Itō Hirobumi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Prince Junior First Rank Itō Hirobumi
伊藤 博文
Itō Hirobumi in 1909
President of the Privy Council
In office 14 June – 26 October 1909
Monarch	Meiji
Preceded by	Yamagata Aritomo
Succeeded by	Yamagata Aritomo
In office 13 July 1903 – 21 December 2005
Monarch	Meiji
Preceded by	Saionji Kinmochi
Succeeded by	Yamagata Aritomo
In office 1 June 1891 – 8 August 1892
Monarch	Meiji
Preceded by	Oki Takato
Succeeded by	Oki Takato
In office 30 April 1888 – 30 October 1889
Monarch	Meiji
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Oki Takato
1st Prime Minister of Japan
In office 19 October 1900 – 10 May 1901
Monarch	Meiji
Preceded by	Yamagata Aritomo
Succeeded by	Saionji Kinmochi (Acting)
In office 12 January 1898 – 30 June 1898
Monarch	Meiji
Preceded by	Matsukata Masayoshi
Succeeded by	Ōkuma Shigenobu
In office 8 August 1892 – 31 August 1896
Monarch	Meiji
Preceded by	Matsukata Masayoshi
Succeeded by	Kuroda Kiyotaka (Acting)
In office 22 December 1885 – 30 April 1888
Monarch	Meiji
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Kuroda Kiyotaka
Additional positions President of the House of Peers In office 24 October 1890 – 20 July 1891 Preceded by Position established Succeeded by Hachisuka Mochiaki Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan In office September 1887 – February 1888 Prime Minister Himself Preceded by Inoue Kaoru Succeeded by Ōkuma Shigenobu
Personal details
Born	Hayashi Risuke (1841-10-16)16 October 1841 Tsukari, Suō, Tokugawa shogunate (present-day Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan)
Died	26 October 1909(1909-10-26) (aged 68) Harbin, Heilongjiang, Qing dynasty
Cause of death	Assassination
Resting place	Hirobumi Ito Cemetery, Tokyo, Japan
Political party	Independent (Before 1900) Constitutional Association of Political Friendship (1900–1909)
Spouse	Itō Umeko (1848–1924)
Children	3 sons, 2 daughters
Parent	Itō Jūzō (father)
Alma mater	University College London
Signature
Japanese name
Kanji	伊藤 博文
Hiragana	いとう ひろぶみ
Katakana	イトウ ヒロブミ
Transcriptions Romanization Itō Hirobumi

Itō Hirobumi (伊藤 博文, 16 October 1841 – 26 October 1909) was a very important Japanese politician and leader. He became the first Prime Minister of Japan. He was also a key member of the genrō, a group of wise older statesmen. These leaders helped guide Japan's policies during the Meiji Restoration, a time of big changes in Japan.

Itō Hirobumi was born as Hayashi Risuke. He was also known by other names like Hirofumi, Hakubun, and Itō Shunsuke when he was young.

He was a samurai from the Chōshū Domain and studied in London. He played a big part in the Meiji Restoration. Itō helped create the Meiji Constitution for the new Empire of Japan. He looked at other countries for ideas. He thought the Constitution of the United States was too focused on individual freedom. He also felt the Spanish system was too strict.

Instead, he took ideas from British and German laws, especially the Prussian Constitution of 1850. He wanted to make sure Japan's new laws fit its own culture. He used the idea of kokutai, or "national identity," to explain the Emperor's power. This became the basis for the Emperor's authority in the constitution.

In the 1880s, Itō became the most powerful person in the Meiji government. In 1885, he became Japan's first Prime Minister. He held this job four times, which was one of the longest times anyone has been Prime Minister in Japan. Even when he wasn't Prime Minister, he still had a lot of power. He was a special adviser to the Emperor and led the Emperor's Privy Council.

Itō believed in a strong government led by the Emperor. He didn't like political parties at first. His third time as Prime Minister ended in 1898 because opposing parties joined together. This led him to create his own party, the Rikken Seiyūkai, in 1900. In 1901, he quit his fourth and last time as Prime Minister because he was tired of party politics.

Early Life and Education

Itō Hirobumi as a samurai in his youth.

Hayashi Risuke was born on October 16, 1841. His family lived in Tsukari, which is now part of Hikari in Yamaguchi Prefecture. His father, Hayashi Jūzō, was a farmer.

When Risuke was young, his family faced hard times. His father was adopted into a samurai family, and then into another samurai family named Itō. This allowed Risuke and his father to become part of the samurai class. Risuke's name changed to Itō Shunsuke, and then to Itō Hirobumi.

He studied with a famous teacher named Yoshida Shōin. Itō joined a movement called Sonnō jōi. This movement wanted to respect the Emperor and remove foreign influences from Japan. He even took part in an attack on the British legation in 1863.

Itō was one of the Chōshū Five, a group of students who went to study at University College London in 1863. His time in Great Britain helped him see that Japan needed to learn from Western countries.

In 1864, Itō came back to Japan. He tried to stop his home region, Chōshū, from fighting foreign powers. This fight was about ships passing through the Straits of Shimonoseki. During this time, he met Ernest Satow, who became a lifelong friend.

Becoming a Leader

Photo of Itō (second from right--standing) alongside other members of the Iwakura mission

After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Itō became a governor. He also worked in foreign affairs. In 1870, he went to the United States to study how their money system worked. When he returned in 1871, he helped set up Japan's tax system.

He also helped create the Public Works department. Later that year, he joined the Iwakura Mission. This was a trip around the world to learn from other countries. On this trip, he gained the trust of Ōkubo Toshimichi, another important leader.

By 1873, Itō became a full government councilor and Minister of Public Works. He became a central figure in the Meiji government. After Ōkubo was assassinated, Itō took over as Home Minister. By 1881, he became the main leader of the Meiji government.

In 1882, Itō traveled to Europe for about 18 months. He studied the constitutions of different countries there. While working on Japan's constitution, he also created the first Imperial Household Law. He also set up Japan's system of peerage (noble ranks) in 1884.

In 1885, he helped Japan improve its relations with China. In the same year, Itō created a cabinet system of government. This new system, based on European ideas, became the main way Japan made its policies.

Japan's First Prime Minister

Itō Hirobumi as prime minister (c.1880s.)

On December 22, 1885, Itō became the first Prime Minister of Japan. On April 30, 1888, he stepped down as Prime Minister. However, he led the new Privy Council to keep his influence behind the scenes. In 1889, he also became the first genrō, a senior statesman.

The Meiji Constitution was officially announced in February 1889. Itō had made sure it included ideas about kokutai, or "national identity." This explained the Emperor's power through his divine family line. This was because Itō felt some European ideas didn't fit Japan.

Itō remained a powerful figure even when others like Kuroda Kiyotaka and Yamagata Aritomo were prime ministers.

During his second time as prime minister (1892–1896), he supported the First Sino-Japanese War. He helped negotiate the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895. This treaty gave Japan many benefits. He also helped remove some unfair treaty rules that had affected Japan since the Meiji period began.

During Itō's third time as prime minister (1898), he had to deal with the rise of political parties. These parties opposed his new land taxes. In response, Itō dissolved the Diet (Japan's parliament) and called for new elections. The parties then joined together, won many seats, and forced Itō to resign. This taught Itō that he needed a pro-government political party. So, he created the Rikken Seiyūkai in 1900.

Itō returned as prime minister for a fourth time from 1900 to 1901. This time, he faced opposition from the Japanese House of Peers. Tired of political struggles, he resigned in 1901. But he still led the Privy Council.

Itō in the later years of his political career.

In late 1901, Itō decided to visit the United States and Europe. He traveled through the U.S. and received an honorary degree from Yale University. He then went to Paris and Saint Petersburg. In Russia, he tried to discuss a deal: Russia would have influence in Manchuria, and Japan would have influence in Korea. But Russia wasn't interested in a compromise.

Itō left Russia without a deal. Meanwhile, Japan's Prime Minister, Katsura Tarō, decided that Japan should not give up its interest in Manchuria. Itō then went to Berlin, Brussels, and London. In Britain, he met with Lord Lansdowne. This meeting helped set the stage for the Anglo-Japanese Alliance the next year. His failed mission to Russia was a key event leading up to the Russo-Japanese War.

While Prime Minister, Itō invited Professor George Trumbull Ladd from Yale University to Japan. Ladd helped improve understanding between Japan and the United States. He also helped change Japan's education methods.

Role in Korea

Prince Itō and the Crown Prince of Korea Yi Un

In November 1905, after the Russo-Japanese War, Japan and Korea signed the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1905. This made Korea a Japanese protectorate, meaning Japan controlled its foreign affairs. Itō became the first Resident-General of Korea on December 21, 1905.

In 1907, he encouraged Emperor Gojong to step down. He also helped create the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1907. This treaty gave Japan control over Korea's internal matters.

Itō did not want Korea to be fully taken over by China or Russia. He also opposed Japan completely annexing Korea at first. He thought it should be a protectorate. When the Japanese government voted to annex Korea, he suggested delaying it. He hoped the decision could be changed.

However, Itō eventually changed his mind and approved plans to annex Korea in April 1909. Even so, the powerful Imperial Japanese Army forced him to resign in June 1909. They strongly supported annexing Korea. His death is believed to have sped up the process of the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty.

His Death

Itō arrived at the Harbin railway station on October 26, 1909. He was there to meet with a Russian official. At the station, An Jung-geun, a Korean independence activist, shot him three times in the chest. Itō died soon after.

His body was brought back to Japan on a navy ship. He was given a state funeral. An Jung-geun later gave "15 reasons why Itō should be killed" at his trial. The annexation of Korea was made official by another treaty the year after Itō's death.

His Legacy

In Japan

A Series C 1,000 yen note of Japan, with a portrait of Itō Hirobumi.

Itō Hirobumi's picture was on the front of the 1,000 yen banknote in Japan from 1963 to 1984. His old house in Tokyo was moved to his childhood home in Yamaguchi Prefecture. It is now a museum near the Shōin Jinja in Hagi. A publishing company called Hakubunkan is named after Hakubun, which is another way to say Itō's given name.

In Korea

Some historical records from Korea suggest that Emperor Gojong had a positive view of Itō's leadership. However, Korean scholars question how reliable these records are after 1905. This is because Japan had a lot of influence over record-keeping at that time.

Itō has been shown in several Korean movies. His assassination was the topic of a North Korean film in 1979 and a South Korean film in 2004. Both films showed his assassin, An Jung-geun, as the main hero. There was also a South Korean film in 1973 about Itō's adopted Korean daughter, Bae Jeong-ja.

Itō believed that East Asian countries like Japan, Korea, and China should work together. He thought this would help them avoid being taken over by Western powers. At first, the Korean government agreed to work with Japan. Many Koreans thought Japan, as an Asian power, would be better than Russia. However, Japan's actions, like taking land and forcing people to work, turned public opinion against them.

Popular culture

• Portrayed by Hisaya Morishige in the 1980 Japanese movie The Battle of Port Arthur.
• Portrayed by Yoon Joo-sang in the 2001-2002 KBS TV series Empress Myeongseong.
• Portrayed by Gō Katō in the 2009-2011 NHK TV series Saka no Ue no Kumo.
• Portrayed by Hiroyuki Onoue in the 2010 NHK TV series Ryōmaden.
• Portrayed by Yukiyoshi Ozawa in the 2014 Japanese movie Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends
• Portrayed by Hitori Gekidan in the 2015 NHK TV series Hana Moyu.
• Portrayed by Kenta Hamano in the 2018 NHK TV series Segodon.
• Portrayed by Kim In-woo in the 2018 tvN and Netflix TV series Mr. Sunshine.

See also

In Spanish: Itō Hirobumi para niños

• Japanese students in Britain