Kenkichi Yabashi was born in
Akasaka-juku (Nakasendō). He was from Sō-honke (the primary head family) of the Yabashis, a distinguished family that
Emperor Shōwa in 1946 and
Emperor Heisei in 1965 It is said that he loved fishing so much and so often went fishing to
Kuise River near the house where he grew up, loved
igo with the skill of first grade (sho-dan) because he studied igo under Hon'inbō, grand master of the game of
go, loved
bonsai and reached to the level beyond amateurs regarding
jōruri. He married Suteko Watanabe, the second daughter of Itaru Watanabe, former
Samurai of
Ehime Prefecture, who was the former Director General of Nagasaki Customs (
Ministry of Finance) whose building was designed and constructed by Kenkichi Yabashi as his 1st work after joining Ministry of Finance. in
Meiji Era together with
Tatsuno Kingo and
Katayama Tōkuma, who was the high-level official with supreme power in the Bureau of building and repairs of Ministry of Finance. He was laid to rest in
Aoyama Cemetery. When Kenkichi Yabashi died, he was assigned to
Senior Third Rank and awarded
the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, Second Class together with two volumes of white silk due to the merit while he was alive from
Shōwa Emperor. ==Honours==