Nobuyuki Nakajima

1846 (age 53)

Tosa, Kochi Prefecture, Japan

He was a member of the Kaientai, a naval group led by Ryoma Sakamoto, and worked as its staff officer. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, he served the Imperial Government and in 1874 was appointed governor of Kanagawa Prefecture and then a member of the Senate. In 1881 organized the Jiyuto (Liberal) Party together with Taisuke Itagaki and others and became its vice-president. Was returned from Kanagawa Prefecture to the House of Representatives when in 1890 the Diet was established. In 1892 was appointed the first Speaker of the House of Representatives and Minister to Italy. He was subsequently appointed a member of the House of Peers. Together with his wife, Toshiko (Shoen Joshi), famous suffragist, he made frequent speech tours to promote the cause of civic rights. His son, Kumakichi, was Commerce and Industry Minister.

Nobuyuki Nakajima