Kiyoshi Nakarai

was a Japanese bureaucrat, colonial official, and politician. A career official of the Home Ministry, he served as Governor of Tochigi Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Osaka Prefecture, as the 24th Director-General of the Hokkaidō Agency, and twice as mayor of Yokohama.

Early life and education Nakarai was born on 31 March 1888. Official sources differ on his birthplace: the Hokkaido Government archive lists Tokyo as his place of origin, while Kotobank and Yokohama municipal material describe him as from Okayama or born in Okayama. He graduated from the German law faculty of Tokyo Imperial University and entered the Home Ministry in 1913.

Career Nakarai's early career included service in the Government-General of Chōsen.He served as chief of the Religious Affairs Section in the Education Bureau, and that he was involved in overseas explanatory activity connected with the post-1919 "cultural rule" period.

Before reaching the larger prefectural governorships, he served in a series of provincial posts.H was Governor of Tochigi from 28 June 1932 to 10 July 1934 and Governor of Miyagi from 10 July 1934 until 28 June 1935. He was also briefly appointed Governor of Miyazaki on 18 December 1931, lasting only 3 days to 21 December.

On 13 March 1936, Nakarai became Governor of Kanagawa Prefecture. During his tenure, his administration expanded Keihin Industrial Area, including a 1937 fisheries compensation agreement connected with coastal reclamation and industrial works in the Kawasaki area.

On 23 December 1938, he was appointed the 24th Director-General of the Hokkaidō Agency lasting until 5 September 1939. He then became Governor of Osaka Prefecture on 5 September 1939 which he held until 1941.

Nakarai left prefectural office in 1941 to become mayor of Yokohama running from 10 February 1941 tuntilo 30 November 1946.

After the war, Nakarai returned to the mayoralty through election. He was elected mayor on 23 April 1959 as the Liberal Democratic Party candidate, and served from 25 April 1959 to 22 April 1963. During this second administration the new Yokohama city hall was completed and opened in 1959.

After leaving the mayoralty Nakarai served as chairman of the Yokohama Chamber of Commerce and Industry, president of Keihin Real Estate, and chairman of Yokohama Shinkin Bank. He died on 3 September 1982.