Suematsu Kencho
Encyclopedia
Viscount
was a Japanese
politician, intellectual and author, who lived in the Meiji and Taishō period
s. Apart from his activity in the Japanese government, he also wrote several important works on Japan
in English
. He was portrayed in a negative manner in Ryōtarō Shiba
's novel Saka no ue no kumo.
, now part of Yukuhashi
, Fukuoka Prefecture
. He was the fourth son of the village headman (shōya), Suematsu Shichiemon. His name was initially , he later changed it to the shorter Kenchō.
At the age of ten he enrolled in a private school where he pursued studies in Chinese (kangaku 漢学). Suematsu went to Tokyo
in 1871, and studied with Ōtsuki Bankei and Kondō Makoto. In 1872, he briefly entered the Tokyo Normal School, but left it soon after. It was around this time that he made the acquaintance of Takahashi Korekiyo
.
In 1874, at age 20, Suematsu began working for the Tokyo Nichinichi Shimbun newspaper (predecessor to the Mainichi Shinbun), writing editorials under the pen name Sasanami Hitsuichi (笹波篳一). During his time working for the newspaper, he was befriended by its editor, Fukuchi Gen'ichirō
.
in 1881. He graduated with a law degree from Cambridge
(St. John's College, Cambridge) in 1884, returning to Japan in 1886.
in 1890. Suematsu served as Communications Minister (1898) and Home Minister
in his father-in-law Itō Hirobumi
's fourth cabinet, 1900-01. He had married Itō's second daughter Ikuko in 1889 when he was 35 and she was 22. As they were from clans which had fought in the 1860s (Kokura and Chōshū), he wittily described his marriage as "taking a hostage".
Suematsu was influential in the founding of Moji
port in 1889, approaching Shibusawa Eiichi for finance. He also worked to improve the moral standards of Japanese theatre and founded a society for drama criticism.
From 1904 to 1905 Suematsu was sent by the Japanese cabinet to Europe to counteract anti-Japanese propaganda of the Yellow Peril
variety and argue Japan's case in the Russo-Japanese War
, much as Harvard-educated Kaneko Kentarō
was doing at the request of Itō Hirobumi
at the same time in the USA. Suematsu was promoted from baron (danshaku) to viscount (shishaku) in 1907 in the kazoku
peerage.
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 Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
politician, intellectual and author, who lived in the Meiji and Taishō period
Taisho period
The , or Taishō era, is a period in the history of Japan dating from July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926, coinciding with the reign of the Taishō Emperor. The health of the new emperor was weak, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group of elder statesmen to the Diet...
s. Apart from his activity in the Japanese government, he also wrote several important works on 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...
in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. He was portrayed in a negative manner in Ryōtarō Shiba
Ryotaro Shiba
, born in Osaka, Japan, was a Japanese author best known for his novels about historical events in Japan and on the Northeast Asian sub-continent, as well as his historical and cultural essays pertaining to Japan and its relationship to the rest of the world....
's novel Saka no ue no kumo.
Early life
Suematsu was born in the hamlet of Maeda in Buzen ProvinceBuzen Province
was an old province of Japan in northern Kyūshū in the area of Fukuoka Prefecture and Ōita Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Bungo Province. Buzen bordered on Bungo and Chikuzen Provinces....
, now part of Yukuhashi
Yukuhashi, Fukuoka
is a city located in Fukuoka, Japan. The city was founded on October 10, 1954.As of June 30, 2005, the city has a population of 72,005 and the density of 1,002.43 persons per km². The total area is 69.83 km²....
, Fukuoka Prefecture
Fukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
. He was the fourth son of the village headman (shōya), Suematsu Shichiemon. His name was initially , he later changed it to the shorter Kenchō.
At the age of ten he enrolled in a private school where he pursued studies in Chinese (kangaku 漢学). Suematsu went to 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 1871, and studied with Ōtsuki Bankei and Kondō Makoto. In 1872, he briefly entered the Tokyo Normal School, but left it soon after. It was around this time that he made the acquaintance of Takahashi Korekiyo
Takahashi Korekiyo
Viscount was a Japanese politician and the 20th Prime Minister of Japan from 13 November 1921 to 12 June 1922. He was known as an expert on finance during his political career.-Early life :...
.
In 1874, at age 20, Suematsu began working for the Tokyo Nichinichi Shimbun newspaper (predecessor to the Mainichi Shinbun), writing editorials under the pen name Sasanami Hitsuichi (笹波篳一). During his time working for the newspaper, he was befriended by its editor, Fukuchi Gen'ichirō
Fukuchi Genichiro
was a Japanese critic and author, also known under the pseudonym .-Biography:Fukuchi was born in Nagasaki, Japan. He traveled Europe as a translator, and in 1874, became a main writer for the Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun newspaper. In 1882, he formed the Constitutional Imperial Rule Party....
.
Suematsu at Cambridge
Suematsu arrived in London in 1878 with the Japanese embassy which was dispatched there, and enrolled in Cambridge UniversityUniversity of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in 1881. He graduated with a law degree from Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
(St. John's College, Cambridge) in 1884, returning to Japan in 1886.
Political activities
Suematsu was elected to the Diet of JapanDiet 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...
in 1890. Suematsu served as Communications Minister (1898) and 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 his father-in-law Itō Hirobumi
Ito Hirobumi
Prince was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan , genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist who was against the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire...
's fourth cabinet, 1900-01. He had married Itō's second daughter Ikuko in 1889 when he was 35 and she was 22. As they were from clans which had fought in the 1860s (Kokura and Chōshū), he wittily described his marriage as "taking a hostage".
Suematsu was influential in the founding of Moji
Moji-ku, Kitakyushu
is a ward of Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is the former city of Moji which was one of five cities merged to create Kitakyūshū in 1963. It faces the city of Shimonoseki across the Kanmon Straits between Honshū and Kyūshū....
port in 1889, approaching Shibusawa Eiichi for finance. He also worked to improve the moral standards of Japanese theatre and founded a society for drama criticism.
From 1904 to 1905 Suematsu was sent by the Japanese cabinet to Europe to counteract anti-Japanese propaganda of the Yellow Peril
Yellow Peril
Yellow Peril was a colour metaphor for race that originated in the late nineteenth century with immigration of Chinese laborers to various Western countries, notably the United States, and later associated with the Japanese during the mid 20th century, due to Japanese military expansion.The term...
variety and argue Japan's case in the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
, much as Harvard-educated Kaneko Kentarō
Kaneko Kentaro
was a statesman and diplomat in Meiji period Japan.- Early life :Kaneko was born into a samurai family of Fukuoka Domain . At the age of 9, he began his studies at Shuyukan...
was doing at the request of Itō Hirobumi
Ito Hirobumi
Prince was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan , genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist who was against the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire...
at the same time in the USA. Suematsu was promoted from baron (danshaku) to viscount (shishaku) in 1907 in 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.
Literary activities
Suematsu was also active as a writer of English works on Japanese subjects. His works include the first English translation of Genji Monogatari (which he wrote while at Cambridge) and several books on aspects of Japanese culture.- Kenchio Suyematz, trans. Genji Monogatari : The Most Celebrated of the Classical Japanese Romances. London: Trubner, 1882.
- Baron Suematsu, A Fantasy of Far Japan; or, Summer Dream Dialogues. London: Constable, 1905.
- Kenchio Suyematsu, The Risen Sun. London: Constable, 1905.
See also
- Kaneko KentaroKaneko Kentarowas a statesman and diplomat in Meiji period Japan.- Early life :Kaneko was born into a samurai family of Fukuoka Domain . At the age of 9, he began his studies at Shuyukan...
- Kikuchi DairokuKikuchi DairokuBaron was a mathematician, educator, and educational administrator in Meiji period Japan.-Kikuchi's life and career:Kikuchi was born in Edo , as the second son of Mitsukuri Shuhei...
- Inagaki ManjiroInagaki Manjirowas a Japanese diplomat and political theorist that was active during the Meiji period of Japan.- Early life :Inagaki was born in Nagasaki, as the son of a samurai of the Hirado Domain...
- Cambridge UniversityUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
- Anglo-Japanese relationsAnglo-Japanese relationsThe history of the relationship between Britain and Japan began in 1600 with the arrival of William Adams on the shores of Kyūshū at Usuki in Ōita Prefecture...
- Japanese students in Britain
External links
- Suematsu's memorial stone is at Yukuhashi city, Fukuoka prefecture. He was born there. Contains a translation of the first 17 chapters of The Tale of Genji, with an introduction and footnotes, by Suematsu., available here from Google Books.