Masahiro Yasuoka (1898–1983) was a Japanese philosopher of Eastern thought and educator. Drawing on the Chinese classics, Confucianism, and Wang Yangming's philosophy, he became one of the leading intellectuals of the Showa era, advocating the study of human character, leadership, and moral cultivation. In 1926, he founded the Kinkei Gakuin, where he devoted himself to educating future leaders from government, business, and other fields. Through numerous books and lectures, Yasuoka presented modern interpretations of classical works such as the Analects, the I Ching, The Great Learning, and the Doctrine of the Mean, emphasizing their relevance to personal development, governance, and management. His ideas exerted a lasting influence on postwar Japanese political and business leaders, establishing him as one of the foremost interpreters of Eastern philosophy in modern Japan.
