Shirase Nobu

Who was Shirase Nobu?

Shirase Nobu was a Japanese Army officer who led the Japanese Antarctic Expedition, 1910–12. This expedition explored the coastal area of King Edward VII Land and the eastern part of the Ross Ice Shelf, reaching a latitude of 80°05'S. At one point, Shirase's men achieved an unexpected rendezvous with a party from the South Pole expedition led by Roald Amundsen.

Shirase and his men were the first humans to make a landfall on the Edward VII Peninsula. The Shirase party were feted as heroes on their return to Japan.