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was a Japanese politician and

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

. He is best known as the father of philosopher

Kuki Shūzō Kuki can refer to: Locations * Kuki, Isfahan, a village in Isfahan Province, Iran * Kuki, Saitama, a city in Japan Peoples and culture * Kuki, or Thadou people, an ethnic tribe native to northeastern India (also Burma, where they are called ''Ch ...

Life

Kuki was born Hoshizaki Sadajirō in Sanda Domain (present-day Sanda, Hyōgo Prefecture), the second son of Hoshizaki Sadamoto, a

retainer Retainer may refer to: * Retainer (orthodontics), devices for teeth * RFA ''Retainer'' (A329), a ship * Retainers in early China, a social group in early China Employment * Retainer agreement, a contract in which an employer pays in advance for w ...

of the Sanda Domain. After his mother died in 1860, he was adopted by Kuki Takahiro, the ''

karō were top-ranking samurai officials and advisors in service to the ''daimyōs'' of feudal Japan. Overview In the Edo period, the policy of ''sankin-kōtai'' (alternate attendance) required each ''daimyō'' to place a ''karō'' in Edo and anothe ...

'' of Ayabe Domain, through the mediation of Kuki Takayoshi, the daimyo of Sanda. In 1866, he succeeded as the head of the Kuki family. In the early years of the

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

, after studying under

Fukuzawa Yukichi was a Japanese educator, philosopher, writer, entrepreneur and samurai who founded Keio University, the newspaper '' Jiji-Shinpō'', and the Institute for Study of Infectious Diseases. Fukuzawa was an early advocate for reform in Japan. Hi ...

, he took a post in the Japanese Ministry of Education, specializing in cultural policy. In 1884, he was appointed Japanese ambassador to the United States. Complications in his career arose when his wife Hatsu had an affair with

Okakura Kakuzō (also known as 岡倉天心 Okakura Tenshin) was a Japanese scholar and art critic who in the era of Meiji- Restoration reform defended traditional forms, customs and beliefs. Outside Japan, he is chiefly renowned for '' The Book of Tea: A Jap ...

. He eventually returned to Japan where he continued to work in the

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

, and play a role as a patron of the arts.Leslie Pincus, ''Authenticating Culture in Imperial Japan'', 1996

Honours

''From the Japanese Wikipedia article''

Japanese titles and decorations

*Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure (4 September 1895) * Baron (5 June 1896) *Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (27 December 1902; Second Class: 29 May 1888; Third Class: 1 November 1882; Fourth Class: 27 December 1879) *Grand Cordon of the

Order of the Paulownia Flowers The is an order presented by the Japanese government. Established in 1888 during the Meiji Restoration as the highest award in the Order of the Rising Sun; however, since 2003 it has been an Order in its own right. The only grade of the order i ...

(18 August 1931; posthumous)

Japanese medals

*Imperial Constitution Promulgation Commemorative Medal (25 November 1889) *Annexation of Korea Commemorative Medal (1 August 1912) *Coronation commemorative medal (10 November 1915 and 10 November 1928)

Japanese court ranks

*Senior sixth rank (17 June 1874) *Fifth rank (24 February 1875) *Senior fifth rank (24 May 1880) *Fourth rank (20 December 1880) *Third rank (20 December 1886) *Senior third rank (16 December 1890) *Second rank (20 March 1900) *Senior second rank (11 February 1924)

Other honours

*Knight of the Legion of Honour and Officer of the Order of Public Instruction of France (9 July 1879) *Officer of the Order of the Crown of Italy (19 August 1879) *Medal (1st Class) of the Order of the Crown of Hawa'ii (8 March 1890)

References

Samurai 1931 deaths Recipients of the Legion of Honour 1852 births {{Japan-bio-stub