Shinagawa Yajirō
Encyclopedia
Viscount
was a former Chōshū Domain samurai
, who became Home Minister
in early Meiji period
Japan
.
, in former Chōshū Domain (present day Yamaguchi prefecture
). His father was an ashigaru
, or lower ranking foot soldier in the service of the Mōri clan
. During the Bakumatsu period, he attended Yoshida Shōin
’s Shoka Sonjuku Academy, and was a fervent supporter of the Sonnō jōi
movement. In 1862, together with other pro-Sonnō jōi Chōshū samurai, he was a participant in an attack on the British legation in Edo
. He was also present at the unsuccessful Hamaguri rebellion
in Kyoto
in August 1864. During the Boshin War
of the Meiji Restoration
, he served as a staff officer in the Imperial armies
in various battles against the remnants of Tokugawa shogunate
forces in the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei
in northern Honshū
. He is also credited with the words of "Tokoton-yare-bushi" a loyalist song that was popular during the Boshin War.
After the establishment of the Meiji government, Shinagawa was sent to France
for studies, arriving in Paris
in 1870, where he was thus able to experience modern western military technologies and strategy during the Franco-Prussian War
firsthand. After his return to Japan, he was appointed Chief Secretary of the Home Ministry, later rising to the post of Junior Vice Home Minister, followed by the position of Senior Vice Agriculture and Commerce Minister. He supported the development of agriculture and forestry through his efforts towards the formation of Credit union
s and agricultural cooperatives. He later briefly returned to Germany
as a diplomat. In 1891, Shinagawa was appointed Home Minister in cabinet of Prime Minister
Matsukata Masayoshi
.
During the tumultuous Japanese General Election of 1892
, Shinagawa responded to indirect criticism from Emperor Meiji
of the failure of the Diet of Japan
to reach an agreement on the national budget by accusing opposition political parties
of sedition
, and using his authority as Home Minister to take police action
to suppress opposition political party activities during the election, and to intimidate candidates and voters. The resulting riots and other public disturbances around Japan led to numerous deaths and injuries, and the election itself was marred by balloting irregularities. Shinagawa came under much public criticism over the course of events, and was forced to resign from his post.
After his resignation, together with fellow former Home Minister Saigō Tsugumichi, Shinagawa founded the conservative Kokumin Kyokai political party, serving as its vice-president.
Shinagawa was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun
, 1st class, posthumously in 1900. A large bronze statue of Shinagawa is located to the left of the main entrance to Yasukuni Shrine
in Tokyo.
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
was a former Chōshū Domain samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
, who became 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...
in early Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
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...
.
Biography
Shinagawa was born in HagiHagi, Yamaguchi
is a city located in Yamaguchi, Japan and was incorporated as a city on July 1, 1932. Formerly part of Abu District.On March 6, 2005, the former city of Hagi merged with the towns of Susa and Tamagawa, and the villages of Asahi, Fukue, Kawakami and Mutsumi to form the new city of Hagi.Iwami Airport...
, in former Chōshū Domain (present day Yamaguchi prefecture
Yamaguchi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Yamaguchi, in the center of the prefecture. The largest city, however, is Shimonoseki.- History :...
). His father was an ashigaru
Ashigaru
The Japanese ashigaru were foot-soldiers of medieval Japan. The first known reference to ashigaru was in the 1300s, but it was during the Ashikaga Shogunate-Muromachi period that the use of ashigaru became prevalent by various warring factions.-Origins:Attempts were made in Japan by the Emperor...
, or lower ranking foot soldier in the service of the Mōri clan
Mori clan
The Mōri clan was a family of daimyō, descended from Ōe no Hiromoto and established themselves in Aki Province. Their name was derived from a shōen in Mōri, Aikō District, Sagami Province. The generation of Hiromoto began to name themselves Mōri.After the Jōkyū War, Mōri was appointed to the jitō...
. During the Bakumatsu period, he attended Yoshida Shōin
Yoshida Shoin
Yoshida Shōin was one of the most distinguished intellectuals in the closing days of the Tokugawa shogunate...
’s Shoka Sonjuku Academy, and was a fervent supporter of the 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:...
movement. In 1862, together with other pro-Sonnō jōi Chōshū samurai, he was a participant in an attack on the British legation in Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
. He was also present at the unsuccessful Hamaguri rebellion
Hamaguri rebellion
The rebellion at the Hamaguri Gate of the Imperial Palace in Kyōto took place on August 20, 1864 and reflected the discontent of pro-imperial and anti-alien groups...
in Kyoto
Kyoto
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:...
in August 1864. During the Boshin War
Boshin War
The was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court....
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 served as a staff officer in the Imperial armies
Satcho Alliance
The ', or Satchō Alliance was a military alliance between the feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū formed in 1866 to combine their efforts to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan....
in various battles against the remnants of Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
forces in the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei
Ouetsu Reppan Domei
-External links:**...
in northern Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
. He is also credited with the words of "Tokoton-yare-bushi" a loyalist song that was popular during the Boshin War.
After the establishment of the Meiji government, Shinagawa was sent to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
for studies, arriving in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1870, where he was thus able to experience modern western military technologies and strategy during the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
firsthand. After his return to Japan, he was appointed Chief Secretary of the Home Ministry, later rising to the post of Junior Vice Home Minister, followed by the position of Senior Vice Agriculture and Commerce Minister. He supported the development of agriculture and forestry through his efforts towards the formation of Credit union
Credit union
A credit union is a cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by its members and operated for the purpose of promoting thrift, providing credit at competitive rates, and providing other financial services to its members...
s and agricultural cooperatives. He later briefly returned to Germany
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
as a diplomat. In 1891, Shinagawa was appointed Home Minister in cabinet of 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...
Matsukata Masayoshi
Matsukata Masayoshi
Prince was a Japanese politician and the 4th and 6th Prime Minister of Japan.-Early life:...
.
During the tumultuous Japanese General Election of 1892
Japanese general election, 1892
The was the Empire of Japan’s second general election for members of the House of Representatives of the Diet of Japan, held on February 15, 1892.-History and background:...
, Shinagawa responded to indirect criticism from 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...
of the failure of 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...
to reach an agreement on the national budget by accusing opposition political parties
Political Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
of sedition
Sedition
In law, sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent to lawful authority. Sedition may include any...
, and using his authority as Home Minister to take police action
Police services of the Empire of Japan
The of the Empire of Japan, consisted of numerous police services, in many cases with overlapping jurisdictions.-History and background:During the Tokugawa bakufu , police functions were based on a combination of appointed town magistrates of samurai status, who served simultaneously as a chief of...
to suppress opposition political party activities during the election, and to intimidate candidates and voters. The resulting riots and other public disturbances around Japan led to numerous deaths and injuries, and the election itself was marred by balloting irregularities. Shinagawa came under much public criticism over the course of events, and was forced to resign from his post.
After his resignation, together with fellow former Home Minister Saigō Tsugumichi, Shinagawa founded the conservative Kokumin Kyokai political party, serving as its vice-president.
Shinagawa was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
, 1st class, posthumously in 1900. A large bronze statue of Shinagawa is located to the left of the main entrance to Yasukuni Shrine
Yasukuni Shrine
is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is dedicated to the soldiers and others who died fighting on behalf of the Emperor of Japan. Currently, its Symbolic Registry of Divinities lists the names of over 2,466,000 enshrined men and women whose lives were dedicated to the service of...
in Tokyo.