Background
Soejima Taneomi was born on October 17, 1828 in Saga, Japan. he was the second son of Chuemon Edayosh, a teacher in the domain's school and a scholar of National Learning (kokugaku).
副島 種臣
Soejima Taneomi was born on October 17, 1828 in Saga, Japan. he was the second son of Chuemon Edayosh, a teacher in the domain's school and a scholar of National Learning (kokugaku).
In 1866, Soejima was sent to Nagasaki by the domain leaders to study the English language. There he studied under Guido Verbeck, a Dutch missionary, giving special attention to the United States Constitution and the New Testament. During the Boshin War he was a military leader of the Saga forces committed to the overthrow of the Tokugawa bakufu.
After the restoration, he was appointed a sangi (councilor) of the Imperial Government and proceeded to Russia's Maritime Province on a mission of determining the borderline on Sakhalin.
He was appointed Foreign Minister (1871). When Formosan natives murdered Japanese castaways (1873), he went to China as Japanese envoy and secured the commitment of the Chinese Government that Formosan natives were out of Chinese jurisdiction, thereby turning the negotiations on the affair in Japan's favor. He retired when government policy split as to whether or not to send an expedition to Korea.
Soejima Taneomi was appointed a Court Councilor (1886) and subsequently a Privy Councilor. After becoming president of the Privy Council, he was appointed Home Minister in the Matsukata Cabinet (1892).
