Okuma Shigenobu

March 11, 1838 (age 83)

Saga, Japan

As a member of the imperial loyalist faction within Hizen, he supported the policy of union between court and shogunate. He also studied English, mathematics, international law, and other Western subjects under Guido Verback, a Dutch Reform missionary at Nagasaki. Although his domain did play a leading role in the restoration, Okuma became an official of the new government by reason of his Western knowledge and his forceful personality. He was an active promoter of speedy Westernization, serving in the Ministry of Finance. He also began to recruit a group of able underlings, many of whom were graduates of Keio Academy. After Toshimichi Okubo's death in 1878, Okuma, along with Hirobumi Ito, emerged as one of the principal younger leaders in the government. His rivalry with Ito, coupled with his bold proposal that Japan adopt an English-style constitution, resulted in his expulsion from the government in October 1881. Although Okuma returned to serve twice as foreign minister (1888-1889 and 1896 - 1897) and twice as premier (1898 and 1914 - 1916), the remainder of his career was primarily spent in moderate opposition to the Meiji oligarchy. Beginning with the Kaishinto, organized in 1882, he led a series of political parties that advocated a moderate Anglophile liberalism and opposed the authoritarian tendencies of the oligarchy. Okuma also founded a private university, the Tokyo Special Higher School, which later became Waseda University, in the hope that it would foster a spirit of personal and political independence among its students and provide a "forcing ground" for politicians of liberal disposition. Finally, as owner of the Hochi Shimbun, and later as editor of Shin Nippon and Taikan, liberal journals of the late Meiji and early Taisho periods, he commented frequently, and sometimes contradictorily, on public affairs. Okuma formally retired from politics in 1910 but was called back by the genro to serve as premier in 1914. After serving 2 years, he returned to private life and spent his later years trying to promote mutual understanding of East and West. When he died on Jan. 10, 1922, Okuma's reputation as a champion of liberalism was somewhat tarnished, but he remained an enormously popular figure.

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Fifty Years Of New Japan V1 (1909)

(This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of th...)

Fifty Years of New Japan (Kaikoku Gojunen Shi), Vol. 1 (Classic Reprint)

(Excerpt from Fifty Years of New Japan (Kaikoku Gojunen Sh...)

Excerpt from Fifty Years of New Japan (Kaikoku Gojunen Shi), Vol. 1 The objects of this work are twofold. First, to preserve an authoritative account of the development of the Empire of Japan during the fifty years that have elapsed since the ratification of its first treaties with the outside world. Secondly, to make the present condition of the country more widely known and understood, both at home and abroad. To this end the foremost contemporary authorities of the rejuvenated nation have contributed, each having written upon that department of which he has exceptional knowledge and experience. It is consequently a living history written by living men. For a complete understanding of the matter, it has been in almost every instance necessary to trace the history of the past, and therefore, in so far as the work describes the characteristics of the people of Japan and the unfolding of their national destinies, this narrative of New Japan is also a concise and accurate résumé of the five-and-twenty centuries that our nation has existed. The work was published last year in Japan as a record of the fifty years subsequent to the opening of our country to foreign intercourse, namely from 1854 to 1904, and therefore most of the essays only brought their facts up to the time of the Russo-Japanese War. In the present English edition, however, the information is carried as near to date as public statistics enable it. It is a most distinguished honour for me that His Britannic Majesty, King Edward the Seventh, Emperor of India, and our great Ally, whose influence with Japan has been most widespread and salutary, should have granted me permission to dedicate this humble compilation to His Majesty's illustrious name. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.