Goto Shimpei
Encyclopedia
Count
was a Japan
ese statesman. He served as the head of civilian affairs of Taiwan under Japanese rule
, the first director of the South Manchuria Railway
, the seventh mayor of Tokyo
, the first Chief Scout of Japan
, the first director of NHK
, the third principal of Takushoku University
, and the Home Minister
and Foreign Minister of Japan
.
(present-day in Iwate Prefecture
). He entered Sukagawa medical school in Fukushima prefecture
at the age of seventeen, and became a doctor in Nagoya, Aichi
after graduation. In 1877, he served as a government medic during the Satsuma Rebellion
. At the age of 25, he became president of the Nagoya Medical School.
Having distinguished himself through his work at the Nagoya Medical School and at the military hospital in Osaka
during the Satsuma Rebellion
, Gotō joined the Home Ministry
’s medical bureau (衛生局) in 1883, eventually becoming its head. While at the ministry, in 1890 he published his Principles of National Health (国家衛生原理) and took part in the creation of new sewage and water facilities in Tokyo
. This recommended him to Army Vice-Minister Kodama Gentaro(1852-1906), who made Gotō chief of the Army Quarantine Office looking after the return of more than 230,000 soldiers from the Sino-Japanese War
(1895-95). After the war, Gotō returned to the Home Ministry, but remained involved in overseas affairs, advising the new Japanese administration on Taiwan about health issues. In 1896, Kodama, now governor-general of Taiwan
, asked Gotō to join him there, eventually making him the first civilian governor of the island in 1898.
In 1890 Gotō was sent by the Japanese government to Germany
for further studies.
(1894–95) Gotō served at the Port of Hiroshima
and worked on the quarantine
of returning soldiers. His work was noticed by Kodama Gentarō in the Imperial Japanese Army
. At the end of the war, China
ceded Taiwan
to Japan in the Treaty of Shimonoseki
. Kodama became the Governor-General of Taiwan
, and Gotō was asked to become the head of civilian affairs in his government.
As a doctor by training, Gotō believed that Taiwan must be ruled by "biological principles" (生物学の原則), i.e. that he must first understand the habits of the Taiwanese population, as well as the reasons for their existence, before creating corresponding policies. For this purpose, he created and headed the Provisional Council for the Investigation of Old Habits of Taiwan (臨時台湾旧慣調査会).
Opium
addiction was an endemic problem in China at the time, and Taiwan was no exception. Gotō recommended a policy of the "gradual" prohibition of opium. Under this scheme, opium could only be purchased from licensed retailers. In addition, as government revenues from opium sales became extremely lucrative as a result, Gotō used opium sales licenses to reward Taiwanese elite loyal to the Japanese empire and those who assisted in the suppression of the Taiwan Yiminjun, an armed group that resisted Japanese rule. The plan achieved both its purposes: opium addiction dropped gradually and the activities of the Taiwan Yiminjun were undermined.
Gotō worked for the government monopolization of sugar
and camphor
and also for the development of railways in Taiwan.
Company. In 1908, he returned to Japan as Minister of Communications
and the head of the Railway Bureau (Tetsudoin), under the second Katsura administration
. In 1912, Gotō became director of the Colonization Bureau (Takushokukyoku). A close confident of Prime Minister Katsura, he assisted in the formation of the Rikken Dōshikai
political party after the Taisho Political Crisis
in 1912. In 1916, Gotō became Home Minister, and in 1918 (in the Terauchi administration
), Foreign Minister
.
A strong believer in Pan-Asianism
, Gotō pushed for an aggressive and expansionist Japanese foreign policy, and strongly endorsed the Siberian Intervention
. Gotō served as Mayor of Tokyo
in 1920, and again as Home Minister in 1923, contributing to the reconstruction of Tokyo following the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake.
In 1924, Citizen Watch Co.
's forerunner, the Shokosha Watch Research Watch Institute produced its first pocket watch
, and presented it to the mayor of Tokyo, Gotō Shimpei. Gotō named the watch ‘citizen’ with the hope that the watch, then a luxury item, would one day become widely available to ordinary citizens.
Gotō died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1929. His papers are preserved at the Gotō Shimpei Memorial Museum, which is situated in his birthplace, Mizusawa City, in Iwate Prefecture.
and tasked with rebuilding the organization. As Minister of Railways
, Count Gotō traveled around the country, and was able to promote Scouting
all over Japan in his spare time.
Kazoku
The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan that existed between 1869 and 1947.-Origins:Following the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the ancient court nobility of Kyoto regained some of its lost status...
was a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese statesman. He served as the head of civilian affairs of Taiwan under Japanese rule
Taiwan under Japanese rule
Between 1895 and 1945, Taiwan was a dependency of the Empire of Japan. The expansion into Taiwan was a part of Imperial Japan's general policy of southward expansion during the late 19th century....
, the first director of the South Manchuria Railway
South Manchuria Railway
The , and operated within China in the Japanese-controlled South Manchuria Railway Zone. The railway itself ran from Lüshun Port at the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula to Harbin, where it connected to the Chinese Eastern Railway.-History:...
, the seventh mayor of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, the first Chief Scout of Japan
Scout Association of Japan
The is the major Scouting organization of Japan. Starting as boys only, the organization was known as the Boy Scouts of Japan from 1922 until 1971, and as Boy Scouts of Nippon from 1971 to 1995, when it became coeducational in all sections, leading to neutral naming...
, the first director of NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
, the third principal of Takushoku University
Takushoku University
Takushoku University is a private university in Japan. It was founded in 1900 by Prince Taro Katsura . The university is located in Tokyo and has two campuses: the main campus in the Bunkyō district, and a satellite campus in the Hachiōji district...
, and the Home Minister
Home Ministry (Japan)
The ' was a Cabinet-level ministry established under the Meiji Constitution that managed the internal affairs of Empire of Japan from 1873-1947...
and Foreign Minister of Japan
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Japan)
The of Japan is the Cabinet member responsible for Japanese foreign policy and the chief executive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Since the end of the American occupation of Japan, the position has been one of the most powerful in the Cabinet, as Japan's economic interests have long relied on...
.
Early life
Gotō was born in IsawaIsawa District, Iwate
is a district located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan.As of October 31, 2006, the district has an estimated population of 16,433 and a density of 91 persons per km²...
(present-day in Iwate Prefecture
Iwate Prefecture
is the second largest prefecture of Japan after Hokkaido. It is located in the Tōhoku region of Honshū island and contains the island's easternmost point. The capital is Morioka. Iwate has the lowest population density of any prefecture outside Hokkaido...
). He entered Sukagawa medical school in Fukushima prefecture
Fukushima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region on the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Fukushima.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Fukushima prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
at the age of seventeen, and became a doctor in Nagoya, Aichi
Nagoya, Aichi
is the third-largest incorporated city and the fourth most populous urban area in Japan.Located on the Pacific coast in the Chūbu region on central Honshu, it is the capital of Aichi Prefecture and is one of Japan's major ports along with those of Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, Chiba, and Moji...
after graduation. In 1877, he served as a government medic during the Satsuma Rebellion
Satsuma Rebellion
The was a revolt of Satsuma ex-samurai against the Meiji government from January 29 to September 24, 1877, 9 years into the Meiji Era. It was the last, and the most serious, of a series of armed uprisings against the new government.-Background:...
. At the age of 25, he became president of the Nagoya Medical School.
Having distinguished himself through his work at the Nagoya Medical School and at the military hospital in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
during the Satsuma Rebellion
Satsuma Rebellion
The was a revolt of Satsuma ex-samurai against the Meiji government from January 29 to September 24, 1877, 9 years into the Meiji Era. It was the last, and the most serious, of a series of armed uprisings against the new government.-Background:...
, Gotō joined the Home Ministry
Home Ministry (Japan)
The ' was a Cabinet-level ministry established under the Meiji Constitution that managed the internal affairs of Empire of Japan from 1873-1947...
’s medical bureau (衛生局) in 1883, eventually becoming its head. While at the ministry, in 1890 he published his Principles of National Health (国家衛生原理) and took part in the creation of new sewage and water facilities in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. This recommended him to Army Vice-Minister Kodama Gentaro(1852-1906), who made Gotō chief of the Army Quarantine Office looking after the return of more than 230,000 soldiers from the Sino-Japanese War
Sino-Japanese War
There were two wars known as the Sino-Japanese War :* The First Sino-Japanese War between China and Japan , primarily over control of Korea....
(1895-95). After the war, Gotō returned to the Home Ministry, but remained involved in overseas affairs, advising the new Japanese administration on Taiwan about health issues. In 1896, Kodama, now governor-general of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, asked Gotō to join him there, eventually making him the first civilian governor of the island in 1898.
In 1890 Gotō was sent by the Japanese government to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
for further studies.
Taiwan
During the First Sino-Japanese WarFirst Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
(1894–95) Gotō served at the Port of Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
and worked on the quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
of returning soldiers. His work was noticed by Kodama Gentarō in the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
. At the end of the war, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
ceded Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
to Japan in the Treaty of Shimonoseki
Treaty of Shimonoseki
The Treaty of Shimonoseki , known as the Treaty of Maguan in China, was signed at the Shunpanrō hall on April 17, 1895, between the Empire of Japan and Qing Empire of China, ending the First Sino-Japanese War. The peace conference took place from March 20 to April 17, 1895...
. Kodama became the Governor-General of Taiwan
Governor-General of Taiwan
The position of Governor-General of Taiwan existed when Taiwan and the Pescadores were part of the Empire of Japan, from 1895 to 1945.The Japanese Governors-General were members of the Diet, civilian officials, Japanese nobles or generals...
, and Gotō was asked to become the head of civilian affairs in his government.
As a doctor by training, Gotō believed that Taiwan must be ruled by "biological principles" (生物学の原則), i.e. that he must first understand the habits of the Taiwanese population, as well as the reasons for their existence, before creating corresponding policies. For this purpose, he created and headed the Provisional Council for the Investigation of Old Habits of Taiwan (臨時台湾旧慣調査会).
Opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
addiction was an endemic problem in China at the time, and Taiwan was no exception. Gotō recommended a policy of the "gradual" prohibition of opium. Under this scheme, opium could only be purchased from licensed retailers. In addition, as government revenues from opium sales became extremely lucrative as a result, Gotō used opium sales licenses to reward Taiwanese elite loyal to the Japanese empire and those who assisted in the suppression of the Taiwan Yiminjun, an armed group that resisted Japanese rule. The plan achieved both its purposes: opium addiction dropped gradually and the activities of the Taiwan Yiminjun were undermined.
Gotō worked for the government monopolization of sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
and camphor
Camphor
Camphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C10H16O. It is found in wood of the camphor laurel , a large evergreen tree found in Asia and also of Dryobalanops aromatica, a giant of the Bornean forests...
and also for the development of railways in Taiwan.
Statesman
In 1906, Gotō became the first director of the South Manchuria RailwaySouth Manchuria Railway
The , and operated within China in the Japanese-controlled South Manchuria Railway Zone. The railway itself ran from Lüshun Port at the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula to Harbin, where it connected to the Chinese Eastern Railway.-History:...
Company. In 1908, he returned to Japan as Minister of Communications
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
The ' or Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is a cabinet-level ministry in the Government of Japan. The English name Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications was used prior to 2004...
and the head of the Railway Bureau (Tetsudoin), under the second Katsura administration
Katsura Taro
Prince , was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, politician and three-time Prime Minister of Japan.-Early life:Katsura was born into a samurai family from Hagi, Chōshū Domain...
. In 1912, Gotō became director of the Colonization Bureau (Takushokukyoku). A close confident of Prime Minister Katsura, he assisted in the formation of the Rikken Dōshikai
Rikken Doshikai
The was a political party active in the Empire of Japan in the early years of the 20th century. It was also known as simply the Dōshikai.Founded by Prime Minister Katsura Tarō on February 7, 1913, the Rikken Dōshikai largely served to support his cabinet against criticism by the Rikken Seiyūkai...
political party after the Taisho Political Crisis
Taisho Political Crisis
The ' was a period of political upheaval in Japan that occurred after the death of the Meiji Emperor in 1912. During the twelve-month period following the emperor's death, the Japanese government was led by three different prime ministers as the government attempted to restore the balance between...
in 1912. In 1916, Gotō became Home Minister, and in 1918 (in the Terauchi administration
Terauchi Masatake
, GCB was a Japanese military officer and politician. He was a Field Marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and the 18th Prime Minister of Japan from 9 October 1916 to 29 September 1918.-Early period:...
), Foreign Minister
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Japan)
The of Japan is the Cabinet member responsible for Japanese foreign policy and the chief executive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Since the end of the American occupation of Japan, the position has been one of the most powerful in the Cabinet, as Japan's economic interests have long relied on...
.
A strong believer in Pan-Asianism
Pan-Asianism
Pan-Asianism is an ideology or a movement that Asian nations unite and solidify and create a continental identity to defeat the designs of the Western nations to perpetuate hegemony.-Japanese Asianism:...
, Gotō pushed for an aggressive and expansionist Japanese foreign policy, and strongly endorsed the Siberian Intervention
Siberian Intervention
The ', or the Siberian Expedition, of 1918–1922 was the dispatch of troops of the Entente powers to the Russian Maritime Provinces as part of a larger effort by the western powers and Japan to support White Russian forces against the Bolshevik Red Army during the Russian Civil War...
. Gotō served as Mayor of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
in 1920, and again as Home Minister in 1923, contributing to the reconstruction of Tokyo following the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake.
In 1924, Citizen Watch Co.
Citizen Watch Co.
is the core company of a Japanese global corporate group based in Tokyo, Japan. The company was originally founded as Shokosha Watch Research Institute in 1918 and is currently known as the manufacturer of CINCOM precision lathe machine tools as well as CITIZEN watches. The trade name originated...
's forerunner, the Shokosha Watch Research Watch Institute produced its first pocket watch
Pocket watch
A pocket watch is a watch that is made to be carried in a pocket, as opposed to a wristwatch, which is strapped to the wrist. They were the most common type of watch from their development in the 16th century until wristwatches became popular after World War I during which a transitional design,...
, and presented it to the mayor of Tokyo, Gotō Shimpei. Gotō named the watch ‘citizen’ with the hope that the watch, then a luxury item, would one day become widely available to ordinary citizens.
Gotō died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1929. His papers are preserved at the Gotō Shimpei Memorial Museum, which is situated in his birthplace, Mizusawa City, in Iwate Prefecture.
Scouting
Gotō was made the first Chief Scout of JapanScout Association of Japan
The is the major Scouting organization of Japan. Starting as boys only, the organization was known as the Boy Scouts of Japan from 1922 until 1971, and as Boy Scouts of Nippon from 1971 to 1995, when it became coeducational in all sections, leading to neutral naming...
and tasked with rebuilding the organization. As Minister of Railways
Japanese National Railways
, abbreviated or "JNR", was the national railway network of Japan from 1949 to 1987.-History:The term Kokuyū Tetsudō "state-owned railway" originally referred to a network of railway lines operated by nationalized companies under the control of the Railway Institute following the nationalization...
, Count Gotō traveled around the country, and was able to promote Scouting
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
all over Japan in his spare time.
External links
- Goto Shimpei no Kai
- Goto, Shinpei | Portraits of Modern Japanese Historical Figures (National Diet LibraryNational Diet LibraryThe is the only national library in Japan. It was established in 1948 for the purpose of assisting members of the in researching matters of public policy. The library is similar in purpose and scope to the U.S...
)