Ito Hirobumi Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Itō Hirobumi
伊藤博文


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
Resident General of Korea
In office 21 December 1905 – 14 June 1909
Monarch	Meiji
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Sone Arasuke

Personal details
Born	(1841-10-16)16 October 1841 Tsukari, Japan
Died	26 October 1909(1909-10-26) (aged 68) Harbin, China
Political party	Independent (Before 1900) Constitutional Association of Political Friendship (1900–1909)
Spouse	Itō Umeko
Alma mater	University College London
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Born in Hagi, Yamaguchi, Prince Itō Hirobumi (伊藤博文 Itō Hirobumi 16 October 1841–26 October 1909, also called Hirofumi/Hakubun and Shunsuke in his youth) was a Japanese politician and the country's first Prime Minister (and the 5th, 7th and 10th).

Prime Minister of Japan
Early years
After the Meiji Restoration
Korea (1906-1909)
Other
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Prime Minister of Japan

1st: December 22,1885 - April 30,1888 861 days
5th: August 8,1892 - August 31,1896 1,485 days
7th: January 12,1898 - June 30,1898 170 days
10th: October 19,1900 - May 10,1901 204 days

Early years

He was a Choshu samurai's adopted son and gained samurai status for himself in 1863, but a visit to England in the same year convinced him of the necessity of modernising Japan by adopting Western ways. He was one of the Choshu Five who studied at University College London.

In 1864 he returned to Japan with fellow student Inoue Kaoru to attempt to warn the Choshu clan against going to war with the foreigners over the right of passage through the Straits of Shimonoseki. At that time he met Ernest Satow for the first time, later a lifelong friend.

After the Meiji Restoration

After the Meiji Restoration, Ito served as a junior councillor in a number of different ministries. In 1873, Ito was made a full councillor and following the death of Okubo Toshimichi in 1878 he was home minister and dominated the government, by 1881 he forced Okuma Shigenobu to resign and gain the key role for himself. He headed a number of missions to study foreign governments. Based on the European ideas he established a cabinet and civil service in 1885, replacing the Dajokan as the decision-making state organisation, and became the first Prime Minister.

As Prime Minister again (1892-96) he supported the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) and negotiated the Treaty of Shimonoseki in March 1895 with his ailing foreign minister Mutsu Munemitsu. After the war he became the first leader of the Seiyukai party, opposing Yamagata Aritomo. Prime Minister twice more (1898-1899, 1900-1901) he tried to negotiate a settlement with Russia before being forced from office by more militaristic politicians. He remained a power in the government as the premiership alternated between Saionji Kimmochi and Katsura Taro.

Korea (1906-1909)

In November 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War Korea was occupied by Japanese forces and the Korean government was made to sign the Protectorate Treaty, Ito became the first Resident General there in 1906. He forced the Korean ruler, King Gojong, to abdicate in 1907 in favour of his son King Sunjong and pushed through the Japanese-Korean Convention (1907) giving Japan considerable control of Korean internal affairs. Despite resigning as Resident-General in 1909 Ito was assassinated at Harbin in Manchuria by a Korean nationalist An Jung-geun. His death was followed by the full annexation of Korea in 1910 with the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty.