Okuma Shigenobu

Okuma Shigenobu

(born March 11, 1838, Saga, Japan—died Jan. 10, 1922, Tokyo) Japanese politician of the Meiji period who twice served as prime minister. His initial contribution to the new government was to oversee the reorganization of Japan's fiscal system. Later, after making radical proposals for a new Japanese constitution and exposing corruption in proposed sales of government property, he was forced out of government. In 1882 he formed the Rikken Kaishinto (“Progressive Party”), which favoured English parliamentary government. With Itagaki Taisuke he created a new party in 1898, the Kenseito (“Constitutional Party”). They formed a short-lived government with Okuma as prime minister. Okuma's second tenure as prime minister (1914–16) was more successful. He is also remembered as the founder of Waseda University (1882). See also Meiji Constitution.

---

Okuma Shigenobu 

Born Feb. 16, 1838, in Saga; died Jan. 10, 1922, in Tokyo. Japanese statesman. By origin a samurai of the Saga principality.

After the Revolution of 1867–68, Okuma held important posts in the departments of industry and finance of the Restoration government. From 1873 to 1881 he headed the department of finance. He was closely associated with the Mitsubishi company, which later became one of the largest Japanese business concerns. In 1882, Okuma founded the bourgeois Kaishinto (Progressive Party). He was a member of the right-wing liberal constitutional movement until 1888.

In 1882, Okuma founded the Tokyo Special School (Tokyo Semmon Gakko), which in 1903 became Waseda University. He was rector of the university from 1907 to 1914. In 1888–89 and 1896–97, Okuma served as foreign minister. In 1898 he was prime minister and foreign minister; from 1914 to 1916 he served as prime minister. Japan entered World War I (August 1914) under Okuma’s second government. Okuma helped draft the excessive Twenty-one Demands made on China (1915).

REFERENCES

Ocherki novoi istorii Iaponii. Moscow, 1958. (See name index.)
Iddittie Junesay. The Life of Marquis Shigenobu Okuma. Tokyo, 1956.