Ōkubo Toshimichi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Junior First Rank
Ōkubo Toshimichi
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大久保 利通
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| Personal details | |||||
| Born | September 26, 1830 Kagoshima, Satsuma Province, Japan |
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| Died | May 14, 1878 (aged 47) Tokyo, Japan |
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| Cause of death | Assassination | ||||
| Resting place | Aoyama Cemetery | ||||
| Spouse |
Hayasaki Masako
(m. 1858–1878) |
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| Occupation | Samurai, Politician | ||||
| Known for | One of the three great nobles of the Meiji Restoration | ||||
| Japanese name | |||||
| Hiragana | おおくぼ としみち | ||||
| Katakana | オオクボ トシミチ | ||||
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Ōkubo Toshimichi (大久保 利通) (born September 26, 1830 – died May 14, 1878) was an important Japanese statesman. He is known as one of the Three Great Nobles. These leaders helped create modern Japan.
Ōkubo was a samurai from the Satsuma Domain. He joined a group that wanted to overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate. This was the government that ruled Japan for many years. After the new Empire of Japan was formed, Ōkubo became a key leader. He was a big part of the Meiji Restoration, which changed Japan.
When he came back from a trip called the Iwakura Mission in 1873, he became the Lord of Home Affairs. This job gave him a lot of power. He used this power to make many changes. He helped settle arguments within the new government. He also stopped several rebellions that threatened the empire. Ōkubo was a very strong leader, and some people didn't like his style. He was sadly killed in 1878 by a former rebel.
Contents
Early Life and Samurai Beginnings
Ōkubo Toshimichi was born on September 26, 1830. His birthplace was Kagoshima, in what was then Satsuma Province. His father, Ōkubo Juemon, was a low-ranking retainer (a loyal follower) of Shimazu Nariakira. Nariakira was the daimyō (a powerful feudal lord) of the Satsuma Domain.
Even though his family wasn't very high in status, they had a respected background. They were thought to be related to the noble Fujiwara clan. Ōkubo was the oldest of five children. He went to the same local school as Saigō Takamori, who was three years older than him. In 1846, Ōkubo started working as an aide for the Satsuma Domain's record keeper.
Working for Change in Japan
Shimazu Nariakira saw that Ōkubo was very talented. In 1858, he made Ōkubo a tax administrator. After Nariakira died that same year, Ōkubo joined a secret plan. The goal was to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate. This was a military dictatorship that had ruled Japan as a feudal state since 1600.
Ōkubo believed that the shogunate needed to be completely removed. This was different from some other leaders in Satsuma. They wanted to either join the Imperial family with the Tokugawa family or just oppose the shogunate in other ways.
Important events like the Anglo-Satsuma War in 1863 and a coup in Kyoto made Ōkubo realize something. He saw that simply opposing the shogunate wasn't enough. In 1866, Ōkubo met with Saigō Takamori and Chōshū Domain's Kido Junichirō. They formed a secret group called the Satchō Alliance. Their goal was to work together to overthrow the Tokugawa government. Sakamoto Ryōma helped them make this alliance.
The Meiji Restoration and New Government
On January 3, 1868, forces from Satsuma and Chōshū took control of the Kyoto Imperial Palace. They announced the start of the Meiji Restoration. This was a huge change for Japan. Ōkubo, Saigō, and Kido were called the "Three Great Nobles of the Restoration." With help from a powerful court official named Iwakura Tomomi, they formed a temporary government. At first, this new government used money from the lands that used to belong to the Tokugawa shogunate.
Ōkubo became the head of the department of internal affairs. This gave him a lot of power. He controlled who was appointed to local government jobs and the police force. He could choose all the new leaders in the government. Many of the people he chose were young. Some were his friends, like Matsukata Masayoshi. Others were rare Japanese people who had studied in Europe or the United States.
In 1871, Ōkubo became the Finance Minister. He made big changes, like the Land Tax Reform. He also passed the Haitōrei Edict, which stopped samurai from carrying swords in public. He also ended official unfair treatment against the Burakumin, who were a group of outcasts.
In foreign affairs, Ōkubo worked to change unfair agreements called "unequal treaties" that Japan had with Western countries. He also joined the Iwakura Mission, a trip around the world from 1871 to 1873. He realized that Japan was not strong enough to challenge Western powers yet. He returned to Japan in September 1873. He then strongly opposed Saigō's idea to invade Korea.
In November 1873, Ōkubo took on a new role as Lord of Home Affairs. He gained even more power and became the most important voice in the new government. As Home Lord, Ōkubo pushed for industrial growth. He helped build roads, bridges, and ports. The old Tokugawa shogunate had not wanted to do these things.
Some people wanted a government where citizens could vote for their leaders. Ōkubo led the Osaka Conference of 1875 to discuss these ideas. The conference created an Assembly of prefectural governors and a senate-like group called the Genro-in. However, people were appointed to these groups, not elected. Also, they could not make laws.
In 1877, Ōkubo faced a major challenge. Forces in Satsuma, led by his old friend Saigō Takamori, started a rebellion. They were against the government's efforts to modernize Japan. Ōkubo personally led the government army. He defeated the rebellion, and Saigō died.
After he stopped the rebellion in his home province, many Satsuma samurai saw Ōkubo as a traitor. On May 14, 1878, Ōkubo was killed by Shimada Ichirō and six other samurai. This happened on his way to the imperial palace in Tokyo. It was near the same place where another important leader, Ii Naosuke, had been killed 18 years earlier.
Ōkubo's Lasting Impact
Ōkubo was one of the most important leaders of the Meiji Restoration. He helped create Japan's modern government. From November 1873, when he became the Home Affairs Minister, until his death in 1878, he was the most powerful person in Japan. He was very loyal to Japan and a strong nationalist. He earned respect from both his friends and his enemies.
Family Life
Ōkubo married Hayasaki Masako. They had four sons and one daughter. His children were Toshikazu, Makino Nobuaki, Toshitake, Ishihara Takeguma, and Yoshiko.
Ōkubo's second son, Makino Nobuaki, and his son-in-law, Ijuin Hikokichi, both became Foreign Ministers. Later, Prime Minister of Japan Tarō Asō and Princess Tomohito of Mikasa became great-great-grandchildren of Ōkubo Toshimichi. This shows how his family continued to be important in Japan.
In Fiction
Ōkubo Toshimichi appears in the manga and anime series Rurouni Kenshin. In the story, he asks the main character, Himura Kenshin, for help. He wants Kenshin to stop a threat from a rebel named Shishio Makoto. Kenshin is not sure, and Ōkubo gives him a deadline. On the day he goes to get Kenshin's answer, Ōkubo is supposedly killed by Seta Sōjirō, who works for Shishio. The Ichirō clan then claims they killed him.
In Boris Akunin's book The Diamond Chariot, a detective named Erast Fandorin tries to stop Ōkubo's assassination. However, he is not able to prevent it.
Honours
- Junior First Rank (May 22, 1901; given after his death)
See also
In Spanish: Ōkubo Toshimichi para niños
