Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

was a Japanese politician. He was a leader of the "

Freedom and People's Rights Movement The (abbreviated as ) or Popular Rights Movement was a Japanese political and social movement for democracy in the 1880s. It pursued the formation of an elected legislature, revision of the Unequal Treaties with the United States and European c ...

" and founded Japan's first political party, the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

Biography

Early life

Itagaki Taisuke was born into a middle-ranking ''

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 ...

'' family in

Tosa Domain The was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, controlling all of Tosa Province in what is now Kōchi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. It was centered around Kōchi Castle, and was ruled throughout its history by ...

, (present day

Kōchi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Kōchi Prefecture has a population of 757,914 (1 December 2011) and has a geographic area of 7,103 km2 (2,742 sq mi). Kōchi Prefecture borders Ehime Prefecture to the northwest and ...

), After studies in Kōchi and in Edo, he was appointed as ''sobayonin'' (councillor) to Tosa ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and n ...

'' Yamauchi Toyoshige, and was in charge of accounts and military matters at the domain's Edo residence in 1861. He disagreed with the domain's official policy of '' kōbu gattai'' (reconciliation between the Imperial Court and the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...

), and in 1867–1868, he met with

Saigō Takamori was a Japanese samurai and nobleman. He was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history and one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration. Living during the late Edo and early Meiji periods, he later led the Satsum ...

of the Satsuma Domain, and agreed to pledge Tosa's forces in the effort to overthrow the ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamak ...

'' in the upcoming

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

. During the Boshin War, he emerged as the principal political figure from Tosa domain as a leader of the Jinshotai assault force, and claimed a place in the new

Meiji government The was the government that was formed by politicians of the Satsuma Domain and Chōshū Domain in the 1860s. The Meiji government was the early government of the Empire of Japan. Politicians of the Meiji government were known as the Meiji o ...

after the Tokugawa defeat.

Meiji statesman to liberal agitator

Monument of Satsu Do Toubaku no Mitsuyaku

Itagaki was appointed a Councilor of State in 1869, and was involved in several key reforms, such as the abolition of the han system in 1871. As a ''sangi'' (councillor), he ran the government temporarily during the absence of the

Iwakura Mission The Iwakura Mission or Iwakura Embassy (, ''Iwakura Shisetsudan'') was a Japanese diplomatic voyage to the United States and Europe conducted between 1871 and 1873 by leading statesmen and scholars of the Meiji period. It was not the only such m ...

. However, Itagaki resigned from the Meiji government in 1873 over disagreement with the government's policy of restraint toward

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

''(

Seikanron The ''Seikanron'' ( ja, 征韓論; ko, 정한론; ) was a major political debate in Japan during 1873 regarding a punitive expedition against Korea. The ''Seikanron'' split the Meiji government and the restoration coalition that had been establ ...

)'' and, more generally, in opposition to the Chōshū-

Satsuma Satsuma may refer to: * Satsuma (fruit), a citrus fruit * ''Satsuma'' (gastropod), a genus of land snails Places Japan * Satsuma, Kagoshima, a Japanese town * Satsuma District, Kagoshima, a district in Kagoshima Prefecture * Satsuma Domain, a sou ...

domination of the new government. In 1874, together with

Gotō Shōjirō Count was a Japanese samurai and politician during the Bakumatsu and early Meiji period of Japanese history.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Gotō Shōjirō" in He was a leader of which would evolve into a political party. Early life ...

of Tosa and

Etō Shinpei was a Japanese statesman during the early Meiji period, remembered chiefly for his role in the unsuccessful Saga Rebellion. Early life and Meiji bureaucrat Etō was born into a crestless and poor samurai family in Yae (modern-day Saga), ...

and

Soejima Taneomi Count was a diplomat and statesman during early Meiji period Japan. Life and career Soejima was born into a ''samurai'' family in Saga, in Hizen Province (present-day Saga Prefecture). His father was a teacher in the domain's school and a scho ...

of Hizen, he formed the ''

Aikoku Kōtō The was a political party in Meiji-period Japan. The ''Aikoku Kōtō'' was formed in January 1874 by Itagaki Taisuke, Etō Shinpei, Gotō Shōjirō and others as part of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement. Its purpose was to petition the ...

'' (Public Party of Patriots), declaring, "We, the thirty millions of people in Japan are all equally endowed with certain definite rights, among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring and possessing property, and obtaining a livelihood and pursuing happiness. These rights are by Nature bestowed upon all men, and, therefore, cannot be taken away by the power of any man." This anti-government stance appealed to the discontented remnants of the ''

'' class and the rural aristocracy (who resented centralized taxation) and peasants (who were discontented with high prices and low wages). Itagaki's involvement in

liberalism Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality and equality before the law."political rationalism, hostility to autocracy, cultural distaste for c ...

lent it

political legitimacy In political science, legitimacy is the right and acceptance of an authority, usually a governing law or a regime. Whereas ''authority'' denotes a specific position in an established government, the term ''legitimacy'' denotes a system of gover ...

in Japan, and he became a leader of the push for

democratic reform Democratization, or democratisation, is the transition to a more democratic political regime, including substantive political changes moving in a democratic direction. It may be a hybrid regime in transition from an authoritarian regime to a full ...

. Itagaki and his associations created a variety of organizations to fuse ''samurai'' ethos with western

and to agitate for a

national assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...

, written

constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...

and limits to arbitrary exercise of power by the government. These included the ''Risshisha'' (Self-Help Movement) and the ''

Aikokusha The was a political party in the early Meiji-period Japan from 1875 to 1880. The Aikokusha was formed in February 1875 by Itagaki Taisuke, as part a liberal political federation to associate his '' Risshisha'' with the Freedom and People's Rig ...

'' (Society of Patriots) in 1875. After funding issues led to initial stagnation, the ''Aikokusha'' was revived in 1878 and agitated with increasing success as part of the

. The Movement drew the ire of the government and its supporters.

Leadership of the Liberal Party

Government leaders met at the

Osaka Conference of 1875 The was a meeting held by the major leaders of the Meiji Restoration in Osaka, Japan from January to February 1875 to address the issue of forming a representative assembly. The leaders present included Okubo Toshimichi, Kido Takayoshi, Itagaki Ta ...

, to which seven schools created under Itagaki's influence sent delegations, and the various delegates entered into an agreement by which they pledged themselves to the principle of a constitutional monarchy and a legislative assembly. They enticed Itagaki to return as a ''sangi'' (councilor): however, he resigned after a couple of months to oppose what he viewed as excessive concentration of power in the

Genrōin The was a national assembly in early Meiji Japan, established after the Osaka Conference of 1875. It is also referred to as the Senate of Japan, being the word used to describe the Roman Senate, and other western legislatures named after it. ...

. Itagaki criticized the government at the same time as it was under threat by the 1877

Satsuma Rebellion The Satsuma Rebellion, also known as the was a revolt of disaffected samurai against the new imperial government, nine years into the Meiji Era. Its name comes from the Satsuma Domain, which had been influential in the Restoration and b ...

, which turned the cabinet against him. Legislation was then created restraining free speech and association. In response, Itagaki created the

(Jiyuto) together with

Numa Morikazu was a politician and journalist in Meiji period Japan.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Numa Morikazu" in . Biography Born to a ''samurai'' family in Edo in 1843, Numa was involved in scholarship at an early age. He learned English from Jame ...

in 1881, which, along with the ''

Rikken Kaishintō The was a political party in Empire of Japan. It was also known as simply the Kaishintō. The Kaishintō was founded by Ōkuma Shigenobu on 16 April 1882, with the assistance of Yano Ryūsuke, Inukai Tsuyoshi and Ozaki Yukio. It received fin ...

'', led the nationwide popular discontent of 1880–1884. During this period, a rift developed in the movement between the lower class members and the aristocratic leadership of the party. Itagaki became embroiled in controversy when he took a trip to Europe believed by many to have been funded by the government. The trip turned out to have been provided by the

Mitsui is one of the largest '' keiretsu'' in Japan and one of the largest corporate groups in the world. The major companies of the group include Mitsui & Co. ( general trading company), Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Nippon Paper Industri ...

Company, but suspicions that Itagaki was being won over to the government side persisted. Consequently, radical splinter groups proliferated, undermining the unity of the party and the Movement. Itagaki was offered the title of Count (''Hakushaku'') in 1884, as the new peerage system known as ''

kazoku The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan, which existed between 1869 and 1947. They succeeded the feudal lords () and court nobles (), but were abolished with the 1947 constitution. Kazoku ( 華族) should not be confused with ...

'' was formed, but he accepted only on the condition that the title not be passed on to his heirs. In 1882, Itagaki was almost assassinated by a right-wing militant, to whom he allegedly said, "Itagaki may die, but liberty never!" The Liberal Party dissolved itself on 29 October 1884. It was reestablished shortly before the opening of the Imperial Diet in 1890 as the Rikken Jiyūtō. In April 1896, Itagaki joined the second Itō administration as

Home Minister The Minister of Home Affairs (or simply, the Home Minister, short-form HM) is the head of the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India. One of the senior-most officers in the Union Cabinet, the chief responsibility of the Home Minist ...

. In 1898, Itagaki joined with

Ōkuma Shigenobu Marquess was a Japanese statesman and a prominent member of the Meiji oligarchy. He served as Prime Minister of the Empire of Japan in 1898 and from 1914 to 1916. Ōkuma was also an early advocate of Western science and culture in Japan, and ...

of the

Shimpotō was a short-lived political party in Meiji period Japan. The Shimpotō was founded by Ōkuma Shigenobu in March 1896, as a merger of the Rikken Kaishintō and minor political parties to offset a temporary alliance between Ōkuma's rival, Itō Hi ...

to form the

Kenseitō The was a political party in the Meiji period Empire of Japan. History The ''Kenseitō'' was founded in June 1898, as a merger of the Shimpotō headed by Ōkuma Shigenobu and the Liberal Party (Jiyūtō) led by Itagaki Taisuke, with Ōkuma as pa ...

, and Japan's first party government. Ōkuma became

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

, and Itagaki continued serving as Home Minister. The Cabinet collapsed after four months of squabbling between the factions, demonstrating the immaturity of parliamentary democracy at the time in Japan. Itagaki retired from public life in 1900 and spent the rest of his days writing. He died of natural causes in 1919.

After Liberal Party

In the Freedom and People's Rights Movement in Okinawa, Itagaki supported Jahana Noboru. In the

Petition Movement for the Establishment of a Taiwanese Parliament The Petition Movement for the Establishment of a Taiwanese Parliament (or alternatively translated ... Taiwan Representative Assembly, Taiwan Parliament Petition League Movement) took place in the first half of the twentieth century. It demande ...

, Itagaki and

Lin Hsien-tang Lin Hsien-tang (; 22 October 1881 – 8 September 1956) was a Taiwanese-born politician and activist who founded several political organizations and sat on the Japanese House of Peers. Early life and family Lin Hsien-tang's earliest Taiwan-based a ...

established The Taiwan Assimilation Society in 1914.

Legacy

Itagaki is credited as being the first Japanese party leader and an important force for

in Meiji Japan. His portrait has appeared on the 50-sen and 100-yen banknotes issued by the Bank of Japan.

Honors

''From the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia''

Peerages

*Count (9 May 1887; life peerage)

Decorations

*Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (29 September 1896) *Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun with Paulownia Flowers (16 July 1919; posthumous)

Family crest of Itagaki clan

Genealogy

*Inui family（Itagaki family）　Their clan name　is Minamoto(Seiwa-Genji). In this house, Edo period was a samurai in the Tosa clan from generation to generation. Knight (senior samurai). Original Itagaki used "Jiguro-bishi (Kage-hanabishi)" for the family crest with Takeda of the effect for the same family. However, Inui used "Kayanouchi Jumonji" (Azuchi Period to Meiji Period), "Tosa Kiri" (Meiji Period to now).Taisuke Itagaki's grave. Sinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. Source "Kai Kokushi". Matsudaira Sadayoshi. 1814. Japan.(Aduchi-Momoyama period part) "Kwansei-choshu Shokafu". Hotta Masaatsu, Hayashi jyussai. 1799. Japan.(Aduchi-Momoyama period part) "Osamuraichu Senzogaki-keizucho"(Edo period part)

Family

* Wife 1:(daughter of Tosa domain samurai) Hayashi Masunojo Masamori's younger sister. (Name unknown) * Wife 2:(2nd daughter of Tosa domain samurai Nakayama Yaheiji Hidemasa) (Name unknown) * Wife 3: Rin (daughter of Tosa domain samurai Kotani Zengoro) Born on September 10, 1840. Marriage in 1859. Died on June 28, 1885. * Wife 4: Kinuko, adopted daughter of

Viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicia ...

Fukuoka Takachika Viscount was a Japanese statesman of the Meiji period. Early life Fukuoka was born in Tosa District in present-day Kōchi Prefecture, and served the Yamauchi daimyō of Tosa as a domain official. Together with fellow Tosa ''samurai'' Gotō ...

. Araki Isoji's 7th daughter. (Born on June 8, 1859. Married on March 6, 1889. Died on April 13, 1938. * Eldest son:Itagaki Hokotaro - Born on July 4, 1868. His mother's family name is Kotani. * 2nd son :Inui Seishi - Born on April 18, 1868. His mother was Doctor Hagiwara Fukusai's daughter, Yaku. * 3rd son :Araki Magozaburo - Born on October 6, 1885. His mother was Araki Isoji's 7th daughter Kinu. (He was born before his mother married Itagaki.) * 4th son:Itagaki Masami - Born on April 4, 1889. His mother's family name was Fukuoka. (He had same mother as Magozaburo.) * 5th son:Inui Muichi - Born on November 14, 1897. His mother's family name was Fukuoka. * Eldest daughter:Hyo - She married Kataoka Kumanosuke. Born on August 4, 1860. Her mother's family name was Kotani. * 2nd daughter:Gun - She married Miyaji Shigeharu. Born on April 20, 1864. Her mother's family name was Kotani. * 3rd daughter:Yen - She divorced the first Yasukawa Jinichi. After that, she remarried to photographer Ogawa Kazuma. Born on May 16, 1872. Her mother's family name was Kotani. * 4th daughter:Chiyoko - She married Asano Taijiro ( Asano Souichiro Jr.). Born on April 12, 1893. Her mother's family name was Fukuoka. * 5th daughter:Ryoko - She married Oyama Tomoe. Born on January 1, 1895. Her mother's family name was Fukuoka.

Notes

References

* Beasley, William G. (1995). ''The Rise of Modern Japan: Political, Economic and Social Change Since 1850.'' New York: Martin's Press. * * Jansen, Marius B. and

Gilbert Rozman Gilbert Friedell Rozman (born 18 February 1943) is an American sociologist specializing in Asian studies. Rozman completed an undergraduate degree in Chinese and Russian studies at Carleton College, and earned a doctorate in sociology at Princet ...

, eds. (1986). ''Japan in Transition: from Tokugawa to Meiji.'' Princeton:

Princeton University Press Princeton University Press is an independent publisher with close connections to Princeton University. Its mission is to disseminate scholarship within academia and society at large. The press was founded by Whitney Darrow, with the financial su ...

.
OCLC 12311985
* Totten, George O. (compiled by). (1966). ''Democracy in Prewar Japan: Groundwork or Facade?''. Boston: D.C. Heath and Company. *Itagaki Taisuke Honouring Association (2019). ''The Mind of Count Itagaki Taisuke''. C0023

External links

Draft letter of resignation from the Cabinet by Itagaki in 1898

{{DEFAULTSORT:Itagaki, Taisuke 1837 births 1919 deaths Meiji Restoration Samurai Boshin War Japanese Buddhists Japanese Protestants Japanese military leaders Government ministers of Japan Kazoku Liberalism in Japan People of Meiji-period Japan People from Kōchi Prefecture People from Tosa Domain Aikoku Kōtō politicians Liberal Party (Japan, 1881) politicians Ministers of Home Affairs of Japan Politicians from Kōchi Prefecture