Sanjo Sanetomi
Encyclopedia
Prince
was an Imperial court noble
and statesman at the time of the Meiji Restoration
. He held many high-ranking offices in the Meiji government.
, Sanjō was the son of Naidaijin Sanjō Sanetsumu. He held several important posts in Court and became a central figure in the anti-Western, anti-Tokugawa Sonnō Jōi
("Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarian") movement.
When the coup d’etat of September 30, 1863 brought the more moderate Aizu and Satsuma factions into power, he fled to Chōshū
. He returned to Kyoto after the resignation of Shogun
Tokugawa Yoshinobu
in 1867.
The first administrative offices (Sanshoku) of the Meiji government were established on January 3, 1868: the Sōsai (President), Gijō (Administration) and San'yo (Office of Councilors). These offices were abolished on June 11, 1868, with the establishment of the Daijō-kan (Grand Council of State). In the new Meiji government, Sanjō was head of the Gijo, Minister of the Right
(右大臣) (June 11, 1868 - August 15, 1871), and Chancellor of the Realm (Daijō Daijin) (August 15, 1871 - December 22, 1885.
Sanjō was awarded Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum
in 1882. On July 7, 1884, his title was changed to that of koshaku (prince
) under the kazoku
peerage system.
Sanjō served until the abolition of the daijōkan system in 1885. After the Cabinet system was established, he became Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan
.
In 1889, when Prime Minister
Kuroda Kiyotaka
and his cabinet resigned en masse, Emperor Meiji
only accepted Kuroda’s resignation and formally invited Sanjō to head the government. The Emperor refused to appoint a new prime minister for the next two months, making Sanjō the only Prime Minister of Japan
(albeit interim) who also concurrently held the post of Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal.
In 1890, he assumed a seat in the new House of Peers in the Diet of Japan
established by the Meiji Constitution
. On his death in 1891, he was accorded a state funeral
. His grave is at the temple of Gokoku-ji
in Bunkyo, Tokyo
.
|-
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
was an Imperial court noble
Kuge
The was a Japanese aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto until the rise of the Shogunate in the 12th century at which point it was eclipsed by the daimyo...
and statesman at the time of the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
. He held many high-ranking offices in the Meiji government.
Biography
Born in KyotoKyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Sanjō was the son of Naidaijin Sanjō Sanetsumu. He held several important posts in Court and became a central figure in the anti-Western, anti-Tokugawa Sonnō Jōi
Sonno joi
is a Japanese political philosophy and a social movement derived from Neo-Confucianism; it became a political slogan in the 1850s and 1860s in the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa bakufu, during the Bakumatsu period.-Origin:...
("Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarian") movement.
When the coup d’etat of September 30, 1863 brought the more moderate Aizu and Satsuma factions into power, he fled to Chōshū
Nagato Province
, often called , was a province of Japan. It was at the extreme western end of Honshū, in the area that is today Yamaguchi Prefecture. Nagato bordered on Iwami and Suō Provinces....
. He returned to Kyoto after the resignation of Shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
Tokugawa Yoshinobu
Tokugawa Yoshinobu
was the 15th and last shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He was part of a movement which aimed to reform the aging shogunate, but was ultimately unsuccessful...
in 1867.
The first administrative offices (Sanshoku) of the Meiji government were established on January 3, 1868: the Sōsai (President), Gijō (Administration) and San'yo (Office of Councilors). These offices were abolished on June 11, 1868, with the establishment of the Daijō-kan (Grand Council of State). In the new Meiji government, Sanjō was head of the Gijo, Minister of the Right
Udaijin
Udaijin , most commonly translated as the "Minister of the Right", was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the Udaijin in the context of a central...
(右大臣) (June 11, 1868 - August 15, 1871), and Chancellor of the Realm (Daijō Daijin) (August 15, 1871 - December 22, 1885.
Sanjō was awarded Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum
Order of the Chrysanthemum
is Japan's highest order. The Grand Cordon of the Order was established in 1876 by Emperor Meiji of Japan; the collar of the Order was added on January 4, 1888. Although technically the order has only one class, it can either be awarded with collar , or with grand cordon...
in 1882. On July 7, 1884, his title was changed to that of koshaku (prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
) under the kazoku
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...
peerage system.
Sanjō served until the abolition of the daijōkan system in 1885. After the Cabinet system was established, he became Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan
Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan
The was an administrative post not of Cabinet rank in the government of the Empire of Japan. The Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal was responsible for keeping the Privy Seal of Japan and State Seal of Japan....
.
In 1889, when Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
Kuroda Kiyotaka
Kuroda Kiyotaka
, also known as , was a Japanese politician of the Meiji era. He was the second Prime Minister of Japan from 30 April 1888 to 25 October 1889.-As a Satsuma samurai:...
and his cabinet resigned en masse, Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
only accepted Kuroda’s resignation and formally invited Sanjō to head the government. The Emperor refused to appoint a new prime minister for the next two months, making Sanjō the only Prime Minister of Japan
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
(albeit interim) who also concurrently held the post of Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal.
In 1890, he assumed a seat in the new House of Peers in the Diet of Japan
Diet of Japan
The is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...
established by the Meiji Constitution
Meiji Constitution
The ', known informally as the ', was the organic law of the Japanese empire, in force from November 29, 1890 until May 2, 1947.-Outline:...
. On his death in 1891, he was accorded a state funeral
State funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of military tradition...
. His grave is at the temple of Gokoku-ji
Gokoku-ji
is a Shingon Buddhist temple in Tokyo's Bunkyō.-History:This Buddhist temple was established by the fifth shogun Tokugawa, Tsunayoshi, who dedicated it to his mother...
in Bunkyo, Tokyo
Bunkyo, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. Situated in the middle of the ward area, Bunkyō is a residential and educational center. Beginning in the Meiji period, literati like Natsume Sōseki, as well as scholars and politicians have lived there...
.
External links
|-