murase was appointed Professor in Insurance and Shipping, at the Tokyo Higher Commercial School. From this post, he gave the first lectures on insurance in Japan. In 1895, he joined The Imperial Marine, Transport and Fire Insurance Company, Limited (now Yasuda Fire and Marine Company). During this period, he continued teaching at the Tokyo Higher Commercial School, thereby establishing the foundation for insurance science in Japan.
He was named Chief Executive of The Imperial Marine, Transport and Fire Insurance Company and in that role applied great effort and skill to achieving the stability and growth of his company, while contributing to the development of the non-life insurance business.
In 1899, his book, "Marine Insurance", was published as the first volume written about insurance in Japan. He was the first Japanese citizen to receive a Doctor of Laws Degree on the basis of the study of insurance in Japan.
Dr. Murase made significant contributions to the development of property and liability insurance. He succeeded in melding insurance theory and practice. In 1926, the results of these studies were compiled and published as The Collected Works of Haruo Murase on Insurance.
He trained a large number of students, many of whom later became eminent insurance scholars and leaders in the industry.