Kanda Takahira

was a scholar and advisor on economics and governmental structure in Meiji period Japan. His translation of William Ellis's Outlines of Social Economy, which he translated to Japanese from a Dutch edition in 1867, is regarded as Japan's earliest study of western economics.

His many other works include An Outline of Natural Law (Seihō ryaku), a volume published in 1871 which he edited based on Nishi Amane's lecture notes which in turn drew from Dutch economist Simon Vissering.

Early life and education Kanda was born in the Fuwa District of Mino Province, (present-day Gifu Prefecture). He studied rangaku and taught algebra. In 1855, he started meeting with Katsuragawa Hoshū II and Yanagawa Shunsan to work on the Collected Dutch Words (Oranda jii), a Dutch–Japanese dictionary. In 1870, Kanda drew on the taxation section of Outlines of Social Economy to propose land tax reforms, which were later implemented during the Land Tax Reforms of 1873.

Personal life His adopted son was Kanda Naibu.