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A POLITICAL HISTORY
OF JAPAN DURING THE
MEIJI ERA
18671912
A POLITICM;
OF JAPAN DURNG THE
MEIJI ERA
1867-1912
BY
Polities in
Kciogyuku, Tokyo
NEW YORK
FIFTH AVJBNUK
1916
P H ,D.
'
p
1*
*'
ov
"
i,
PREFACE
AT no
War
has the
member
Preface
being
Why
it was
impossible to tell exactly what they were?
was an ultimatum forwarded, and backed up by
authorities.
Edward Grey
House of Commons
more than that to the best
In the
said no
a brief
plicit?
spirit
the
the
stampeding of the
Cabinet by
countenance
"
its
strongthe
former hypothesis by the fact that as soon as the
election campaign had terminated
successfully for
the Government the drive
upon China slackened ; but
if this
interpretation be accepted, then why did the
Cabinet, even though it enjoyed the support of a
majority of the members of the Lower House, resign
a few months later?
Was Count Okuma's resigna"
policy
members ?
Some
is
lent
Preface
the consequence of his foreign policy, or of the
bribery scandal which involved one of the members
of his Cabinet, Baron Oura, the Minister of Agricul
If the former, who exerted the
ture and Commerce?
tion
pressure?
advantage
and Europe's preoccupation? Did
they object to Okuma's foreign policy because it was
too strong or not strong enough? Or was it a warning
from London or Washington that caused them to refrain
from seizing the advantages almost within their grasp?
Publicly, the downfall of the Okumia Cabinet was ex
of China's weakness
of
in
the
programme
in
Korea.
But
if
Government
to settle definitively
In this book
mation which
is
system
of
Japan and
Preface
an enumeration of the powers exercised by the various
authorities, the Emperor, the Elder Statesmen, the ,Privy
Council,
Asiatic
central
and
of
local,
which
edited
for
published as
Transactions of that
I have been compelled to refer the reader
Society.
to this source book for the texts of the essential docu
ments because no other collection exists except in the
Society
Part
Volume XLII,
Japanese language.
of
I,
Japan
.and
the
"
The
my
the
rise
Why
faction
in
the
oligarchy.
the
brilliant
Preface
the race, especially of the riding military cas\te, is my
All true friends of the Japanese
settled conviction.
such
those
of us who have lived sodne years
and as
among
ia
January
1916.
CONTENTS
PART
PREFACE
I.
II.
^
III.
\\\l)v".
V.
.......
THE ABOLITION
OF FEUDALISM
VI I L
-15
ITS CRITICS
PAGE
43
.72
.91
OF REPRESENTATIVE INSTITUTIONS
PART
.112
.
133
.153
.178
II
X.
V XL
.203
.227
.246
Contents
CHAPTER
XII.
PAGE
XII t.
XIV.
XV.
THE
MEIJI
ERA
INDEX
.299
-324
..,,.,..
12
274
-352
377
4-
CJ
PART
o~
History of Japan
During the Meiji Era
Political
CHAPTER
Japanese
cojip\
Restoration,
was as
of
jealous
IS
Political History
of Japan
times,
to
the
for
the
wonder.
The temediate
tern C ans in
object of
.
^biacb
as far_as
1192,
when the
EmperoTTS) To'ba appointed Minamoto Yoritomo Seti-tai-Shogun (Foreign Barbarian Repressing Great
The nature of that institution and its
General).
effects upon the monarchy require som'e explanation,
The Shogunate, which exercised the executive powers
ofjtK^^
feudal...jor3jr!
Witi^^
existed, Jfor" the Shogun_ wouldjiecessarily have become
"
of the Eomipcrior,, and could ^ not
perrnitte3Tbas v depiosed rival to jjontinuo oven as span-
tuaT^^dIof^e_na^o^
^y^EL '^3i w 2S!ES^^
"
tw^great
rival mijltaff^
Taira, ^^^"Ee^
rgsources T was not brought into, the cont]|c<^jfaectly
SfiJ^i JBH e ty J^^iE?-^^-^ J>i J^ struggle bet wocn two
s toodrcacly to
groups of SF, nomii^l^^bj^c^
.
confer anyjEpJiTOr^
him by the^.,.yictoji<>^^la&.
16
The
Restoration
Movement
but
however
much
individuals
royal
might
suffer
forces
17
hiave
been permitted to
B
of Japan
Political History
have at
forget,
member
or
throughout
period from
usurpers, disj>layffilo^^
pero r
plaoedjo^
Em
compelled
an(i
his
the
astonishing
swre
makl^
as the
Shogun
Council; saw
fit
IJhoguns resided in
n Kyoto
in Osaka, the
,m^^S^3I^^
I^>enajij2iagfi
like a grisgia. "TFunds forits maintenance were
pro
vided by the Shogunate, and sometimes so meagre
*
18
The
Restoration
Movement
and
the Imperial
We
naturally
institutions
The
turn
and
to
in the
monarchy
itself.
origins of feudali^^
.....
'
____
...
19
American
History of Japan
Political
Emperor
military
-into
e%ercisea"~lTS^
abeyance but beTransferr^^
unit!
zation,
whicITwere feudal
'to
all intents
and
purpiases^jhough,
the 'headship of tHe umtswaj_nio.t neces^ri^TBestowed
IF was to offset this alarm|in,'g,
for military genius^
which threatened the posi
of
decentralization,
process
tion of the Emperor and the strength of th.e tribe, that
The State
the reforms of Taikwa were introduced.
socialism of China, the country, which threatened the
classes...
The governing^Iass
consisted
be held
'3En5gle^^
enjoying exemjation
tribute
class
supporting
to
thg^Ejnfieror.
TEe
rice-
owed
Govg^^^t
services.
In
Powers.
The
former
first
effect
heads
of
of these
units
into
The
Restoration
Movement
for
torial
lords.
ByJ^e^^
equality
which
periodic
rgj^rl^^
the
was _ jsu]3]3os^d_J
b' e
maintained"15y
toMn^quali^^
not been rigidly carried out in
alT^arts ofJEeliatioml
with which
JfceeHom
""
tbejr^Jands
higher officials fjrom^jax^on and the greed of
the Buddhist sects ware jajsjc^^
.
the
up
and to the natural process by whichjthose
came un^r^lEe ^ontrjol^ot
^ "ITlmlilitary class to
.
their fiefs^
fiefs
and
finally
ol tKe
the Taira, Minarnoto, Hojo, Ashikaga,
Tokugawa.
When
movement
rapid
21
Political History
of Japan
magnate, and
to
out,
already
pointed
beginning of the
the
rice -lands
to
allotted
at
the
the
high civil
eighth
officials were immune from taxation, and that immunity
not only stimulated imitation but caused the burden
1
century
in consequence tended to
of taxation was one
burden
escape
"of the peasant's objects when he transferred the title of
As the practice
his land to a powerful neighbour.
bf commendation grew, not only did the revenues of
stationary
increase.
and
To
the
rate
this
The
Restoration
Movement
body of aimed
.....
With
this
The
notice.
place to
control
itself
an
attempit to
A
side.
History of Japan
Political
Asjijresi^J^
an almost
JEmgerors were assas
SJBjlte^^
"How
throne
remained hereditary in one family, in the limited sense
that it did, can only be explained by the force of the
That tlie various
cult of its descent from the gods.
name as well as
the
have
not
should
usurped
Shoguns
the substance 1 of royalty was certainly not due to
any lack of power, nor to the possibility of resistance
It
came "about
the
that
succession
to
the
of
the
the
By
people.
citizens of the
about
which
4 or
per
numbered
in
The unfree or
cent,
700
slaves
amounted
of
about 3,000,000
A.D.
or
From
3,500,000 people.
main body
peasantry employed
which they owned and
that the
Oxford, 1911.)
24
The
Restoration
Movement
theHSefT^p^
military
and
ruling-" class.
biy^Sue^census reports
<g>raejoj^^
issued shortly after the RcstorafiQiT"'
in ^87^ the ruling class
3 1,000, oo
was
25
Political History
of Japan
feudalism anarchy is
precedingHEEe RestoraSonT In
the ordinary rule.
Every chieftain's hand is raised
to hold what is
against his neighbour, and might
covetous desire to seize
possessed is seconded by a
what is another's. In the rough-and-tumble of such
^
"o? prime
regime individual "prowess iT^teentScfor
Possession of a mighty
^"
Importance.
There is
skill is the suresT"|rnax^
that
might
a certain rougK justice 35 tfie'HruIie
makes right, provided that it is individual might that
"^
his
Tara_
his
own
the
Ho jo.
During
there never
was a
timie
period
military clan
The
Restoration
Movement
There
was
it
successfully
The
founded
means
this
27
Political
History of Japan
later
such'
actually
of their
kura,
the
capital
28
The
Restoration
Movement
Though Yoritomb's
still
to
the
History of Japan
Political
chief
of the eighteentjjjjtnd
the Jntellectual
move'ments
^
in the"'''Se]3s
ninetegnt^
weirasthe HIs-
bqctawe interested
in Chinese learning.
classics of Confucius
witnessed
century
philosophy,
that
Japan,
and
The climax of
Japanese Buddhism was neglected.
this Chinese movement was reached in the
eighteenth
century, and was followed by a revival of interest in
the ancient literature of Japan.
This Japanese renais
sance
led by Kada, Mabuchi, and Motoori, and
ws
carried
on
the nineteenth
in
patriotic desire to
see
century by Hirata.
the ancient
national
literature
mentaries
their
work.
Motoori's
movement was
opportunity of
attacking
everything
30
Chinese and of
The
Restoration
Movement
old
the
in
Japanese
of
its
Aston,
W.
Way
31
London, 1905.
Political History of
Japan
The Emperor
to the exalted pretensions of the Shogun.
was represented as the only legitimate sovereign,
of every Japanese,
allegiance to whom was the duty
a
while the Shogun was declared
usurper whose position
the
sword.
depended upon the power of
works upon the
historical
The influence of these
of
an unsettled
1
For the Life of one of the group of Dutch scholars see Greene, D.
Takano Nagakide. Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, vol.
Part III. Yokohama, 1913.
32
C,,
xli.
The
Restoration
Movement
in enlightening
scientific attain
foreign
countries
they
found no
33
by the native
histories
counterpart
for
of
the
C
Political
History of Japan
of
the
study of Dutch
in
on
its intellectual
How
1
sixties.
Okuma,
34
ii.
p. 140.
London, 1910.
and
The
Restoration
Movement
were mediocre
rampant
hands of the Shoglunate in 1859, at the age of twentyhaving been taken in an attempt to assassinate
nine,
A
On
its
Political
History of Japan
movement was
The
great,
fell to
the
The
Restoration
Movement
belonged
37
Political History of
Japan
without
its
resources
Their mistake,
supreme authority.
itself,
proved a calamity to the
Shogunate, since it afforded an opportunity for the
partisans of royalty to make capital for their cause
and bring fresh difficulties upon the already embarrassed
Yedo Government. It is easy enough to see that sa
long as Jap^n was closed to foreign intercourse, and the
proached as
natural
the
enough
in
when
of domestic import,
but
to treat
of other Powers,
question.
to
regard
Taikun a
its
true
In the eyes of
it
as such, the
title
invented
the;
Shogun's Govern
The
Restoration
Movement
and
lives
was in
See Longford,
J.
39
Political History of
Japan
in
Japan
itself
Kii,
the
latter
those
of
his
own
so<n
Yoshinobu
affairs of State.
of the Restoration.
The
complications
attendant
regime evidenced by
its
powerlessness to enforce
its
was cast
Japanese
of
their
country.
Rightly or wrongly,, they suspected that the
nation's existence was menaced by the weak truckling
of Yedo to the foreigners.
Doubtless the K.inno party
did not fail to propagate such suspicions among the
clans,
The
defence
of
barians.
But
against
"
it
Restoration
was
the
specifically
Movement
encroachments of the
on
its
"
bar
The Yedo
greatest weakness of the Shogunate lay.
Government established by lyevasu in thejearly jpart
oTlhe seventeenth^osntury was primarily a government
of force, and its security lay in the domination of each
and every clan by the Tokugawa.
How and why
this power of might was honeycombed ,and destroyed
during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries by sub
stituting a regime of peace for one of war, by exchang
ing the sword for the pen, by the creation of an allbureaucracy for the administration of
has been related and discussed
by every historian of Japan, and it can be assumed
that such was the fact, without any further exami
nation of the processes.
As timte wlent on the military
embracing
civil
the nation's
affairs,
very
Jords
from whence
it was
easy for them to pass into
the ranks of the armies of ^ny Daiipyo.
In this_way
considerable bodies of men wiere added to the fighting
So strong had Choshu
strength of the Western.,clans
become in 1864 that the clan openly defied the Shogtm.
For som'e years a fruitless w&r draggled on, and finally
the Shogunate was glad to secure peace without .effecting
any other result than the temiporary disgrace of the
Trien^
Among
4*
Political History of
Japan
pendence.
42
CHAPTER
II
Tokugawa
43
Political History
of Japan
and
it
is
November
3,
same month.
The position of the Tokugawa party
the
in
this
crisis
the support of
the monarch,
In a letter
addressed to the
diplomatic corps the Shogun explained
the circumstances which had elevated his ancestor to
members of
the,
44
The
and
When
the
Tokugawa
thus
gave up
their
peculiar
claims.
Hence,
in
y. G. ZX, pp.
45
3, 4-
Political History
of Japan
taken.
The
powers, and,
more than
that,
of Japan
Political History
Yet
it
is
-impossible to decide
"
how
that
by
tine
attempt
a lasting era of peace for the Japanese people.
The explanation of the adoption of such a measure 2
as well as the reasons for permitting a very limited
infraction of the strict rule of isolation by means of
the Dutch factory at Desihima do not concern us
here.
,What is important to remem.ber is the fact that
to secure
The best of the recent books dealing with this period is J. H. Gubbins's
The Progress of Japan, 1555-71; Oxford, 1911. Among the
contemporary
accounts, those most worth reading are Oliphant, L., Narrative of the Earl
of Elgin's Mission to China and Japan, two vols., London, 1859
Alcock,
Sir R., The Capital of the
Tycoon, two vols., London, 1863 Adams, F. O.,
The History cf Japan, two vols.,
London, 1875 Griffis, W. E., Townsend
Harris: First American Envoy to
Japan^ Boston, 1895.
2
For a discussion of this question see
Longford, J. H., op. cit chap. xv.
1
48
The
and the
the historical
of the
the Japanese
of the Restoration period not only extraordinarily
insular, but provincial to a degree seldom! seen among
studies
revivalists of
propaganda
theologico-political
to
make
civilized peoples.
the
his
immediate
circle,
favour of
"
expelling the
barbarians/'
Political History ot
Japan
reservation.
It
gency-~delay, subterfuge, and mental
to
American
first
the
find
Envoy
is amusing to
Japian
stationed at Shimoda, a little fishing town on the
extreme end of the Idzu peninsula, as remote from
Yedo as he could well be. Likewise that Hakodate,
four hundred miles or more north of Yedo on the island
We
Japanese
officials
aware that
to
lie is
them
to
be
is
the
of
exception."
With the death of Komei Tenno early in 1867 and
the succession of Mutsuhjto (the Meiji Tennp), the
Imperialist party reversed its former policy in its
The antagonists
dealings with the Western Powers.
The passing
of intercourse became its protagonists.
of the old Emperor, who it would seem entertained a
bitter hatred of foreigners, may partly account for the
But in the main it may be said that the
change.
propaganda had served its purpose, and
continue it any longer would have been only a
source of embarrassment to the new Government about
to take over thfe administrative power of the Shogun.
This volie-face from anti- to pro-foreign sentiment was
swiftly executed by the Court, but not without somfe
incidents which to those who participated in them were
The wfable biady of foreign represerious enough.
anti-foreign
to
Griffis,
W.
50
The
such
dramatic
intentions,
The
were
six
filled
was extended
to
History of Japan
Political
of
who
participated in the
the
from
Emperor, and the
attack, an ample apology
of a large
disbursement from the Imperial treasury
widows
and
the
to
as
of
of
eleven
sum
of
money
the
samurai
compensation
and
offered
the
to others of his
the
of
past had been
class that the anti-foreign policy
was
adventure
this
of
The exciting story
given up.
and
his
to
Government,
told by Sir Harry in a report
tation
these
places
necessary
supplies
for
ships,
to be
but to
tendered
for assistance
exchange commodities
to American sailors shipwrecked on any coast of Japan ;
for the appointment, after eighteen months, of an
American consul or agent to reside at Shimjoda, and
;
52
The
most-favoured-nation
for
treatment.
In
series
of
in
own
similar
to
British conventions of
secured for
to
and
in
was
not,
Griffis,
W.
53
Political
History of Japan
for
consular
courts,
religious
liberty,
a;
Japanese
American
tariff
interposing
treaty
of customs duties
The
55
Political History
which
were
of Japan
ruled
directly by the
for
the purpose,
Shogunate through officers appointed
such as the cities of Yedo, Osaka, and Nagasaki.
In
this way the territory of the State was divided up into
areas which for the purposes of local government were
under the control of the feudal magnates, whether
Tokugawa or otherwise. The Shogtin was always a
scion of a feudal house, and by direction of the founder
of the Tokugawa line the choice was limited to the
Daimyo families of Kii, Owari, and Mito., When a
cadet of one of these houses succeeded to the office
certain
territories
exclusive,
the
in
in the
the
zenith of
against foreigners.
56
The
On
the
Those Daimyo
spicuous activities of the Sh.ogun.ate.
whose territories were situated on the sea were compelled
by the Yedo authorities to make provision against attack,
xli.,
Hall,
J.
C.,
it
Tokugawa
Legislation.
Part V.
57
Political
History of Japan
power
of the
Yedo
that the
every kind were matters of local control
of
money, fixing of
bestowing of honours, coining
inter-fief trade,
weights and measures, and regulation of
rulers of the
the
of
were likewise within the discretion
the
And finally, that during
clans.
period in which,
the
feudal lords had
the Shogun's power was crumbling,
and
had exercised
other
contracted alliances with each
of foreign
services
the
their discretion in securing
;
The
local affairs of the clans, remained unmolested.
administration of the territories, however, belonging to
the Shogunate or the numerous rebel members of the
Tokugawa family presented a problem which the new
Government had to face, though even that task did
In such
not beconle a pressing one for some time.
matters as wiere not purely local, in which the action
and the support of a central authority were necessary,
was relatively easy to transfer jurisdiction from Yedo
Kyoto by the creation, in connection with the Court,
of a tentative administrative body, called the Sanshoku 2
it
to
J. G, D.,
p. 10.
S3
Idem,
p. 4,
The
The personnel
Sosai,
mm
ment
in
Owari, Aki, Echizen, Tosa, and
This list was as remarkable for the provinces
included as for those which it excluded, since it
leading
clans
Satsuma.
it
59
Political History of
Japan
mentioned above.
Another striking feature of the earliest organization
of the central Government after the Restoration was
the inclusion of such a large Kugie element.
By this
means the liability to friction betwieen the Court and
the
Daimyo was
diminished, for
it
is
not inconceivable
to the Restora
forward
for
rate
it
Tv^as
owing
any
thje
The
y. G.
>.,
pp.
4, s-
Idem, pp.
5, 6.
of the Chinese
Political
History of Japan
"
established as the repository of
all power and authority
in the Empire."
The proclamation l by which this
is
its
in the orgianization
"
offered.
These
were
62
The
assured,
"
satisfied.
this
63
8,
footnote.
Political
History of Japan
relative
importance of the
"
-to
The
main changes
effected
by
the two bodies mentioned
parts
of
this reorganization
first
in the
Council of State,
the
office
of
viz.
the
list
concerned
of component
the Deliberative
Lords President of
amendment of
enumeration
it
is
evident that
practically all
powers
of no particular significance.
65
of Japan
Political History
Outwardly this office has the appieara second supreme authority, but all
danger of friction between it and the Upper House o'f
the Deliberative Assembly was precluded by making
the members of the former members of the latter body
also. There is no reason to suppose that this apparently
anomalous office of the two chief Ministers was anything
else than an institution intended to provide a convenient
means of communication between the Government and
the Imperial Court, in orde,r that the measures of the
In
former might obtain the sanction of the latter.
administration.
ance of being
of the
connection with
its
The
abolition.
Religion,
In
all
five
five
departments
draw attention
to
to
the details
-of
the organization
Western
tributed
among
clans.
as
well
a;s
the
The highest
the Princes
piredojninafrcje
offices were dis
of the Blood,
the
Kuge
The
2
(701-4 A.D.), and there
is
no need
dispute the
to
were
concerned.
There
was
for
model
for the
the
in
new
pre-feudal
period of the Japanese nation, and no course could
have been wiser politically than to appeal to the people
for support by ascribing the new system to so ancient
a national source.
But, on the other hand, there was
much in the eleven articles, the contents of which we
have summarized above, and in the Imperial oath as
well, that was not drawn from native customs, ancient
or modern for instance, the establishment of a de
liberative assembly and the election of officials, which
must be traced to some other and non- Asiatic origin.
The mere fact that such provisions were inserted in
the Constitution of June 1868 is of no great import
ance, for in that time changes in the principles as well
as the orglanic institutions of the Government occurred
with! a frequency that was bewildering even to those
directly concerned.
Principles which it was impossible
to apply were enunciated in grave documents and
Such must have been the fate
straightway forgotten.
of the proposals to elect officials for terms of four
1
'
J. G.
See Murdock,
Z>.,
p. 91.
J.,
67
i.
pp. 142-80.
A
years
or
Pblitical History
to
afford
facilities
to
of
public for discussing affairs
But there was
priate officials.
which seemed to impress itself
of Japan
the
general feudal
appro
one of the new ideas
upon the minds of the
people, and that was the creation of a representative
assembly.
Even when
it
is
assembly was to
be
strictly
limited
to
was
is
68
The
it
in
June 1873*
summer
of
1868
of Japan
Political History
To soften
feudal nobility and the warrior class.
what the force of these unpalatable measures,
offices in the Government were bestowed upon
some
high
some
to
lower
No
government
object
of
Govern
and
there
was
an
70
The
Western
to
conflict
nearly all of
explains
which we have
referred.
ing menace
the
and had
to
sought
This
the inconsistencies to
Moreover, the overshadow
feudalism,
maintained
itself,
for
it
CHAPTER
III
of
former authorities.
72
The
years
Abolition of Feudalism
1868-71.
The
difficulties
is
Government were
still
men appointed
73
Political History of
Japan
any clan.
These measures directed .against the clans, especially
those of 1870, were taken as the result of an incident
of the highest significance, which occurred early in
On March 5 of that year the Lords of
1869.
Satsuma, Choshu, Hizen, and Tosa proposed to give
up their fiefs, and hand over to the Government the
This was more than
registers of their land and people.
it was an intimation that the
an act of magnanimity
four great military clans of the West were prepared to
to abolish
participate in the central Government's efforts
;
in the
name
as K.wazoku,
were
to
The
feudal lords
their respec
74
The
Abolition of Feudalism
As a statement
to
There
the Emperor's administration.
must be one central body of government, and one
universal authority which must be preserved intact.
Since the time when your Majesty's ancestors founded
this country and established a basis of government,
all things in the wide expanse of heaven and all things
on earth to its furthest limits have belonged to the
Emperor from generation to generation. That is what
one central government/ And the sole
is known as
power of giving and of taking away, which renders it
essential
"
authority.'
**
now
The Imperial
75
Political History
of Japan
We
We
to
office.
But owing
4i
of
govern
Do
was desired
for
Do you
assembled
clans,
therefore,
assist
Our
76
all
The
Abolition of Feudalism
of the realization of a
of the feudal lords because
inefficient in the performance of their
way
and
Emperor.
That such a revolutionary measure should have
been regarded with outward complacency by the entire
feudal aristocracy has often been regarded as little
short of miraculous.
Yet it is not difficult to under
stand the situation in which the great
majority of the
feudal lords found themselves in 1871, for the event
had been skilfully approached and every possible con
tingency provided against.
general public, in so far as
On
it
in
Government strengthened
itself
as
of
the four Western clans to its project.
as
at
the
Just
Restoration a league of the great clans had been
formed to bring about the resignation of the Shogun,
so in this event Satsuma, Choshu, Hizen, and Tosa were
History of Japan
Political
position
it
means
to
fate
it
therefore,
to
have more or
78
less
completely
The
Abolition of Feudalism
Political History of
Japan
between
compromise
and dangerous
class in the
community.
history
of
every
country^ principles,
sentiments,
and
fear.
Daimyo
families
This calculation
is
so
ii.
p. 391.
The
Abolition of Feudalism
political
Daimyo a
tion.
Political History
of Japan
them
class
they acquiesced in
servants,
and the
it
like.
As
to
attempt
no doubt.
further
to
unnecessary, there
justify or impugn the
It is
1871.
of
82
The
Abolition of Feudalism
That some of
degree in other parts of the country.
should
have
run
amok
in
ronin
the
the confusion of
was
that
time
and
their fury was
the
only natural,
occasionally directed against members of the Govern
ment, instead of the common people or foreigners, did
not mean that the Government itself was in danger.
To any one familiar with the confusion of ideas which
the
Emperor
parasites
on
as
society,
the
wonder
is
'that
so
little
dis
Government
troops.
83
Political
History of Japan
As
to the
while
the
of
system in
communes
many
respects similar
to the agricultural
of
fiefs,
ranging
all
cent, or even
The
Abolition of Feudalism
the above
each
fief
statement,
had
for
necessarily in
in
its
who were
expenses
connection with the upkeep of public works and
pay
Wigmore,
op. cit,
85
Part
I,
pp. 94
ft.
Political
History of Japan
neighbouring
fiefs.
expenses
In the circumstances in which the Japanese Finance
Department found itself, it is not difficult to imagine
that even the most capable and industrious Minister
The
would have enough worries to overwhelm him.
labour
and
taxes
into
rice
problem of commuting the
and
little
solved
no
was
terms of money occupied
time,
only after an immense amount of negotiation with the
Furthermore, after the revenues
agricultural classes.
had at last been estimated in terms of yen, the two
men l who were at the head of the Department of
Finance became convinced that the Government rwas
bankrupt, or about to become so, and resig-ned their
of their views on
posts, having prepared a statement
the matter, which was immediately published.
The successor to the headship of the Finance Depart
ment thus vacated was Okuma Shigenobu (now Count
and for the second time Prime Minister). After spend
ing a few months in familiarizing himself with the
financial problems of the country, he issued a state
ment
central
of
local.
1
carrying
Minister,
86
1915),
was
The
Abolition of Feudalism
were
to
method
was
to repudiate the
pension scheme.
The first of the possible devices for readjusting the
finances of the nation to which the Government resorted
When
Inouye and Shibusawa resigned their offices.
turned his attention to the problems of finance
he saw that it would be necessary to float loans to tide
the Government over its immediate dilemma, and at
the
same time he determined to strike at the
roots of the pension scheme, which absorbed about
Okuma
87
Political
History of Japan
provision was
"
their
real
made
"
price
to
those
100 koku
in
task of
life
second,
perpetuity
pensions ; and third,
In the case of
pensions for limited terms of years.
pensions belonging to the first category, those amount
ing to 70,000 yen a year or over were to be capitalized
at five years' purchase, those of 2 5 yen or less a year at
fourteen years'.
All alike were to be paid in Govern-,
in
J. G.
.,
pp. 562-6.
88
The
Abolition of Feudalism
were capitalized
the income
The
been
aboli
160,000 or
1,600,000 yen,
The
of
20,000,000 yen.
annually
tures
that
is,
by about
Whatever
Government's
may
be
policy,
Department.
said
either
in
on
justification
the
score
of
of
the
the
Political History
of Japan
overburdened national
of
desirability
encouraging or com
enter
an
idle
class
to
pelling
upon the more honourable
and useful career of industry., the fact remained that
the samurai regarded the measure as an act of in
for
necessity
treasury or
the
relieving
the
satisfaction of the
to feel the
1
Another
consequences of
its
illustration of the
tem'erity.
90
CHAPTER
IV,
ITS CRITICS
THE
construction
of
the
into the
animated
feudal atmosphere
Imperial rescript
;
institutions
spirit
may
be
which enters
new
Satsuma
after
1871
Political History
of
Japan
the
esprit
not
only
in
various
small
may
be observed
the
central
92
its
Critics
chapter.
Not only do we
these
of
its
new
characteristic
of
Asia.
whom
occupied
Hence it
de jure absolute and de facto powerless.
that they should have overlooked the
was inevitable
93
Political History
of Japan
were willing
to
sacrifice
the
new
alliance,
of
apparently
In
this
combination
an
absolute
elements,
the
dualism
oligarchy,
repre
times by, the Court and the
incompatible
in
pre-Meiji
no
political
having
been
rights, their
to furnish
only function in
the
but
taxes
the
State
and advocates
of popular rights
94
tof
its
Critics
as
But
We
allowed
to
serve
as
Imperialists
of
patriot,
dicted,
as
95
Political
History of Japan
was
'
apparent in
and
its
Critics
them on December
It ran, in part, as
of the object of their mission.
"
I now send you to several foreign countries
follows
abroad as Ambassadors.
Judging from your ability
and loyalty, I do not doubt that you will perform your
duties with diligence, and accomplish with success the
:
the
Tokyo Government
Political History
of Japan
his
In
Takamori.
the
samurai,
is
sufficient
to
explain
the
Chinese
its
Critics
Each was
visited.
opinions
public
expression
to
his
upon
most urgent
the
who gave
Kido,
*
Constitution
tially
the
prestige
of
the
envoys.
rumours of
Kido and Okubo
Persistent
Press.
On
the
and upon
their
of the country.
The
issue
between
1
the
opposing
99
parties
in
the
Political History
of Japan
Was Japan
to enter
Asia
or to
upon a course of military, expansion
of
internal
recon
work
employ all her energies in the
The arguments of the advocates of peace
struction?
ful progress were, as stated in Kido's Memorial, in
the first place that Japan was not prepared for war,
her wealth and population not being great enough and
and in the
her military establishments insignificant
second place that if Japan was to continue to exist
as an independent State and develop into a great
modern country she must establish a Constitution and
to these views were the teachings of
laws.
Opposed
"
"
and the professional
the pre-Meiji
patriotic schools
It is interesting to
chauvinism of the warrior class.
Coalition
was one
of
policy,
in
'
note that Kido, Okubo, and Ito had all alike been
educated in the very ideas which now animated the
that they had divested
great body of the samurai, and
themselves of the last shreds of their early militarist
their shrewdness in recog
prejudices was a tribute to
their country.
of
needs
the
changing
nizing
the peace party
influences
or
what
arguments
By,
withdrew from
Saigo, Ita'gaki, Eto, and Goto Shojiro
his position
retained
of
Council
the
State, though Saigo
the
fill
To
the
of
Commander-in-Chief
as
Army.
vacancies,
Kido,
to
the
100
its
Critics
The triumph
ment
of Japan
Political History
the country of a
aggression.
of
How
influential in
military camp.
reactionary,
restoration of the feudal regime.
Satsuma had been the foremost of the clans which
had brought about the Restoration, and its services
to the Imperial cause on that occasion were such as
be
never
letter
forgotten.
of
102
Critics
its
he joined
1872 and
the
the
ex-Daimyo of the
with four hundred of
the
clan,,
came up
to
Tokyo
in
1874
that
significant
display
that
name
cisely
in
his
and a pre
similar attitude was adopted by Satsuma after
title
of the Shogtmate,
103
Political History
of Japan
the
The
late
Count
Hayashi
Tadasu,
diplomat
and
evening,
by the
Okubo
crisis
is
city
To
titles
104
its
Critics
The importance
much
as in
its
effects
armed
105
cited as
an exception
Political History
of Japan
criticism of his
of the
is
military
also
seems
much more
impressed
various
the
by
countries
representative
they had
visited,
assemblies
especially
of
the
by the
"
viction
that
j. G.
>.,
pp. 426-33-
06
its
Critics
Empire
cannot be
successfully
To
done."
rescue
to
that
of
ment
had
"
opinion
"
justified
by
saying
its
modified,
failure
the
that
consult
to
people
"
"
public
yet
could not
were as
and
There was
un
comprehend questions of state.
of
view
official
the
for
doubtedly some justification
as
a
the
of
failure
the matter in the
body
Kogisho
of
representatives
of
the
clans.
Nevertheless,
this
107
A
"
Political History
of Japan
"
No
"
local assemblies
"
only
"
The views
08
its
Critics
The
argued and
tion,
spite
and the
The
first
109
by the
Political History of
Japan
of
the
people
in
"
determining
"
tion.
by
the
clan
to
meaning
to
their
main object
completely misrepresent the case.
of Eto, one of the original group
action
The subsequent
is
to
no
Critics
its
of memorialists,,
way
arrived at in the
his
when
that
"
it is
now impos
Yet the
as might be advanced by the clan leaders.
oath when once uttered by the Emperor immediately
took on a sanctity and importance out of all proportion
to its origin, and it was adopted seven years later as
the shibboleth of a cause the very nature of which was
inconceivable in 1867.
in
CHAPTER V
task
central
of
and
reconstructing
local
the
institutions
of
the
As a
Daijokwan was
divided
into
'
112
The
Reconstruction of Governments
113
Political
History of Japan
Em
As we
In creating such a
Government gave up
all thought of consulting or being guided by the
wishes of feudal public
and was not
opinion,
willing to admit to a share in the government
the great mass of the peopleNevertheless, the
oligarchy was not unwilling to have a so-called repre
sentative body in existence, to which they could point
in order to satisfy such demand as existed for popular
neither
body
it
government.
.When some fourteen years later the Daijokwan was
about to be abolished, the Prime Minister, Sanjo
Saneyoshi, in a memorial I to the throne referred to
1
J. G.
>.,
pp. 90-3.
114
The
Reconstruction of Governments
organization of
variety of criticism.
this
the
"
Government and
offered
The
a temporary -expedient
time, is opposed to the principle of personal govern
ment by your Majesty
it has tended,
moreover, ,to
lessen unduly the responsibilities of the Ministers of
departments, and has caused obstruction in the public
business."
The meaning of these objections becomes
apparent only in the light of some further commen
The Daijokwan had been set up during the
tary.
Emperor's minority, and had therefore assumed prac
It was a Regency put into
tically Imperial powers.
commission because the active promoters of the
Restoration were unwilling to hand over the Imperial
power to any one individual, a fact which throws light
as
"
Daijokwan as
opposed to the prin
The
ciple of personal government by your Majesty."
second objection to the Daijokwan lay in the fact that
"
it tended
to lessen unduly the responsibilities of the
Ministers of departments/'
What had actually hap
pened was that the commanding figures in the Govern
ment who were both heads of departments and Sangi
had formed the habit of proceeding with such
departmental measures as they chose to adopt, subse
quently notifying the Daijokwan of the action they
had taken, whereas men of little influence in the Sei-in,
who were notwithstanding Ministers of departments,
took little interest in their proper administrative
functions because they were not powerful enough to
obtain the Sei-in's sanction to such measures as their
This condition
departmental subordinates proposed.
of affairs became so scandalous that the Government
finally undertook to remove the abuse by providing
that Ministers of departments should not be members
of the Sei-in, and that they should be strictly guided
Political History of
Japan
The
it
It
As to the
pride in the organization they devised.
personnel of the reorganized Government,
Sanjo
Saneyoshi, a Kuge, and Iwakura Tomomi were ap
pointed respectively Daijodaijin and! Udaijin, while Kido,
The
Saigo, Itagaki, and Okuma were made Sangi.
changes in the holders of the offices were frequent, and
In the
only a few of them are of any interest.
early part of 1872 Okuma was transferred from the
Department of Public Works to the Finance Office upon
Inouye's resignation, and a little later Goto and Eto
were created Sangi, Soyejima becoming Minister of
In
Foreign Affairs and Oki Minister of Education.
of
as
a
result
of
the
the
of
September
1873,
triumph
peace party, Saigo, Itagaki, Goto, and Eto resigned
from the Council of State and Soyejima from the
Foreign Office, and the Government was left in the
hands of Sanjo, Iwakura, Kido, Okubo, I to, Okuma,
Terashima, Kuroda, Ichiji, Yamagata, and Katsu Awa.
In 1874 Kido resigned because of the Formos^n expe1
116
The
Reconstruction of Governments
1871 per
though from time to time changes were made
in the number of administrative
departments. In 1872
the Department of War was
abolished, and in its place
two departments, those of the Army and the
Navy,
were created. In 1873 the Department of Home
sisted,
Affairs
over
was
internal
set
up,
kwan
"
was
no longer
the
"
Council of
Privy Council," and in place of the
three Boards, which were abolished, two new bodies 'were
created, the Senate (Genro-in) and a Supreme Court
State
"
retained,
but as a
"
,as
was
tive,
and
legisla
bodies.
ruled had
judicial
oligarchs which
By
1875 Kido's services to the State ended, and two years later he died.
career was in many respects
disappointing. Till 1873 he was
undoubtedly the foremost of the Meiji reformers, the philosopher of the
Restoration, but as a practical politician he was lacking in the requisite
ability to get along with his colleagues, especially with Okubo, whose
imperious temperament permitted little opposition.
Nevertheless, with
Kido's death Japan lost one of its very greatest
men, whose wisdom might
have saved the nation in the following decade from Ito's
deplorable blunder
in the matter of the Constitution.
His
official
117
Political History of
Japan
powers
adumbrations of
powers were in nearly all cases
the present rules of procedure and powers of the Diet,
House.
Likewise, the rules
especially, of the Lower
drawn up for the guidance of the Supreme Court were
such as to make that body subject to the control of
It
the Daijokwan through the Department of Justice.
there
the
even
at
doubted
whether
be
day
present
may
its
made
"
to say, in part
is
Our
We
We
118
The Reconstruction
of Governments
be determined.
"
We
Our
subjects and
necessarily abandon
of
must
many
of
their
former customs,
yield too
impulsively to a rash desire for reform."
For effrontery and sheer contempt of the nation's
yet
they
not,
it
rescript
"
119
Political
The explanation
History of Japan
The position
resign his office in the Council of State.
of the Government was further weakened by the action
of Itagaki and his followers in launching, in January
1874, their campaign for the establishment of a, repre
To discuss the situation, and if
sentative assembly.
which would reunite the
effect
a
compromise
possible
broken ranks of the Administration, a conference was
The Govern
Ito, it is said, at Osaka.
arranged by
Government.
in
120
The Reconstruction
the
of Governments
touched
number of important
been that
to set
development which
was also claimed
that the establishment of the Cabinet would facilitate
the conduct of business and get rid of the abuses
which had crept into the old system.
It is permissible to doubt, at least, the first two of
The oligarchy had no intention of
these statements.
handing over its power to the Emperor, any more than
made
in his
It
to
dictated by
exercise
desire
of Japan
Political History
every
remaining
element
of
Kuge
influence.
This
made
stitutional
122
The
Reconstruction of Governments
a powerful extra-legal
committee, the members being popularly known as the
Elder Statesmen (Genro), which upon occasions both
political and non-political is consulted by the Emperor.
The Constitution of 1889, in addition to certain claims
which it made regarding the nature of the sovereignty,
guaranteed that the various institutions composing the
Government should be operated in accordance with the
The importance of the instrument
provisions of law.
legally constituted bodies there is
of election.
1
For the text of the Constitution and of all the other laws referred to
in these paragraphs consult y. G. D., pp. 133-231.
123
Political History
of Japan
Inde
government
governments.
clan government
of
ment
in force until
124
of local
govern
The Reconstruction
of Governments
by
the Daijokwan.
In the case of the
somewhat
their
nominal subordination
to
1868.
When
and turned
into
reduced
to
seventy-two.
Political History
of Japan
The Ken
function
policy outlined
Son
officers
time out of
town
officials,
to village
and
lists
Naimusho
the
to regu
following powers were specified and granted
late the processes of taking the census ; to estab
:
of local taxation
to
1
make
roads,
126
embankments, and
The
Reconstruction of Governments
bridges
to
to
make loans
the number
government
Home
Office
be taken
by the
local authorities,
to
dictatorial
little
in consulting the
more
in
1875
Political History
of Japan
Home
Office.
In one
respect
common
former serfdom
to
be
removed from
The samurai in
little
eligible.
was
likely
to
The
a very different nature were adopted in 1876.
conand
to
intended
was
first
discourage inefficiency,
1
128
The
sisted
Reconstruction of Governments
a
of
series
of
disciplinary
punishments
the
second,
encourage efficiency by providing reward
for faithful service.
Still another defect of the local government of the
time arose from the dishonesty of the higher officials,
especially the Governors. The opportunities for corrup
tion were many, and a considerable proportion of the
Kenchiji were incapable of resisting the temptation to
enrich themselves while in office,
One of the curious
taxes of the time for that matter still in existence
was a levy imposed upon licensed prostitutes.
The
funds raised in this manner were evidently regarded
by the authorities as tainted, and were turned over
under the head of miscellaneous taxes to constitute
a secret fund in the possession of the Governor to
be used in cases of emergency. As no strict accounting
was ever made of the funds acquired in this way,, the
to
tion
it,
part
of
the
Government's
practically disappeared.
in 1878, as tbe main
of
policy
conciliating
its
G.
a
>.,
pp. 272-6.
129
Political History
of Japan
tive
bodies.
assemblies.
In 1880 the principle of taking into consideration
the wishes of the local people in matters of local
chapter.
and
day,
Ken
many of
the
?. G.
>.,
pp. 76-8.
130
The
Reconstruction of Governments
men would
Political History
or
dissolved
of Japan
the
assembly altogether if it
1881 the Parliamentary
became unmanageable.
to
issued
quell a disturbance in
Rescript had to be
Tokyo, but the oligarchs provided for ample time in
which to adjust themselves to the promised regime.
interest,
In
How
dominate
local
Home
even to
administration,
of inspection,
Minister to
minutest
its
By a system
details.
by frequent reports,
upon the provincial Governor's
discretion, by the power of appointment and dismissal
of high local officials or removal of Governors from
one province to another, the central Government pro
by
strict
limitations
its
will should prevail.
As against the
as
even
in
an
people,
represented
assembly, the local
officials were given ample powers, and the Governor's
control of the police of the Ken assured him of
vided
that
assembliesbe
and the
highly
creation of local
132
CHAPTER
VI
1890.
The
first
of
The
political
assembly
have
considerations
already
been
133
which
adverted
produced
this
in
this
to
Political History
of Japan
chapter
it
is
officials
Growth of Representative
Ken
Institutions
135
Political History
of Japan
as an assembly
describing the Chihokwan-kwaigi
of the representatives of the people.
"
"
Rules of the Assembly
pro
In the accompanying
vision was made for the establishment of a committee
in
tion
of the session
of
procedure
in
sittings
respect
to
to
;
be observed
for the
Bills,
main
debates,
The
by
lot.
to secure
the
staunchly Conservative.
A revised edition of the constitution and rules for
the conduct of business of the Chihokwan-kwaigi was
issued in March I878, 1 and while a number of addi
tions were made, mainly in the direction of simplifying
the rules of procedure, no new powers were accorded,
and no changes of any significance were made in the
original scheme.
136
Growth of Representative
Institutions
among
the
people.
The
inclusion
of
this
latter
in
1874 was adopted, and the
July
Governors notified privately. Portions of twenty days
were occupied by the sittings, and the debates centred
Daijokwan
j. G. D., p. 519-
137
A
around
Political History
of Japan
behind it, except for its name and its forms, no vestige
That the news
by which it may be remembered."
paper Press should have been critical was to be
expected, for the Government made the mistake of
This decision
excluding reporters from the meetings.
to hold the debates in camera was only arrived at
and announced as the time was at hand for the session
to begin, and the reason offered, an obvious subter
* e
mind
The
Growth of Representative
Institutions
139
Political History
of Japan
embodied
issued in
1878.
camera, and as in
May
of local assemblies.
Ito presided at the sittings, for
the Government was no more willing to allow the
of the
"
members of the
political societies
moment
the public
has been nursing the idea that the Chihokwan-kwaigi
was to be the stepping-stone to a great national
assembly, but they now begin to see that a national
assembly can only be obtained by a union of minds ;
and the time for such an institution can only arrive
:
140
Growth of Representative
Institutions
minor importance.
The
regulations
1878.
"
to
'
141
Political History
of Japan
hold
office
Ken
at least ten
the
to
142
Growth of Representative
revision
of
Institutions
essential changes in
88 1
it was
provided that the Governor, if he
a resolution of the assembly,, should send
to
objected
it back for reconsideration, and if the measure there
after should still be unacceptable he was to forward
in
it
to the
Home
assembly/' or
a share
in the executive
Subsequently, in
power.
the
y. G.
Z>.,
Standing
143
Political
History of Japan
The
the interests of their constituents.
to obviate the danger of
was
this
of
change
purpose
conflicts within the assembly between city and country
For example, the area known as Tokyomembers.
Fu contains not only the city of Tokyo, but twenty -two
contiguous towns and 156 villages, as well as hundreds
concerned
local
government, so far as
88 1,
though
144
Growth of Representative
more or
Institutions
less
whom
similar in all
as
an executive
official,
known
in the cities
Headman,
and
among
145
Political
History of Japan
main,
city affairs,
kw, and
import
is
the competency
of the town
and
2
village assemblies.
The
city
council,
deputies and
elected
administrative authority.
'
administration,
2
Articles
3
XXXII-XXXV.
4
146
Idem,
p. 350.
Growth of Representative
Above
Institutions
and
as
the controlling power over the
local
for
government in the urban areas are
machinery
of the Ken, and in the last resort
the
Governors
placed
In certain matters specified the
the Home Minister.
of
issuing
bylaws, raising of loans, imposition of special
city taxes, etc.
the
Home
sary, and
and the imposition of
in other matters
The development
of the
representative institutions,
The
responsible government.
a purely bureaucratic system,
and to only a slight degree had they power to disturb
How
the equanimity of an absolutist officialdom.
thoroughly the purposes of the oligarchy had crystal
lized may be best seen in the constitution and powers
that
term
is
assemblies were
meant
fitted into
Political History
of Japan
attend
;
except in cases of flagrant
ance of Ministers of state or Government delegates
at
the
sittings
address
the
of
either
members
House and
their
right
to
the
for
sessions in
holding
public, provided that if necessary they might be con
for the quorum, which was deter
ducted in camera
;
the Diet.
For the present it is unnecessary to consider the
details of the organization or of the rules of
pro
cedure of the Imperial Diet, as embodied in the three
**
laws,
of
"
y.G.
>.,
pp, 153-6.
148
Growth of Representative
the
Cabinet.
Institutions
Of
by
popular
body
in
the
'
j. G.
z>.,
pp. 109-24.
149
Political History
of Japan
The explanation of
this
reversal
of
the
to be found mainly in
in
Growth of Representative
Institutions
counterpart
by
divine
right.
national
assembly
which
can
Government.
But that the system of government established in
Political
History of Japan
1889 has in it the elements of danger which v characterized the Stuart system there cannot be the slightest
it be denied that Japan is preparing
constitutional changes as great as
and
political
those which England witnessed in the eighteenth
That the advent of responsible government
century.
marked by revolutionary excesses is not
will be
probable, for the monarchy has no firm convictions on
the subject of divine right, and the oligarchy, which
has mainly profited by the sedulous cultivation of that
doubt,,
nor can
for
Okuma, Kato,
clan oligarchs.
all
outsiders
152
of
view of the
CHAPTER
POLITICAL ISSUES
VII
AND MORALITY
mitted
One most
153
Political
History of Japan
of the northern
popular interest in the development
but
during that year
island never was keen until 1880,
and the first half of 1881 public attention was
focused upon the project with an intensity new in
for its direct results
Japan, and interesting not only
Apart
revision
Tokyo mob
most largely
into
political
discussions.
The
interest
As described above,
the
Similarly,
and Morality
Political Issues
had subsided
to
155
Political
History of Japan
Not so much
of revolt by its despotic measures.
because of its contents but because of its origin does
this memorial mark a new stage in the campaign for
The political society fathered
popular government.
WES
in
Tosa
duplicated by others in
by Itagaki
different parts of the country, the parent societies estab
lishing branches here and there, thus welding into one
body the scattered elements of the opposition to the
Government. They set up newspapers as their organs,
or enlisted the services of already existing papers for
It was this organized
the spread of their propaganda.
in 1878 to grant
the
Government
caused
pressure that
Fu
to
the
and
Ken, and in
representative assemblies
1880 to the cities, towns, and villages.
At the same time that these concessions were made
the Government took steps to protect itself against
attacks
of
its
1875 was
the
J. G.
Z>.,
pp. 539-43-
156
1872,
Political Issues
and
and Morality
one of
He had
result of Ms
the
We
in
January 24, 1874, p. 60. The Japan Weekly Mail was edited in 1874
by G. W. Howell, a journalist of remarkable powers, and after iSSo
by the late Captain Frank Brinkley, R.A., Yokohama correspondent of
the London Times, contributor of the article
"Japan" to the Encyclopedia
Britannica, nth edition, and author of a monumental work on China and
Japan. The files of the Japan Weekly Mail are an almost indispensable
source book for the history of the Meiji Era. After 1900 their value
rapidly
diminished, however, for the editor about that time was offered and accepted
a subsidy from the Japanese Government, and thereafter became a thick
and thin supporter of the Administration and its measures.
Political
History of Japan
way
appointed to see
it
properly spent.'
Whether all the accusations brought against the
Commission were true or false is neither here nor
to support it.
there, for the Government continued
of the subsidy drew to its conclusion, in
1 88 1,
Kuroda, the chief of the Kaitakushi, presented
to the Daijofcwan a scheme for winding up the affairs
As the term
it
through
which
such
scandal
158
should
have
been
Political Issues
and Morality
He called a
brought to the notice of the public.
and
of
the
citizens
of
Tokyo
divulged the
meeting
not
of
the
nature
only raising thereby a storm
plot,
the
of protest against
Government, but making himself
the idol of the people.
crest of this wave of
(1890),
establish
and
We
in
Parliament,
We
order to carry
have announced,
missions to make,
We
We
of
Our
realm, will
fall
^as dropped.
the
159
Political History
of Japan
agitators.
money.
It
Nor was
acquire for himself an ample competence.
to drive
offence
sufficient
a
malfeasance of public funds
circumstances.
under
a public man from office
ordinary
With remarkably few exceptions, Kido, Ito, Okubo,
Itagaki, and Goto Shojiro conspicuous among them, the
promoters of the Restoration have died millionaires or
The late Prince Katsura
are still living as rich men.
was reported to have amassed a fortune of I 5,000,000
yen, though he had served the Government as a
soldier for most of his life, with no independent income.
One of the recent Prime Ministers, Yarttamoto Gombei,
refused to permit an inspection of the value of his
property even after he had been accused in the Diet
of diverting large sums of public money into his own
pocket.
Political Issues
and Morality
its
own
sake as
office,
One of
the
was
moved
to
action by any genuine reprobation of
Kuroda's dishonesty was the rising of a great Tokyo
mob, which threatened violence against the members
in subsequent years.
Political
History of Japan
and turning
by
all
the
parties
throughout
the
Okuma and
his
mob
of
excited
162
Political Issues
and Morality
in
to so-called
by
perhaps,
be cited as
1
For the manifestoes of the various parties see Lay r A. H., History of the
Trans. A.S.J., vol. xxx., Part III,
Rise of Political Parties in Japan,
Yokohama,
1902.
Political
History of Japan
in
connection with
the rioters.
among
The
terms in prison.
The
disorders occurring in
The
oligarchy,
164
Political Issues
and Morality
As we have
people at
In
Inouye, who occupied the Foreign Office,
took up the question, and secured the Government's
consent to a programme of treaty revision which he
had determined to put into execution.
Preparations
for the event were made on an elaborate scale and
by devices which, to say the least, were as amusing
until
that
year
were abortive,
A great hall was built in
Tokyo, and the Government began to encourage social
relations between the people and the resident foreigners.
Balls and musical performances, participated in by both
natives and foreigners, followed upon each other in
a round of gaiety such as Tokyo society had never
before witnessed.
Dancing academies sprang up over
night, and little circles of men and women worked
diligently to master foreign languages, etiquette, and
amusements. The winter months of 1886-7 were for
Tokyo a season never to be forgotten. Among the
lower orders the wearing of foreign articles of dress
was advocated, and in every direction it was evident
"
**
that
were to be adopted with all
foreign ways
possible speed. The meaning of this official encourage
ment of the imitation of foreign manners was not
evident to the people, either high or low, until well
on in the year, when it was noised about that negotia
tions to abolish extra-territoriality had been going on
with the representatives of the Western Powers and
had reached the point where it only remained to append
the signatures of the contracting parties.
The main
as
they
Political History
of Japan
Consular
administration
accomplish
purpose by a sacrifice of their national pride, for the
mixed tribunals with prosecuting attorneys of foreign
birth, as well as the wholesale adoption of Western
manners, were a virtual confession of inferiority.
Especially among the upper classes was there a genuine
dislike of foreigners, who were often offensive to the
more
punctilious
appearance, and
Japanese
this
aversion
Political Issues
and
Morality-
in
their
fields of
The
own
too,
To permit the
appealing to the pride of the nation.
Government's successful revision of the treaties would
have been to allow the removal from the sphere of
The pres
politics of an issue of great possibilities.
tige of the Government would have been thereby
increased, and the strength of the Opposition corre
However the emphasis is to
spondingly diminished.
be distributed among the contributory causes, the fact
remains that the storm of protest against Inouye's
Political
History of Japan
"
treasonable and
nation's
the
customs and
disloyal/'
traditions and an adoption of those of foreigners, drove
project,
which,
was represented as
surrender
of
Japanese dictum.
168
and
Political Issues
and Morality
silent.
The Japan Weekly Mail,
edited by the late Captain Brinkley,
regarded the law as an unfortunate incident not to
be taken as an expression of the Cabinet's general
It generally approved of the Government's
policy.
**
so
far as it would operate to repress
action,
every
thing savouring of secret conspiracy and covert com
bination to disturb good order."
Under the enforced quiet of the Peace Preservation
Ordinance, which was not repealed until 1898, events
moved on toward the consummation of the reconstruc
tion programme.
The even tenor of the year i'888
to
it
at
were perforce
that
time
was
before the
blown
to pieces
by a bomb.
Okuma
Though
seriously injured,
Political History
of Japan
the negotiations
and
in
due time
Okuma
resigned.
further cause of contention between the Govern
and its political opponents calls for consideration,
ment
and this is the system of so-called clan government
(Hambatsu Seifu). Popular opposition to the oligarchy
was based not only upon its despotic rule and Its
usurpation of powers which belonged by right to the
Emperor, but upon the monopolizing of all offices by
This particular agitation
Satsuma and Choshu men.
cropped up periodically throughout the Meiji Era, and
because it was more violent before 1888 than at any
except during the closing* years of the
advisable to make at this point a some
what extended statement of what is meant by clan
other
time
reign,
it
is
government.
Generally speaking, the origin of clan government
is to be found in the survival of the spirit of feudalism.
That
it
spirit
bound
was
their lord,
and
to the
and
a common
loyalty to
interests of their fellow-clans-
inen
exalt
to
willing
privileged class.
By force of circumstances
detailed,
Political Issues
and Morality
When
came
to
in
the
previous
So
inflation straightway began again.
the
this
has
been
Meiji
throughout
tendency
persistent
Era, and so disastrous its results, especially to the
Treasury, that hardly a year has passed since the
Parliament began to meet without some protest being
process
of
171
Political History of
Japan
made or
ment
No one
matter what their clan affiliations might be.
need accuse the Government of the present day of
excluding from the public service, upon the score of
birth in Northern or Eastern Japan, any candidate of
In that sense the mono-poly of the
unusual ability.
Western clansmen has disappeared, and even in another
172
Political Issues
It
is
and Morality
To
go back
Department
to
it is
War
necessary
when the
the two
figure
in
the
Government,
173
and
after
his
Political
History of Japan
there
Navy
service
were
as
there
were
seniority,
or
the civil departments of
received appointments on the
Army
in
Navy were
when
entirely in the
owed
Army
their
favourites,
his friends.
174
Political Issues
and Morality
However widely
years to men of
of Satsuma men
into
In the Russian
175
Political History
of Japan
services, to
One
must be mentioned in
this
fit.
con
other institution
if a complete understanding of clan govern
ment is to be obtained, and that is the Genro, or
This body, more or less
Council of Elder Statesmen.
informally constituted toward the end of Meiji, was
not provided for in the Constitution ; nevertheless, men
nection
have been
specifically
name
members
of the original
the
Restoration
group of samurai who had promoted
and been active in the Government through the first
The Emperor consulted them
thirty years of the reign.
semi-privately on matters of importance, such as the
beginning and termination of hostilities in the RussoJapanese War. The Cabinets of the day also consulted
with, or rather submitted to the direction of, the Elder
Statesmen. Their position in national affairs, in short,
was the more or less exact counterpart of that of .the
elders in any ordinary Japanese family council ; they are
old and therefore wise in experience, and their advice
should be followed.
So far the Elder Statesmen as
an informal body of advisers to the Emperor and the
Cabinet seems a natural product of Japanese tradition,
but the role played by these advisers was open to
signified, the surviving
Yamagata
to oust Saionji.
176
office
again,
Yamagata,
Political Issues
and Morality
ability,
and jealously
restricted to
closely
In the process of
this class has succeeded in securing and re
taining control of the administration, and hence clan
government has come to mean primarily a 'government
class.
devices,
CHAPTER
VIII
confusion
characteristic
of every
by the
transition
conflicting juris
feudal governments,
it
178
End of
monarch began.
by
pro
It would be more in
mulgation of a Constitution.
accord with history to conjecture that the Constitution
merely crystallized
political
ideas
Institutions
seldom thrive
began
to
hamper and
To attempt
career
is
stable
to check
a type of
folly
equilibrium
is
by
its
Political
History of Japan
is
may
true,
the
mutability,
stagnation,
of the
the constitutional
popular
belief
oligarchythe
in
the
diligent cultivation of
peculiarity
and
1
superiority of the Japanese monarchy, with
its
inherent
heavenly
GmdCf London,
1911.
180
New
Religion/' Literary
End of the
Reconstruction Period
Assembly.
Moreover,
members of
and by
ties
them
gated,
the politicians
government and
by
Only by revolution can power
be wrested by one class froni another. The ordinary
processes of nature, evolution and decay, are too slow
control
the oligarchs.
to
The span
life
three
of man's
generations,
necessarily handed
Meiji some of the
Genre.
181
Political
History of Japan
new generation
carry on into the future the traditions of the past.
The steps by which the denouement of 1889 was
approached have been to some extent anticipated. In
1883 Ito was transferred from the Home Office to
up
in their
own
political
philosophy a
to
In
the
Department of
the
Household
significant.,
Home
Affairs
and
likewise his
domi
Prussian influence.
of
constitutional
182
End of
clearly
Political History
of Japan
At the
Cabinet, which was composed of the
Ministers of the various administrative departments,
stood the Minister President of State, with powers of
supervision and control which madfe him a Japanese
Ito secured
counterpart of the German Chancellor.
his own appointment to this latter office, and for the
time being the main outlines of the Prussian system
the
head of the
its
secrets
were kept
inviolate,
and
all public
The
among
stodted in England.
184
End
ment assembled.
arise
when
Parlia
part of the
and
their
stock-in-trade
of
the
Liberal party,
form and
185
A
which
gave
History of Japan
I to
"
Political
makes
Conservatism/' is obviously
misleading, and was designed to impress the Japanese
people with the fact that the Emperor himself ,was
the Constitution.
responsible for the provisions of
Few
no unfavourable comments
made, for the time being, upon the
Apart from two incidents, the events
were
to
be
Constitution.
End
and patron of
The other
learning.
incident of the
Political
History of Japan
End
and are
of
institutions.
They preferred to lay stress upon
the changes which had been brought about and were
"
embodied in the Constitution.
In consideration 2 of
the progressive tendency of the course of human
tive
affairs,
We
distinctness
to
the
instructions
of civilization,
clearness and
bequeathed by the
othier
Imperial
y. G. ZX,
establish
p. 145.
189
Idem,
p. 144.
Political History
of Japan
the other,
which
freely
Our
paragraphs
"
We hereby promulgate
:
...
a fundamental law
of state, to exhibit the principles by which We are
to be guided in Our conduct, and to point out to
what Our descendants and Our subjects and their
descendants are for ever to conform.
"
We
now
of the rights
to
its
and
origin
that is
was merely a
"
190
End of
As time passed
by, the
in Japan.
into
2
Political
History of Japan
advice to the
give their
*
Responsible to
Emperor, and be responsible for it.
whom? was the question, to the people as represented
Even the Nichi
in Parliament or to the Emperor?
Nichi professed itself as believing that the former
and the question was not
interpretation was correct,
"
decided in the contrary sense until Ito's
Commentary
Ministers
of
State
shall
"
1
Other ambiguous
appeared.
upon the Constitution
were
but,
speaking, only
generally
discussed,
provisions
a few of the newspapers undertook to condemn the
Emperor's gift as not what the nation desired or
expected.
its
accompanying
of
the
is little
the
diffi
institutions
estimating
quality
culty
"
immutable law/' it is true, has
The
provided for.
not been set aside, nor hasiits amendment been publicly
advocated by any responsible politicians. But the dissatisfection with the Government has from time to
time become intense, and on many occasions a Cabinet
has been compelled to resign by the force of hostile
public opinion.
p. 90-
192
End of
and rehabilitation.
Provision is likewise made for a
Regency to exercise all the Imperial prerogatives in
the
to
the rights
and
is
193
Political
History of Japan
and
and associations."
Code of Criminal
and
liberties
its
if
194
End
him
is to
jF.
G. ix,
p.
no.
of Japan
Political History
his Minister
How
President.
this
Yamagata
we shall' see
quently transformed by
militarist
faction
the beginning.
"
The Judica
of Chapter V on
"
of
law
a
for
ture
courts,
system
organized
provided
I
according to law ; for judges to be appointed from
The
five
articles
among
office
by law.
lished-
ordinary
shall be presented
and subsequently
first
to the
to the Peers.
Diet,
circumstances
are such that the Diet cannot be convoked, the Govern
ment is authorized to take all necessary financial!
measures by Imperial ordinance, or if the Budget does
not pass the Diet, the Government shall carry out the
1
If the
196
End of
A Board of
provisions made for the previous year.
Audit is also provided for. Except for certain charges
upon the national treasury, such as the civil list and
"
fixed
consent
sistency, the
to
197
Political
History of Japan
amended.
"
When in the future it may become
necessary in time.
necessary to amend any of the provisions of the present
or Our successors shall assume the
Constitution,
initiative right, and submit a project for the same
In such a case, the Supple
to the Imperial Diet."
mentary Rules provide that the Diet shall not consider
the amendment unless two-thirds of the whole number
of members are present, and no amendment shall be
passed by either House except by a two-thirds majority
If we assume the minimum require
of those present
ment as thus described, it would be possible for a
strong Government to initiate and carry through the
Diet an amending project by controlling 171 votes
in the Lower House and about the same number in
tte Peers. But the difficulties are not adequately repre
If 'the present Government,
sented by these figures.
which controls a majority of the Lower House, should
introduce the amendments necessary to secure respon
sible government, and that is 'the policy which the
J
Prime Minister and various members of his Cabinet
have advocated for years, even if the Bill were passed
We
stitution.
The
constitutional
is
198
End
monarchy
took
place,
which
institutions
Under a
constitutional
monarchy, in
this
Bismarck
Germany
German-
ment by the
the
conflict
the
force
of
of
subjects may increase depends upon the success
the Government in creating a public sentiment in favour
199
Political
To
History of Japan
of
its
policies.
persist
long* in
is
the
Government
of the land.
is
to all intents
To what
200
PART
II
CHAPTER
IX
History of Japan
Political
of
The next
diately
year, 1885, in
by
nations,
grasp.
Tientsin
its
The terms of
by
Ito
in
April
'
204
The
A
few months
First
Four Years
launched the
first of his
the
Prussian innovations by abolishing
Daijokwan and
The
real signifi
Naikaku.
the
in
its
setting up
place
at
not
the time,,
was
cance of this change
apparent
the
it
to
raise
nevertheless
served
question of the
a fresh out
and
caused
Cabinet
responsibility of the
later,
Ito
voracious
Towards
conceivable
line
Political
History of Japan
by
threats.
At
last
the
put an end to
December 25, 1887,
The
First
Four Years
ct
had provided
demands
of
Political
History of Japan
other to benefit
The question of clan
accrue from successful revision.
government versus responsible government was impos
sible of compromise, while there was room for such
serious differences of opinion on the other items of
was next to hopeless.
policy that successful adjustment
The public had become so accustomed, throughout the
four years immediately preceding 1890, to the noise and
violence of political controversy that it
little disposed to welcome a return to
was therefore
harmony and
peace.
The
institutions
of the
The
electorate
voters,
77
36;
law,
ing,
5, etc.
17;
business,
agricul
no settled business,
48
14; journalism, u; bank
administration,
The
First
Four Years
whose ranks,
if
ability
the
"
failures
sive.
House during
to
useful
to
the country
and
Political History of
Japan
The
First
Four Years
year.
In spite of these
tion.
of the assault
the
was
Czarevitch
a
series
of
upon
harshly repressive
211
Political
History of Japan
the
the
peace, the Opposition maintaining, with reason, that
it was unnecessary to institute a reign of terror among
the people because one crazy Government official had
disgraced the nation by attempting the life of the
To the Government's
heir to the Russian throne.
appeals for the sufferers in the stricken districts the
From this
Opposition paid no attention whatever.
ominous beginning matters in the Diet grew rapidly
worse.
tion of
patience
212
The
First
Four Years
members
the various
sums from
their
pany,
owned by
the
Iwasaki family.
On
the con
official
213
Political
whole country
tlie
History of Japan
casualty
lists
totalled
25 killed and
The
yen.
mined
session
On
to
this,
however,
exercise
its
the
assumed
214
The
First
Four Years
Upper.
Therefore the
is
in
LXXL
215
A
measures.
Political History
Otherwise
the
representative government
of Japan
fundamental principle
be destroyed/'
of
will
This
August 4th.
Seldom, even in the history of the Japanese Diet,
has there been a more unpopular Government than
Matsukata's first Cabinet.
Ordinarily, all Japanese
Cabinets are unpopular, for the simple reason that
But as for that accusa
they are not party Cabinets.
tion against a Ministry, it can always be refuted by
saying that in the Japanese polity it was provided
that the Emperor, and not the people, should exer
cise the right of choosing the Cabinet Ministers. This
particular Cabinet, however, had earned the hatred of
the populace by its conduct >of the election of February
1892, and it would be difficult to say whether the
people objected more to the manifest unfairness of
using local officials and the police for the purpose of
defeating the Opposition candidates or to the violence
which resulted in a long list of killed and wounded
on election day. *In the estimation of the party
politicians, the first two years <of the Diet were almost
completely successful.
Though the principle of party
had
not
been
government
recognized, it had been made
obvious
that
fairly
independent Cabinets would not run
the Diet nor conduct the business of the Government
in a satisfactory manner.
Two champions of the
and
oligarchy, Yamagata
Matsukata, had been driven
216
The
First
Four Years
men
as Oura,
His other
for the Foreign Office.
were mainly the Satsuma and Choshu
oligarchs, Watanabe, Oyama, Nirei, Yamagata, Kono,
From the first, strenuous efforts
Goto, and Kuroda.
were made to placate public sentiment. Inouye took
up the question of undue interference in the elections
Mutsu he secured
colleagues
of
217
Political History
of Japan
of
building
warships.
The Ministers
rejected
both
passages
"
to
The
most important
Humble
conclude
government
reflection
leads
the
chief
object
that
of
representative
is
low, and to
Hence there can be
State.
no profounder or greater
desideratum than that the Legislature and" the Adminis
tration should occupy toward each other attitudes of
thorough sincerity, and should achieve the reality of
harmonious co-operation. But ever since the opening
of the Diet, the Legislature and the Administration
218
The
First
Four Years
is
was
Fixed
A
institutions,
Political
History of Japan
leading to
the Cabinet did not
regret of your Majesty's servants,
Further, with regard to the
adopt any such course.
the
appropriations for building- men-of-war, although
Diet rejected them, the Government declared its
some means of carrying
positive intention of devising
out its policy within the limits prescribed by the Con
Your Majesty's servants, astonished at the
stitution.
an
impropriety of this declaration, immediately sought
answer."
no
obtained
but
explanation,
It took the Government less than three days to frame
an answer to this bill of accusations, and by putting
its answer in the form of an Imperial message it com
manded a hearing in the Lower House. After a few
the usual hackneyed
preliminary paragraphs containing
statements about the virtues of the -Imperial Ancestors,
the necessity of exhibiting the glories of the Empire
before foreign nations, and the fulfilment of the
toward the
Imperial determination to advance cautiously
establishment of representative government, the docu
ment in question struck at the root of the immediate
the following manner
The items of expenditure referred
difficulty in
"
to in the '67th
by the clear
We
to
We
The
sums
First
Four Years
of which it appeals.
The third of the paragraphs quoted from the Imperial
rescript reminded both the Diet and the Cabinet of
"
route of harmonious
the necessity of following the
thus
furnished
the two parties to
and
co-operation,"
10
per cent,
members of
upon
all
officials,
civil
and
military,
Political
History of Japan
members of
months without
The
soon as
It
came
First
to
Four Years
political
party.
Hoshi was
223
A
one
Political
of the
most
History of Japan
influential
personalities
of
modern
was
at
Then
wards came
The
First
Four Years
the address.
"
When Mutsu
essentials
225
Political
History of Japan
"On the
left it with the Household Department.
following day, June 2, the President was summoned
ta the Palace and received a verbal message from
the Emperor, through the Household Minister, which
The message
he reported immediately to the Diet.
"
shall not adopt the views contained in
ran
the address presented by the House of Represent^
written communication will not be made with
tives.
After presenting the
reference to the address."
the receipt of an
announced
the
President
message
"
he
which
.to read
We,
proceeded
Imperial rescript,
in accordance with the 7th Article of the Constitution,
"
hereby dissolve the House of Representatives.
This third dissolution for the moment paralysed the
Opposition. Ito's action was not entirely unexpected,
and on the record of his opponents' factious and irre
One of the
sponsible conduct it was amply deserved.
out
in
came
and
another
mourning,
Opposition papers
in half -inch type announced the dissolution.
Before the Opposition had quite recovered their
breath, and just as they were beginning to launch
a campaign for the adoption of responsible govern
ment, the Chino-Japanese War broke out and put an
end for the time being to all domestic political
House
We
squabbles.
226
CHAPTER X
declaration of
war checked
all
partisan political
Manchu
The
territories.
227
Political
History of Japan
veritable
power
of
deadlock ensued,
mically
was
approaching
Development
politically
and econo
1894 seemed
in
The
Chino-Japanese
War
English history,
Ito
and
disregarded
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and fastened upon
their country a discredited and worn-out polity which
had been discarded by the most advanced nations of
the West. The immediate failure in Japan of the system
the differences
adopted from Germany was due to
the
between
and
Bismarck
Meiji Tenno
between
Ito,
1
1889,
the
distracting the attention of the nation from
war
the
on
of
political progress by -.bringing
problems
It is true that he subsequently endea
with China.
in
Yoshida Shoin
of the
Kurile
Islands,
229
Political
History of Japan
of
the
time.
The
effect
was magical.
The
turned to revilings.
The immediate cause of the war was China's breach
of the Tientsin Treaty of 1885.
According to the
terms of that agreement, both China and Japan had
was uniformly
successful.
The Chinese fleet, in spite
superiority in armament, was swept from the
sea, and the two expeditionary forces under Yamagata
and Oyama cleared Korea and the Liaotung 'Peninsula
of Chinese troops.
At this point the Chinese Govern
ment sought peace, and sent Li Hung Chang to Japan
as its plenipotentiary.
By the Treaty of Shimonoseki,
of
its
which
resulted
from the
negotiations,
the
Japanese
taels.
The terms
in
Japan.
August, and in the same month Matsukata resigned
his office as Finance Minister because he declared
the
amount
Mutsu, the
The arms
of
231
A
successful,
Political History
of Japan
then
why
logic.
I to
let
and
serving
silently looking
it.
The terms
of
peace
the
war
was
demoralized
the
failure
instead
Government's
of
fiscal
improving,
arrangements. The actual cost of the various cam
paigns had been 225,000,000 yen, and though these
expenses were more than reimbursed by the indemnity,
the
demands
of
the
military
services
increased
were only
Not only
cessation
of
epithet,
also
gave
233
Political
History of Japan
mere
obstruction
but
not
weakened
vis-a-vis the
manifestly impossible to thrust
Opposition.
the Emperor constantly into the party arena without
destroying his prestige, and seeking shelter behind the
provisions of the Constitution must inevitably lead to
a demand for the revision of that instrument.
The
simplest way out of the dilemma, as it appears to an
outsider, would have been to yield the reins of office
to the political parties.
But such a course would have
popular
estimation,
It
is
Formosa and
the Liaotung.
Colonial government was
a subject of which the people were ignorant, and the
appointment of colonial Governors not a matter in
Privy
Yamagata's presidency, formulated
rules for the appointment of Governors of
234
to
Japan
account, a military
necessary. Under such
natural than that the
own
high
officer
of
the
and
set
as a republic
up
on
its
became
circumstances nothing was more
occupation of the island
Army
high
officers
on the
active
service
list
of
the
Army
its
control
Formosa and
which were
more
terri
men, even
Political History of
Japan
yet
of the
non-party members, the Ministers
Army and
Navy.
As time went on, a steadily increasing proportion
of party men has been found in the successive Cabinets.
Okuma as Foreign
Itagaki as Home Minister in 1896,
Minister in 1897, and the Okujna-Itagaki Administra
tion of 1898 ai^e examples of the process. But, what
ever the outward appearances, no Cabinet has ever
been free from thte control of the Sat-Cho oligarchy
and
provided for in the Constitution
the appointmient to
strengthened by the regulations for
War.
high offices which date fromj the Chino- Japanese
nation
As a result of that war, Japan emerged as a
a
control
The
The massacre
atrocity,
and
it
236
lated
that
after
five
years,
Tariff
merchandise,
Political
History of Japan
goods
upon
Government from and after the date of the ratification
It was not to be wondered at, perhaps,
of the treaty.
that before the expiration of the seventeen years the
Conventional Tariff became as unpopular in Japan as
the extra-territorial provisions had been previous to
to the provisions
1894. The Japanese of 1911 referred
"
unilateral," forgetting,
of the tariff treaty of 1894 as
of course, that in the minds of the Japanese and
British Governments in 1894 the Conventional Tariff
had been the price paid for the abolition of extra,territoriality.
interests
their
had been
home
authorities,
To them
sacrificed,
it
and
criticisms
of
It
of their courts.
Whatever may be
means groundless
happen
still
much
dishonest merchants.
If the treaty was the immediate cause of much mis
understanding between the resident foreigners and the
native official Japanese, the circumstances of the years
trade
grew,
ill-feeling
increased.
Mutual recrimina
For the literature of this question consult the official versions of the
and Japanese cases as presented before the Hague Tribunal in 1906,
and the pamphlets issued by the Committee of the Foreign Land Owners,
Yokohama,
British
339
A
In
Political History of
summing up
the gains
and
Japan
losses of the
Chino-
acknowledge Japan's
claim which was at once
Though
encouragement of trade and commerce.
regarded in 1895 as a signal evidence of their
triumph over China, as it was, the indemnity caused
an enormous rise in prices in Japan during the boom,
and indirectly was responsible for the crisis and period
The elevation of Japan
of depression which ensued.
to the rank of the great military Powers of the earth
was a source of legitimate satisfaction and pride to
the nation, but the new state of affairs involved heavy
The change
financial responsibilities upon the peopte.
in the nation's status likewise changed the tenor of
the people's thoughts.
The continent of Asia, not the
island Empire, from that time became the focus of
the national ambition.
When the revision of the
treaties had removed the objective of the Government's
foreign policy, Asia and continental Asiatic empire took
its place.
In the patriotic enthusiasm for war the
240
What
is
still
more strange
the
light
of
their
1895 proposed
to
of Japan
Political History
to
generously
Government
loans.
in
Speaking
1902,
Ito
stated
at
that
the
measures and
tide over
critical sessions
of the Diet.
programme did
political party
formed
in 1901
242
under
Ito's leadership.
The
Chino-Japanese
War
Fund
was
sufficient
the Japanese
surpassed in Korea, where Baron Miura,
the murder
in
Agent in Seoul, was so far implicated
of the Queen that he and several of his associates were
recalled, and though they were subsequently acquitted
of the crime by a Japanese court, Ito's Cabinet for the
was held responsible for the actions of its
time
being
agents.
Political History of
Japan
this
No better illustration
Shimpoto against the Cabinet.
the motives which animated the parties in the
Japanese Diet could be found than in the history of
the Kofcpmin Kyokai.
It was formed by a
reactionary
member of the Choshu oligarchy, Viscount Shinagawa,
ostensibly for the support of the Government." But
the first article of the party's creed was "
independent
Cabinets/* and whenever the Adiministration sought the
of
the
against
Government.
It
to
them,
1896,
With nearly
half of the
members
of the
Lower House
The
confident
244
stepped
this
by
had begun to
marked by the bitterest
broken,
it
occupied the
still
office of
decline.
For two
political strife,
brief periods,
he subsequently
later
his failure
was con
Ito's
in violence,
245
CHAPTER
XI
WHEN
Qkuma
forties,
^Ministry.
the
strict
to the
"
Empire's
foreign
policy
to
manage
the
national
246
confession of faith of
Okuma's party
receive
his office, in
November 1897.
defection and
By Okuma's
Cabinet's
steadily
Political
History of Japan
being
their
policy
of
which
is
its
weapon available."
Not only was corruption of the members of the
Diet by the distribution of money charged against the
Administration, but it was accused of having intro
"
"
into Japan, since places
duced the
spoils system
had been made for party men, in the Audit Bureau,
These
and even in the Department of Education.
appointments threatened the existence of the bureau
cracy, and not only earned for the Government the
hostility of the official classes, but provided the Oppo
In connec
sition Press with a new weapon of attack.
tion with this phase of the Government's policy, the
case of a certain Judge Takano, of Formosa, became
The judge was dismissed from office, but
notorious.
refused to accept his conge on the ground that the
Constitution (Article LVIII) guaranteed his tenure
The Government
during life and good conduct.
replied that the Constitution had not y>et been enforced
in
Formosa
to
resume
and with
information thus supplied them the
editors made out a sweeping indictment of the Govern
ment's administration of Formosa as having produced
"
"
in the island.
virtual state of anarchy
a
To further embarrass Matsukata, the leaders of the
Shimpoto appointed a committee to approach the Prime
At
Minister and present a programme of reforms.
to
the
but
he
receive
refused
after
first
delegation,
wards admitted it, having exacted from its spokesman
In violation of that promise,
a promise of secrecy.
the
next
Press
contained an account of
the very
day
and
the
main item's of the Shimpoto's
the interview
programme. The result was Matsukata's rejection of
all the suggestions and the consequent loss of the
Shimpoto's adherence, shortly followed by Okuma's
to Japan,,
the
first-hand
resignation.
Baron
created
Nishi
in
the
249
Political
History of Japan
while
following Saionji, Ito Miyoji, and Suyematsu
were
the
usual
the other members, except for Katsura,
clans.
Katsura's
second-generation scions of the two
elevation to the
the
first
War
Office, it is to
be noted, marked
who was
destined
to
man
of Meiji.
military party during the remainder
The
known
that
had
tried
effect
had
contemporary Press,
"a
Imperial ordinance
250
measures
new
Election
Government
for
"
inde
demonstrate incontestably the impracticability of
pendent Cabinets/*
The action of the two chief sections of the popular
Immediately after the
party furthered his scheme.
dissolution on June 10, Okuma and Itagaki began to
concert measures for a combination of the Shimpoto
251
History of Japan
Political
and the Jiyuto. On June 16 a preliminary meetingwas held, and six days later a new party, the Kenseito
(Constitutionalists), was_ organized. JThe princfplesjor
sto^
oTTtTl^^^to^s Jhe j^taWisft^
wEich~the~party
sons^
ffienFlind_
InterestsT extension of trade jjindjro^
menF^53^^
^^
of
.the
^ucafionaT ^system^Sd^J^lajK:ingQf
expenditures
The remarks
two
the
various
22 reveal
meetings held between June
the thoughts which were uppermost in the minds of
the politicians.
Speaking at a meeting of the Jiyuto,,
of
the
leaders
at
16
and
"
Each party has tried
Itagaki said to his followers
with
the clan statesmen,
the experiment of co-operation
because
it
found
a
the Govern
and each has
failure,
:
ment attaches no
consults
its
Previous
Statesmen
to
Ito,
action
252
of the other
upon
Ito's representations
the
Lower* House.
*
_...-
253
its
supporters in
History of Japan
Political
By June 30
the
was organized.
first
OkumaJ^
;
oy[oreignj^
the other
In such a way as
noiQHmilitary posts were~distributed
to provide for three members of the Shim'poto section,
and two of the Jiyuto,
Ogihashi, Oishi, and Ozaki,
marked
Yamagata
the
final
rupture_betwgen^to_j
the
from^^
gmgpbwer
possession,
unsuccessfully.
but_always
_
Beginning.^
J^j>ar1yj^
254
Government
Home
Affairs.
As
later,
clan government.
It is hardly necessary to look for any hidden causes
for the fall of the Kenseito Cabinet : the plain fact
seems obvious enough that the Kenseito as a party
lacked homogeneity and co-ordination. Its leading men
were not in sympathy with one another, and the charac
teristics of the two groups of which it was composed
were radically different. The past history of the two
255
A
factions
Political
History of Japan
it
to
forget
to set
differences.
their
considerations,
he was
"
great landmark
256
in
the development
of
constitutional
It is difficult to see^
times, as well as in Opposition.
the
therefore, wherein lay
importance of 'the political
Their
for
constitutional
8
progress
convuIgipns_Qj[JS^
.
of office
on September
26,
1900.
Political
257
Development of Japan,
Political History
of Japan
"
Lower House.
and
his services
At
uniting
the capital.
The Home Ministry had persistently
refused its assent to this merger on the
ground that
the creation of a monopoly of the
transport facilities
would be injurious to public interests, but the matter
was finally compromised on the basis of sanction of
the amalgamation project in return for Hoshi's
support
of the Land Tax Bill. The
large fee received by Hoshi
for his services in connection with the
amalgamation
was distributed among the members of the Kenseito.
But other funds provided directly
by the Government
were supplied, and with these sums the
support of a
majority of the Lower House was purchased.
Thus the session, which began on December
31 and
continued till March
10,
passed off
in
successfully,
258
the
conduct of business.
for
to
Navy.
During the interval between the close of the Diet
in March and the opening of the winter session, the
alliance of the Kenseito and the Cabinet almost broke
down. Hoshi proved a hard task-master, his demands
for the spoils of office becoming increasingly insistent,
and Yamagata, who hated all party connection, was
with difficulty restrained from an open break with
Hoshi's followers. The Kokumin Kyokai was dissolved
during the interval between the sessions, and recon
structed under the title Teikokuto (Imperialists), but
without any change in either principles or membership.
In the same interval an attempt was made to enter
into an alliance with China, for the purpose of checking
A Chinese Prince
Russian aggression in Manchuria,
was compelled to
but
visited Tokyo for the purpose,
.
without accomplishing anything, the Tsung-liYamen, as a consequence of Russian pressure on- Peking,
The Russian menace,
recalling its envoy in August.
especially where the independence of Korea was con
cerned, furnished the piece de resistance of the daily
pabulum provided by the Press. An alliance with Great
return
Kenseito
in
A
Bill
Political History
provided
for a
Bill.
of Japan
further increase
of expenditures,
it
the
pass,
The
provisions of
promulgated along
by the
of
Ito
May and
Kenseito in
November 1898.
fore, a
260
Government
Ozaki
for
members
violent.
and
piracy.
robbery,
Political
History of Japan
tute
that
all
it
was
entitled to.
prospect
Ffosni '"approached,
To
the
first
of
these
proposals
Yamagata
correctly
The next
yas
262
Government
Harking back
to the burden
the
political speeches
provinces, he
pointed out that he could only accept their invitation
on his own terms, which he intimated were hard. He
must be the real leader and .every member of the
of
his
their
leader.
recent
in
party
tion
*'
Ten
Political History
to collect
upon
of Japan
around
me men
myself and to
the public a general
these my
which I intend to pursue in common with
the
of
present opportunity
friends, I shall avail myself
in my
of briefly setting forth some of the principles which,
a
of
actions
the
political
humble
ought to guide
opinion,
party.
"
appertain,
of the sovereign,
invested
respective
would be
grasp this fundamental principle
of the
fatal to the proper and efficient management
to
and might lead
unseemly
important matters of state,
evils
thus
engendering
for
power,
political
straggles
and abuses unspeakable. In inviting my political friends
and sympathizers to rally around me, it is my earnest
failure
to
improve
of giving posts to
men
264
my" friends,
If
all
ing
strict
discipline
it
and order
in its
own
ranks, and,
owe
"
as follows
"
i.
We
propose
to
strictly
Political
History of Japan
of individual subjects
served and safeguarded.
liberties
**
We
make
may
be efficiently pre
it
of official business
the
of
performance
to clearly define
the
duties
and
interests.
"
"7.
We
make
it
and
our
266
public capacities.
object to strengthen
the
life
Government
by encouraging agri
"
8.
We
way as to
among them.
a
secure
social
sibilities that
strive
Cabinet
officers,
words as a
1893 r
his dictum
day was largely mitigated by the nature of the appoint
ments to Cabinet offices which followed about a month
in
later.
Further,
Ito's
dissatisfaction with
the achievements
but
267
p. 224..
Political
History of Japan
though he hoped
his guidance and
enjoyment of the
new party might
the
of
fruits of office the members
and disinterested
acquire habits of moderation, honesty,
to
It is difficult
imagine Hoshi
loyalty to the State.
an oligarch
that under
to
acknowledge the
point,
in the
key
to his
meaning,
Ito's
remarks
upon
As one paragraph follows
that
to
was there
Opposition
268
mentioned
I to
in terms
named
as
Committee
Saionji, Watanabe, Honda, Kaneko, Suyematsu, Hoshi, Matsuda, Hayashi, Haseba, Watanabe
Koki, Ooka, and Suzuki, whom the //// facetiously
"
Twelve Apostles of Marquis Ito."
dubbed the
The reception accorded to the new party was flatter
ing in the extreme, even its opponents in the KenseiOkuma welcomed the
honto speaking well of it.
"
"
his old friend
Ito into the ranks of
entrance of
the party politicians, but did not offer to co-operate
The more Radical section of the
with the Seiyukai.
Press saw in the party the promise of responsible
government, and declared that nothing of such import
ance had occurred since the Restoration.
Secretly, the Kensei-honto was greatly disturbed by
the increased prestige of the former Kenseito, the more
so because their own party was torn by internal dis
Ozaki,
sensions, and even threatened with dissolution.
Mochizuki, and Kurabara were read out of the party
in August because they attempted to swing the members
was decided
it
He was
of the party.
1
to install
We
269
Political History
of Japan
Seiyukai
but
also
Its object
Ki, and Sasa Tomofusa.
a body of opinion in the country for the
support of the Government's policy of preserving the
After the Boxer Rebellion, Russia
integrity of China.
had been disinclined to withdraw her troops from
Manchuria, and Prince Konoye and his associates were
perturbed over the success of Russian diplomacy in
Peking and the apparent indifference thereto in the
Japanese Foreign Office.
This small party, composed of about twenty-five
Peers,
was
Inukai
to create
members
measure.
The
significance of this
temporary associa
showing how Japan was being
antagonized by Russia, and was allying herself with
England and the United States where Far Eastern
questions were involved.
With the organization of the Seiyukai, the position
of the Yamagata Cabinet became untenable.
There
was no prospect of surviving another session of the
Diet, nor was there any great need for the military
parry to cling to office, since during the past two
tion lay in the
main
in
270
some measure
in
its
who resigned
among
party
men
of secondary importance.
271
Political
History of Japan
But
members of
more than
272
the popular
overthrow of the
Government
political
party
273
more
CHAPTER
XII
its
the
taxation.
drafted,
recess,
January 20.
The Budget was brought down to the Lower House
the estimates provided
immediately after the recess
;
and expenditures at
approximately 255,000,000 yen, of which amount
88,000,000 yen was to be devoted to the military
services
but the total figures in the estimates were
of far less interest than the new taxation
Bills, by
which it was proposed to increase the levies on
;
sugar,
tobacco, etc.
large section of the
Seiyukai opposed the new tax proposals, and a general
meeting of the party was held on
28 to
sake,
beer,
January
arrange a compromise.
I to
made
his attitude
clear
It
A
results
Political
would
be,
History of Japan
the
new
tax Bills, to
on
the
other,
the
the
of
discrediting-
Ito-Seiyukai
unanimously concluded
that.,
1901,
without
further
mishap,
all
Bills
in
but
office,
even
276
power
House
clique,
in
During
decade of the parliamentary regime the interest
in constitutional progress had
flagged, and the struggle
for commercial development and
military expansion
absorbed all attention. For the change Ito was
mainly
responsible, as the Constitution which he fathered made
first
was reported
his
that Ito
successor,
but
if
It
opposition
was offered
to
the
oligarchy.
Then
the
premiership
and
Ito,
and
military
Ito
was
Political
History of Japan
his
obstruct.
ing" to
million less.
Opposition immediately developed in the
ranks of the Seiyukai, which by its control of 160 seats
was in a position to block the passage of the Finance
obvious.
If
278
new
taxes
would have
to
be imposed.
Upon
to carry the
do but
to
measure.
approach
With
redemption measure.
not pass.
The Upper House, however, held firmly
to the view that party government was an abomina
tion, and it was disposed to range itself against the
Representatives upon principle, independent of specific
279
Political History of
Japan
smooth
operation
of
institutions
parliamentary
in
Japan.
The
session
closed on
make
March
and the
1 i,
parties
for
the General
preparation
Election, the first to be held under the revised election
The Seiyukai could claim' to have supported the
law.
Government and carried through a programme of legis
lation., and Ito even went to the length of announcing
turned
that
to
their
long as
it
Okuma and
of assailing
The
election
resulted
to abstain from
all
Each
attributed to the practice of purchasing votes.
candidate had a regiment of canvassers who were sent
about among the electorate to obtain the signatures
of his supporters,, and the Nippon stated that all the
books of signatures thus circulated in a district often
contained more names than the total number of voters,
from which state of affairs it deduced the conclusion
"
that the voters were
selling their wares in more than
one market."
Seats
in
sessions.
As was now
their
281
Political History
of Japan
1902, and
Kenkichi and
Motoda Hajime were elected President and VicePresident of the Lower House, and the various Stand
The official opening
ing Committees were appointed.
occurred on December 9, and on the following day
the Budget was brought down by Sone, the Finance
On December 13 Katsura outlined the
Minister.
policy of the Government as including naval expan
sion, the increase of the land taxes, administrative
organized
for
the
session.
6,
Kataoka
and
from
villages
December 16
one-fifth
to
one-seventh.
On
Imperial order.
resumed the
On
sitting,
of
ment
its
if
it
mere
does
Political
History of Japan
He
persisted in their hostility to the Katsura Cabinet.
his
views
on
the
modified
also
had
that he
intimated
increase of the land tax, and regarded naval expan
This change
sion as essential to the country's safety.
in his attitude towards militarism may be set down
to his anticipation of the Russo-Japanese War, which
he regarded as practically inevitable after the failure
efforts
to
precipitated a crisis
284
had
With the
desired.
as they
end,
Ito's
On
the Seiyukai in
of
its
285
Political History
Emperor Go Daigo
the
into
of Japan
at
exile
Yoshino
in
and not
it
legal'
consorts only,
Japan
the
head of a great
political party.
is
the
The
Russo-Japanese
War
Towards the
December
session,
and completed
its
dropped.
On
this
occasion
Kono
that
to bear
287
A
an
up
of Japan
Political History
Imperial
rescript
was
read
the
dissolving
Diet.
This
Japanese mind.
dissolution coup,
extraordinary
strategy,
flected
was an
from
his purpose.
It
was nothing
to,
to
be de
him that
its
foreign policy.
To
call
was
but,
utilizing
his
to the
Lower
of
its
Speech from
successful
much
as
it
had
Kamon
no Kami in 1860,
that of Mori Arinori in 1889, or Hoshi Toru in
1901.
The suicide of General Nogi in 1912, on the day
of the Meiji
li
The
merit,
Russo-Japanese
the whole-hearted
way
of
itself
War
a homogeneous people.
As
Government.
not possible to explain the Russo-Japanese
the Chino- Japanese War can be explained,
as
War,
of the popular interest from domestic
diversion
a
as
It is true that in 1903 Katsura
to foreign politics.
the
Emperor to accept his resignation on the
begged
It
is
financial
measures
its
"
the
the consummation of the constitutional system/'
Constitution, which maintained the immemorial polity
above, and admitted those below to a share in the
administration on the basis of the people's welfare."
*'
in
the
His interests
gradually
national ambition.
all
Political
History of Japan
military
The
failure
to
due to
accomplish any results in Korea was primarily
lack of men and capital, for if suitable immigrants with
money enough could have been poured into Korea, that
country might have progressed sufficiently to frighten
China off. But Japan had neither men nor money to
of Korea
policy of peaceful development
having failed, Ito in 1894 had been driven by pressure
at home to consent to a war with China over Korean
independence. The result of that war was the over
spare.
The
throw of the
the
290
Yuan
291
Political History of
Japan
China's strongest
Presidency, not only because he was
as
well, and the counter
man, but Japan's implacable foe
was
revolution which followed
planned and led by
without the consent
or
with
Japanese military officers,
its connivance.
with
of the Government, but certainly
from
their
own
its
active support.
similar to
those of the Chino-Japanese conflict a Hecade before.
Apart from the nonfulfillment by Russia of the terms
of the
292
The
Russo-Japanese
War
Foreign
Office,
hostilities
meeting on American
Political
History of Japan
Rosen.
The
The
Russo-Japanese
War
situation
envoys
was
at
last
certain.
be
295
Political
History of Japan
had
in
was realized
in
Tokyo
296
The
Russo-Japanese
War
terras
remote.
had come,
of
tiaries
and
after a little
Political History of
Japan
delegation
be
to
intimated
that
their
Government
would
Japan
298
CHAPTER
XIII
The
299
History of Japan
Political
Minister.
parties,
Seiyukai
mood among
followers.
his
however,
able
and
Therefore
we
consider
it
an unprecedented disgrace
to the country/'
On September
capital.
Altogether
wounded among
471.
Persons
dead
the
the citizens
arrested
numbered
numbered
300
1 1,
the
300.
The
restored order,
them
in full
in
.We find
no respect
defective.
A great
even his landing-place being kept secret.
and
down
from
came
of
officials
Tokyo
gathering
assembled on the Customs quay as if to welcome him,
but he was taken ashore direct to the Detached Palace
at Bent en, where a few of the highest officials awaited
From
him, his staff landing at the Customs House.
the Palace he was driven in a closed carriage, through
streets lined by the police, to the station, and pro
For many months
ceeded by special train to Tokyp,.
there was no more unpopular man in Japan.
The crux of all this hostility to, the peace and the
plenipotentiaries was the failure to exact an indemnity
In 1895, even though China had not
from Russia.
been brought to her knees or Peking captured, the
expenses of the war had been more than reco.upted,
and the nation could not see why
1
See above,
301
p. 294.
relief
from-
the
Political
History of Japan
financial
90,100,000
The per
yen.
popular uproar
to include an
indemnity in the arrangements for peace. In a certain
sense, the Cabinet had been responsible for raising
against
the
Cabinet
for
its
failure
indemnity.
302
But
signed.
it
thoroughly.
How the
supplies
in
the
astonishing^ terms.
Upper House
"
attributed the
The influence of
sovereign thus
ex
your Majesty's almost supernatural wisdom then
"
Your
tended to the field/' the reply concluding,
Majesty's prestige extends to all quarters and the glory
of the nation shines over the four seas. We, your
Majesty's servants, whose happiness it is to witness
these great things, dance with joy and cannot contain
victories
to
the
our delight."
But if the replies to the Speech from the Throne
were extravagant in their expressions of loyalty, the
attitude towards the Government of the parties in the
hostile.
Okuma's ideas
as
to
the
Political History
of Japan
In the face
and
had
con
announced on December 21
Saionji
On January 6, 1906, the
sented to form a Cabinet.
new Ministry was gazetted, with the Cabinet posts
of
this
all
opposition
widely distributed
among
the
members
of the Seiyukai,
Kato Takaaki
oligarchy,, and the Independents.
Sakatani, a son-in-law
entered the Foreign Office
of Baron Shibusawa, the intimate of Inouye Kaoru, the
Terauchi and Saito the military
Finance Department
and naval offices; Makino, a son of Okubo ToshiYamagata, a
michi, the Department of Education ;
the
and taxation.
304
The
sion,
to the
firm,
to
restore the
of
growth
to contrive the
for the extension of
to
industry,
provide
education and the progress of learning,
This is
the time for all classes, with one heart, to face the
.
To
great problem of the ppst-bejLlam undertaking."
give effect to this policy eight Government Bills were
introduced, as follows
:
Bill
363,000,000 yen.
2.
the
amortization,
annually.
3.
Bill to
Tax Law,
4.
conversion,
amend
to
110,000,000
yen
in the sense of
Bill
etc.
abolish
making it continuing.
Naval Maintenance
the
Fund.
7.
ments and
programme was
but the
Jiji
of
no
silk.
interest
A
in the
list,
Political
History of Japan
all the
on the ground
official
had
Germany
as
to
The
immediate
:
The
an assumption not warranted by history.
with
the
the
measure
Press opposed
greatest vigour
and unanimity,, but, nevertheless, in the Lower House
the Bill passed its first reading on March i6th, and,
upon the motion of Haseba Junko, was carried, the
ally,
On
stages of its progress being omitted.
the
House
Lower
March igth the Bill as passed by
was taken up by the Peers, and handed over to a
Committee with instructions to report by the 27th of
On that date the Committee re
the same month.
ported the Bill with certain amendments, the most
important of which were to extend to ten years the
other
period
pleted
to
do likewise.
and disgraced by a
interference
of
Political History
of Japan
owners until
to the
If these arbi
owners.
Government,
from the extreme disap
an industrial boom.
308
Osaka
Refineries,
a mania
Among
in
tion
had
By
the few
309
A
the
that
and
one
and
Political History
of Japan
House on January
"
Nippon
war the State's expenditures had^ been
it attributed
275,000,000 yen. The enormous increase
services
and
debt
the
for
almost entirely to the charges
on
the
interest
the
While
expansion of armaments.
its
for
gradual
national debt and the funds required
the revenues, thq case
on
were
charges
proper
liquidation
was different with the funds expended by the military
In the Budget Committee,
party on the Army and Navy.
"
"
positive
Oishi Masami, while he welcomed the
before
the
armaments in
defray the continuing expenditures on
He likewise wanted to know what
the years to come.
was preparing to meet by its
enemy the Government
"
"
This point was
military programme.
expansionary
brought up again and again, but the Government
through the various Ministers combated vigorously such
an interpretation of the purpose of the expenditures on
the Army and Navy.
Terauchi, the Minister of War,
assured the Diet that the money spent on armaments waJs
not a threat against an!y foreign Powier, but merely
Sakatani explained it as
an insurance against attack.
a policy not of military expansion but of renewal of
military stores depleted by the war.
In the Diet the only opponents of the Budget were the
1
310
"
"
The new
the original pact were materially altered.
of
that
in
case
aggression
unprovoked
treaty provided!
Political History
of Japan
against
That
either
freedom
November
Was
immediately
exercised.
In
not
to
live
up to the terms of
in
the
face
312
for years.
representative in Seoul.
On December
313
Political
History of Japan
dismembered.
If
from 1905
to
stalwarts like
guidance of Okuma, and' supported! by
Inukai
Ki, and by the
Oishi Masami, Kono Hironaka,
bulk of the nation, initiated a policy the object of
which was not to dismemlber China but to convert ^her
TWe
into a second Korea, a dependency of Japan.
whether
tfirough
know that the attempt failed, but
Kato's efforts or no remains for the future to disclose.
It is certain, however, that the grounds for a great
struggle between Japan and China are always in exist
As Okuma said in 1896, the Chinese problem
ence.
is for Japan a permanent one, and it will not be solved
until China strengthens herself to the point of making
The second of
3M
Those great
churia the circumstances were different.
were
not
Japanese possessions, though occupied
provinces
in part by Japan's troops, yet there was a general
belief among the people of Japan that Manchuria was
a Japanese colony, and that consequently
special facilities should be afforded her merchants in
That belief
exploiting the resources of her territory.
was naturally shared by the Government, hence the
to all intents
contributed so largely to
alienation of the world's sympathy for the new
In 1905 the Japanese had
Power in the Far East.
by 1 9 1 o they had come
gained universal admiration
to be as widely disliked and distrusted, especially in
the
the
Anglo-Saxon
world^.
Regulations
(No. 267) was issued, setting forth the
on the Composition and Duties of the Residency- General
and the Residencies in Korea," and appointing Marquis
Ito
I to Hirobumi to the office of Resident- General.
outlined his policy in a speech made in Tokyo in
January 1906, on the eve of his departure for Seoul.
referring to the treaty of November
settling the fundamental relations between
and Korea, but went on to say that as that
He began by
1905
Japan
as
convention was
brief,
it
A
and
tion,
Political History of
his
efforts
wiould
be
Japan
directed
to
working
Reform
the changed circumstances of the country.
be
difficult
because
would
of the internal administration
of the antiquity of Korea's corrupt traditions, and pnly
a slow and gradual improvement was to be hoped for in
The universal poverty of the Koreans
that direction.
would have to be removed, both for their own happi
ness
and
might
own
To bring about
defence.
this dlesirable
end he
in
to
institute
agriculture,
improvements
and means of communication. Japanese emi
gration to Korea was to be strictly supervised, and
Ito had
all evil-minded persons were to be deported.
in mind the experience of a decade earlier in Formosa.
After more than a year of office, during which time
immense strides had been made in improving the
facilities for transportation, Ito once mpre spoke in
Tokyo on Korean affairs. He said, in substance, that
Japan's policy was to guide Korea into the haven
of progress and enlightenment, but if Korea refused
to be so guided, Japan had plans for the future which
might bring serious consequences upon all Koreans.
This threat was interpreted to mean nothing less than
proposed
forestry,
The
marred
Ito's
The
extreme
position
of the
difficulty.
316
as
became
empowered
tive
ties
the
course
of
the
reconstruction of his
317
own
Political
History of Japan
country,
Yamagata
military clique in
Tokyo.
In
1907
Saionji,
his
tion,
of
and
the
though out of
inner
circle
of
office
the
he was
still
member
of that
oligarchy,
Genro, and the
Einpteror clungi to him as, the faithful adviser of his
His ideas on the subject of the
early manhood.
of
Korea
remained unchanged, and until
regeneration
the
that
On May
ill-health,
25,
Seiki,
who
Political
History of Japan
delay
in
on the
Accordingly
graphed
to
There
nations, gave prompt approval to the treaty.
upon the Treaty of Annexation was signed on the
afternoon of the 22nd by the Resident- General, Viscount
Terauchi, and Mr. Ye Wan Yong, Minister President
of State of Korea.
"
1 '
effect
and V
upon the Korean Imperial
the Court
the
who
The dreams
were realized
321
Political History
of Japan
from
railway,
com
1 '
interests
own, not
Japan's
1906
still
remain
their
unsettled,
in the
323
CHAPTER XIV
ERA
MEIJI
made
upon the
it
The End
was accepted
in
Japan
with;
little
seem
to
the
country.
The Seiyukai, even with Saionji as its President, was
not Saionji's party while he was in office, for accord
ing to Japanese constitutional practice the appointment
to office in the Cabinet is the prerogative of the Crown,
as it is in England, but with! this difference, that the
Emperor's selection of his Ministers -is not limited by
any considerations of party strength in the House of
Representatives. When Saionji accepted office in 1906
he did not fill the 'Cabinet offices with membens of the
The oligarchy, as we have seen, had pro
Seiyukai.
vided in 1894 against any such contingency, but even
if the Privy Council's rules governing appointments
to high offices had not been adopted, the hostility of
the House of Peers to party government would have
discouraged the Prime Minister's attempting to form
a strictly Seiyukai Cabinet. There is therefore no
clear connection between the Administration and the
Even though the Seiyukai was
dominant party.
the
General Election in 1908, that
by
strengthened
fact alone did not secure th'e continuance in office of
the Saionji Ministry.
The triumph of the Seiyukai at the General Election
was not the result of its connection with the Cabinet,
but was due primarily to the expenditure of its immense
funds in corrupting the electorate, though doubtless, also,
its prestige as a great political organization closely allied
with the Government carried weight in the country.
325
Political History of
Japan
Seiyukai
should
have
the
its
financial
its
popu
ground that
not
its
satisfied
the
programme had
The Government had not
defray its immense expendi
post-bellum financial
nation.
326
The End
first
Inouye,
step
having
satisfied
completed
The
process by which
this result was accomplished,
though the actual steps
remain as yet a mystery, is not difficult to conceive.
The Emperor, at the suggestion of the Genro, has
merely to intimate to his Ministers that they no longer
enjoy his confidence, and their resignation is the irfr-
mediate
either
men
or policies
they easily dissociated the
returns from the popularity of the Ministry,
did not hesitate to ask the sovereign to overturn
;
election
and
was a
about
result of the
his
resignation,
but
it
327
of
Political History
of Japan
his
As
the
problem of public
and early
in
September announced
policy.
The Budget
months
later,
immense curtailment
expenditures being mainly accounted for by the
segregation of the railway accounts and their noninclusion in the estimates.
As a matter of fact, in the
new Budget the ordinary revenues were increased by
of
28,000,000
yen,
and
the
ordinary,
328
expenditures
by
The End
See Uyehara,
op. cit.
329
pp. 255-61.
Political
History of Japan
was
mem
330
The End
But the
salt monopoly and the textile consumption tax.
members of the Diet, 80 per cent, of wliorri represented
as a
"
sacrifice of principles
to prejudice/'
331
5, 1910, p. 163.
Political History of
Japan
public
principles
to a lower rate on the grounds first, that thie banks in
rate of
Japan were contemplating the reduction of the
92
on
'*
4 per
in Japan.
Few, if any, of the Japanese banks confine
themselves to strictly banking business,, as all of them
are more or less engaged in the promotion of industrial
enterprises, hence franchises arid mininjg, timber and
332
The End
force
July
i,
Customs
1911.
duties,
matter
the
ment
ments were
to
333
Political
History of Japan
tion,
as a
had lapsed
in
public
into
an expression of
wrecked
slip
A
Foreign Secretary's speech to their home papers.
storm of protest arose not only in England but; in Japan
to
also, and the outcome was a series of concessions
*
April
8,
334
The End
it
practically impossible
for foreigners resident in Japan to
acquire real estate.
One of the most interesting parliamentary debates l
of the session occurred upon a private Bill, introduced
into the
for universal
our Constitution
same
subject.
The unfavourable
of
the
committee
See Japan Weekly Mail, March 25, 1911, pp. 315-16, and April
i, for a full report of the debate,
Supplement, p.
335
I,
1911,
Political History of
Japan
alliance
ment had
failed to effect
any improvement.
The down
there
336
The End
of the
Meiji Era
favours.
>
and 1911
was
1908
only
political
and 1911.
demanded
as
^^^^^^^^^-
paymenF~for their
History of Japan
Political
the Government.
By
outspokenly the programme of
of Japanese political
1911 the inevitable tendency
to such an
Arties towards obstruction had developed
worth
his while
it
think
extent that Katsura did not
1
to continue
or
qualities of statesmanship
was at least successful in pre
devoid of principle, it
had staved off a
serving the political peace ; It
most
certainly would have
dissolution of the Diet, which
ensued if the party with its control of the Lower House
had come to close grips with the oligarchic Cabinet.
1
The
first
of such untoward
presents a scene completely devoid
to
due
The change was not
events.
any diminution of
to
the oligarchy's determination
rule, but entirely to
the policy of the Seiyukai and its leaders. Opposition
for the sake of obstruction gave place to acquiescence
The demand
for
money
or
its
equivalent with
members
The End
be
in power.
The new
Saionji Cabinet
came
into office in
August
slight
been done
339
Political History
of Japan
were
finances
in
England
Yamamoto, however, was a banker, not a politician.
The ultimate goal, as it appeared to him, was to place
to bring
the national finances upon a sound basis
about a real equilibrium of receipts and expenditures,
by encouraging the productive industries of the people
to an extent necessary to secure an excess of exports
over imports, in order that the interest on the foreign
portion of the debt might be paid in merchandise,
and not, as hitherto, in specie borrowe'd! in Europe and
held in London, and by the same process to increase
,
340
The End
of the
Meiji Era
should be consulted
and
for national
productive
Katsura's policy had been to placate the
foreign bond
holder and thus dull the edge of
European suspicions
as to the soundness of the financial condition of
Japan.
If the ultimate object of the Finance Minister's
policy
to develop the productive industries and thus
was
augment the
taxpaying
abilities
of
the
people,
his
From
time to
seemed prob
able that the people would obtain some relief from
their burdens.
Every element of the nation outside
of
military
and bureaucratic
circles
it
was disposed
to
Political History
of Japan
Yftsmamoto, in bring
estimates, intimated that his guiding
ing
had been to secure
principle in framing- the Budget
an income which would not only defray expenditures
but provide a small surplus also, even though for the
was un
year 1912-13 a deficit of 18,000,000 yen
on
House
the
in
Upper
avoidable.
Speaking
to
satisfaction
with
January 23, Saionji referred
the
of
Alliance, the revision
the new
made
down the
President
Anglo- Japanese
commercial treaties, and the establishment of the Bureau
ments.
tions
at this time
only the restoration of order in China,
to
overthrow
which was
passing through the revolution
Manchus.
the
The Budget,
part
the
of
failure
on
The
Government's annual programme.
the part of the Finance Department to
defray
Seiyukai,
the
by
its
adoption of the
Budget as
it
was
especially with
session passed
interested
The End
The
of the Meiji
Era
of
But
be
political
mission
to
343
Petrograd- only
to
be
Political History
of Japan
He
illness.
arrived
hastily recalled by the Emperor's
in Japan some days after the Imperial demise to find
himself the victim of an intrigue ; for on the very-
What
intended to be back in
The
year.
of the rival
office
more
The End
appointment to high
culty
from
the
Genro and
ridiculing their
oligarchy,
all
activity
in dis
Political History
of Japan
the
defects
of
the
in
time the
significance
of
was postponed
for fifteen
346
days by an Imperial
The End
The platform
follows
of the Doshikai
was contained
in
thirteen articles as
2.
shall
5.
That all schemes for supplementing either the naval or military forces
be determined by a Defence Committee.
That industrial development shall be encouraged in order to promote
6.
7.
shall
8.
and
that
money
shall
among the
be available at low rates for investment for the
ievelopment of industry.
11.
Civil
Service Appointment
men may be
eligible for
Regulations shall be
appointment in Government
service.
12.
That
efforts shall
be made
to
347
Political History
of Japan
In a manifesto issued
Oishi, Kono, Shimada, Minoura, and Taketomi.
at the time the former Kokuminto leaders explained their action
It began :
"
For many years past
have been constantly striving for the advance
ment of constitutional government, namely, for a responsible Cabinet which
.
we
a constitutional manner."
After referring
We
exchanged
We
when we found
views,
efforts for
348
The End
as follows:
"
politics;
also,
It was
matters only grew worse for the Government.
impossible for it to enlist any further recruits, for the
fear of the infuriated populace had entered into every
one.
The soshi were already encamped upon the
premises of every doubtful member of the Diet, threaten
ing violence as the penalty for deserting the Opposition.
When February 10 brought the next meeting of the
House the mob once more assembled; and on the police
349
Political
History of Japan
In
riot ensued.
attempting forcible measures a serious
the
Govern
of
hostility
the face of this demonstration
"
ment resigned. Thus Katsura, the self -proclaimed last
"
convert to party government/
of the bureaucrats/' the
went down amidst a storm of execration, broken not
1
He had demonstrated
only politically but physically.
a
Ministry in spite of the
that a strong man could form
but his over
opposition of the Genro and the people,
remain
could
long in
throw proved that no Government
office in the face of an unbribable majority of the
1
who announced,
"
abolishing clan influences, with his downfall these longestablished forces asserted themselves once more, with
this difference only, that Satsuma and not Choshu
occupied the leading position.
The era of Meiji had ended in a period of absolute
political calm, as befitted the end of the reign of the
great monarch during whose lifetime Japan had been
transformed from an unknown island State in the Pacific
to a great Power which promised to dominate Asia.
1
Long before
the year
was
350
out!
Katsura died.
The End
it
nation, threatening
to
representatives.
When
The
had evinced
the
immense
up on the
Constitution,
surviving both a
a popular assault from
strength,
The Genro
had shown themselves almost as inviolable as the
Emperor, for, having set up a Prime Minister who was
howled down within a month and a half, they had im
mediately brought forward another, and their new
nominee was straightway accepted.
The Constitution
had never even been called into question, but had been
appealed to by the staunchest advocates of popular
So far from being regarded as a stumblingliberty.
block in the path of progress, it had held its place as
"an immutable law." The military bureaucrats had
triumphed in the formation of the Yamamoto Cabinet,
all that had been accomplished under the most
and
CHAPTER XV
IN JAPAN
THE
the ways.
One road apparently led to popular governthe
other
to a perpetuation of the powers of the
nignt^
oligarchs. Forjour years both of thel opposing sections
in the Diet, the party politicians and the
Governmlent^
but
in.
vain.
Ito's institutions
parties,
meeting
of the ways.
To amend the Constitution to the extent
of abolishing the Diet was not possible, and to hand
352
The
Political
System in Japan
tion
have
Yamagata, Matsukata,
and Ito, the strongest of the oligarchs, had failed to
enlist the co-operation of the
parties that it was deter
mined to introduce a programme of military aggression
in China in order to distract the nation's attention 'from
domestic
politics.
Sincej894 the power of the military
cliquy has^ steadily increased and that of the political
Even when the military camp was
parties_declined.
divided against itself, at the end of 1912 and the
beginning of 1913, the popular party was unable to
take any advantage of this weakness, and it had to
stand by and see first Katsura, a rebel from the Choshu
faction in the oligarchy, and then Yamamoto, the leader
of the Satsumia clique, installed as the Minister Presi
dent of State.
to improve it more
complete.
strength of the military oligarchy is to be ex
plained by the inherent chauvinism of the Japanese,
to whicn almost every Government since i8Q4 has
successfully appealed, while the weakness of the "political
The
tfie-politicians
Enough has
and progress
origin
Political History
of Japan
if
not of
"
With the miost beautiful virtues wihich we
sentence
have inherited from our forefathers, and splendid tradi
tions which no other nation in the world has ever
enjoyed, I conclude without any hesitation that we
Japanese are the nation which has the responsibility
of instructing and teaching the rest of the world, and
are finally destined to becomle its dominant factor."
Militarism has for the present captured thfe various
political organizations and silenced the demand for
:
its
side.
354
The
Political
System in Japan
The
brief
^drFvmff
J^^^I
th^m^
representatives
The junction
of the Diet
is
to give
its
consgit__tc>
th^tnggative
on^Tfootin^ of
-perfect equality!
But even
tins
powerof
may
Emperor
Political History
of Japan
Government.
parties
in the fact
work, and there is little cause for wonder
to
cease
and
seriously
that they become discouraged
different ideas of
sovereign, combined with the radically
members of the two Houses, [has powerfully strengthened
During the greater
the hands of the Administration.
tions,
support
combination, now in another, 'secured either by bribery
or owing to their conviction that opposition was fruit
In this way Ito in 1895 allied himself with the
less.
In
with the Kenseito.
Jiyuto, and Matsuk'ata ia 1896
whether
that
and
the
formed
Ito
party,
Seiyukai,
1900
under his leadership or that of Saionji, until 1912 con
tinued to support any Government which the military
a few
oligarchs chose to set up, receiving) in return
Cabinet offices and immense sums of money from the
tireejn^^
by Imperial order,
356
The
Political
System in Japan
in
the Japanese
any measure
is
now
ticularly offensive in
House meets
February, as
is
357
A
gramme.
Political History
As
the middle
of
of Japan
March approaches,
the
to divisions,
358
The
Political
System in Japan
House
conspicuous
affiliations
rather
than
for
their
party
Day
hence he
"
and
and
in
359
Political History of
Japan
follows
of the
to
Ministers to determine plans such as are essential
com
the
and
the development of the national strength
and to submit for
pletion of the country's defences,
fiscal year,
fortieth
consideration the Budget for the
various
with
pro
based upon those plans, together
earlier years of the Diet's history
the
In
law."
of
jects
that the Diet's
it was customary for the Speech to say
to the
consent
its
was to give
function in
^
legislation
duties of consent."
of its
adequate powers by speaking
the
representatives
The Speech concludes by exhorting
to perform their work with diligence and in a spirit of
harmony.
When
Emperor imme
The
Political
System in Japan
impended.
for
1890;
Other
one on
procedure.
thrift,
Commons,
in
as
many minutesin
fact,
it
matter of
ment
of
its
tions could
361
and Finance
Affairs
of
Political History of
the
in
Administration.
Japan
Section
At
Department of Agriculture and Commerce.
the meetings of the sections the Government Delegates
are present to explain each item and endeavour to
secure its favourable reception.
After the whole of
the estimates have been dealt with in the various
the
sections,
mines
its
The
to
Political
System in Japan
is
instructed to report on a
March.
If the
the Budget in the slightest degree,
the Representatives receive it back and either
accept
the changes or reject them.
In the latter case a con
ference is held and some compromise acceptable to
the Government arranged.
If the Houses change the
estimates in a radical manner the Government may
by the Ministry.
The procedure
Bill
363
of Japan
Political History
"
a vast amount
annually,
this
of
defect
Bills
largely offset by the Government's veto powers.
which have been carried against the Cabinet's wishes
may be vetoed by the Emperor, or if that method seem
too drastic, the Government can delay indefinitely pub
their enforcement.
enforced.
The Factory Act of 1910, though it re
ceived the Imperial sanction and was published in the
Gazette, remained a dead letter for a period of five
years.
From
of the Diet,
is
364
The
Political
tutional limitations
lation,
have
all
System in Japan
thatinstrument were
its
Political
History of Japan
among
fell to pieces
its
members.
and the
universal
followed by an almost
spoils thereof, was
their
sell
to
support to the Government.
willingness
The epidemic of bribery and corruption in the Diet
and 1899 was the result of the peculiarities of
in
meant
to
to. office
1898
it
meant
financial
politicians,
366
The
Political
System in Japan
ported every
that
its
members should
of the
wealth.,
367
Political History of
Japan
and
trations, past
not
unknown
methods of the
1913 his estate
was reported
368
The
Political
System in Japan
H orate
Minister to
thie
obtaining
charter of
amalgamation.
.The venality of the members of the Lower
House,
contrasted with the peculations of the official
class, appears extremely sordid.
The bribes are smaller,
and the transactions almost invariably take
place in
disreputable resorts in an atmosphere of vulgar dissi
The official reports of the
pation.
preliminary trial
of the members of the Diet
implicated in the sugar
scandal of 1909 present the
revolting details of" a
debauch lasting through the whole session.
But it
is
impossible to blame the party politicians More
severely than the Cabinet officers. All alike have their
price, and are willing to sell their services in the interests
of the highest bidder. There are and were some notable
when
Diet.
From
the
The
Political History
of Japan
So flagrant
that
electiondid the abuse of the franchise becomle
in
brokers periodically established themselves
regular
in the business of buying votes
offices, and
possible,
in
every
campaign thereafter.
engaged
and selling them! in blocks to the candidates. When
this practice was* suppressed by the pplice the evil
persisted in othjdr formls,
After 1902,
when
the electoral
370
The
Political
electors, likewise,
as
long as
there
System in Japan
know
sive.
because
.
worthy
to the
Anglo-Saxon.
is
and
their acts.
it
Political History
of Japan
demands attention. They all are members of the SatCho clan oligarchy, with the exception of Marquis
Saionji, whose membership is only nominal, conse
quently they favour those Cabinets which are domi
nated by their henchmen.
were
much
less
likely
to
Katsura's Administrations
be interfered with than
>
373
compared with
his
The
first
and
Political
System in Japan
second
Administrations.
In the Genre's
estimation, political orthodoxy consists in adherence to
the principles of clan domination ;
Prime Ministers
who
its
the
conflicting
to
that
House.
House
of Japan
Political History
ing
the development of industry and commerce, and the
Nevertheless, the
destruction of independent Cabinets.
dominant parties for a consideration have consented
to support the Cabinet, at times because the Ministry
has a certain party complexion as, for instance, during
the various Saionji Administrations at other times, as
because oppo
during the first two 'Katsura regimes,
The Diet's pliace
sition was futile and unprofitable.
1
in the
political
system
It is
an impossible one.
the two Houses are mutually
accojnpllish any positive result ;
is
Statesmen
It
is
embodied
to
this
pass
that
in the Constitution,
Ito's
arrangements,
as
oligarchy's
the
have
to
in
govern
brought
power
clinging
tenacity
ment of Japan. Two remedies alone seem to be
"
disease of government pro
adequate to cure the
*
either to abolish
multiform
from
centres/'
ceeding
all the Constitution and the Diet and
a system of absolute and autocratic monarchy,
G. D., p. 33
374
The
Political
System in Japan
-Even
if
politics.
become
the
The passing of
amendment
of the
375
INDEX
Address to the Throne, Feb.
218-20
Answer to, 220-2
1893,
7,
Aidzu
clan, the,
Results
47
Choshu
Aki, 59
Alcock, Sir Rutherford, 50
Allotments, 20, 21
60,
74>
92,
103,
152,
173,
235
Civil officials,
38, 39,
Civil
52, S3
War
20-3
of 1868-9, 72, 76
74, 75> So
Clans, the Western, 16, 34, 36, 37, 40,
of,
clan,
100
320, 334
Coalition
Government of 1871,
the,
96-111
239
Antoku, the Emperor, 17
Ashikaga, the, 21, 28, 29
Concubinage, 18
Benefiting, 23
Conscription Law, 96
Conservative Party, 15
"Commendation," 22
210
Constitutional changes,
Chihokwan-kwaigi,
117-19,
182-
200
92
the,
130,
Conventional
237
American, and
Tariff, the,
Conventions, British,
33-43)
153
China, 5-7, 20, 30, 32, 34, 38, 95-9.
101, 122, 160, 232, 240, 290-2,
6o,73
377
Index
the,
Daijokwan Constitution,
62-71,
Hakodate, 50, 52
Han,
Harris,
Daimyo,
55~
Dan-no-Ura, 16
50, 53,
54
Hideyoshi, 25, 27
157-61
Decentralization, 20, 58
62
eight,
forces,
23
374
Dutch
Townsend,
Development of military
125
Ito, 87,
94,
32-4
lyemitsu, 48
252, 262,
7, $>
326, 327
Elections of 1892, the, 213
Elections of 1894, the, 225
Kaitakushi
Elgin, Lord, 50
Embassy
Emperor,
affair, the,
Karo, the, 37
Kato, Baron, 7
Katsura, 277-9,
Keiki, 45,
Ken,
Feudalism, 16, 17, 19-29, 36, 44,
60, 61, 72, 77,93, IOI 194
5>
of,
46
Kinno
Kinst Shiriaku,
of,
46, 59
Yume Monogatari^
the,
49
259
Komatsu, 59
Komei Tenno, the Emperor, 43, 49,
the,
Fushimi, Battle
73, 79.
318,
72-90, 91, 93
of,
283, 289,
Kiao-chau, 5
>
Abolition
282,
326-38, 343-50
Enomoto, Admiral, 46
Formosa, Colony
157-62
Kamakura, 28, 29
87
to America, 1871,
49
50, 103
Kono Hironakaj
Korea,
Go
Go
5,
287, 288
368
in^
378
206
Index
Kuge,
72
Kwangun,
Prussian influence,
17
Kyoto, 16,
18,
205, 229,
59
52, 58,
182-4,
365
205, 267
Railway
30
Bill, the,
306, 307
29,
Manchuria,
Masago, 29
Matsukata's
322
5, 315,
Cabinet, 216
Minamoto,
Mori, assassination
of,
28
187
Saigo, 78, 103, 104, 116
Saionji Cabinet,
Nagasaki, port
of,
53, 56
Nikon Guaishi, 32
339, 344
87-9 93> 9 6 ii
120, 154
Sanjo Saneyoshi, 114-16, 164, 210
Sanshoku, the, 58, 61, 62
no
94,
100,
Satsuma
Okuma, Count,
324,
>
Okubo,
the,
345
Samurai, 25, 30, 45, 47, 49, 52, 79, 81,
74, 77-9,
89, 9*
Satsuma Rebellion,
J 73
92, 102,
103,
235, 350
105
Shimoda, port
Commodore,
Political
Shogunate, the,
18
the,
164,
1 6,
26-71,
Sho, 21
52
Polygamy,
52
of,
Shimpoto party,
342
191,
261,
234
299, 300,
8, 122, 123,
Taiko, the, 18
379
Index
Manhood
Universal
Upper House,
Tokugawa,
38,
40-71, 72, 9*
*'78
Yedo,
18,
the,'
Suffrage, 335
209
19, 38-41,
43 45
56-8, 93
Tosa, 59, 77 7$ 92
Treaty of Portsmouth, 294-8'
Yonin, the, 37
Yoritomo, 16,
29
Yoshimune, 27
U-in, the, 112-14
Yoshinobu, 27
&>
53>
110953