Kotaro Honda was a Japanese scientist and inventor. He invented KS steel (initials from Kichiei Sumitomo), which is a type of magnet

Magnet

A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, and attracts or repels other magnets.A permanent magnet is an object...

ic resistant steel

Steel

Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...

 that is three times more resistant than tungsten steel. He later improved upon the steel, creating NKS steel. He was awarded the Culture Award and the Big Asahi Ribbon of the First Class. He was taught by the famous Japanese physicist Hantaro Nagaoka at the University of Tokyo. He was one of the first persons to be awarded the Order of Culture

Order of Culture

The is a Japanese order, established on February 11, 1937. The order has one class only, and may be awarded to men and women for contributions to Japan's art, literature or culture; recipients of the order also receive an annuity for life...

 when it was established in 1937. He participated in establishing the (千葉工業大学, Chiba Institute of Technology

Chiba Institute of Technology

is a private university in Narashino, Chiba, Japan. abbreviated as ,,,.The school was founded in 1942 in Machida, Tokyo. In 1946 it was relocated to Kimitsu, Chiba, adopted the present name at the same time. Four years later, it was moved to the present location...

) from 1940.

He was awarded the Franklin Institute

Franklin Institute

The Franklin Institute is a museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the oldest centers of science education and development in the United States, dating to 1824. The Institute also houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial.-History:On February 5, 1824, Samuel Vaughn Merrick and...

's Elliott Cresson Medal

Elliott Cresson Medal

The Elliott Cresson Medal, also known as the Elliott Cresson Gold Medal, was the highest award given by the Franklin Institute. The award was established by Elliott Cresson, life member of the Franklin Institute, with $1,000 granted in 1848...

in 1931.

Books available in English

• Magnetic properties of matter / Kotaro Honda (1928)