Harukichi Shimoi (下位 春吉, Shimoi Harukichi; October 20, 1883 – December 1, 1954) was a Japanese poet, translator and…Harukichi Shimoi (下位 春吉, Shimoi Harukichi; October 20, 1883 – December 1, 1954) was a Japanese poet, translator and writer. Shimoi lived in Italy for many years and was an important promoter of cultural exchange between Japan and Italy. Shimoi translated works from Yosano Akiko and Matsuo Bashō into Italian, and conversely translated Dante into Japanese. Shimoi was close friends with Gabriele D'Annunzio and translated several of his works. He accompanied the poet on his Fiume endeavour. He was influential in introducing the haiku to Italian futurist poets, organizing the Tokyo-Rome flight with Arturo Ferrarin, his early involvement in the Calpis soft drink, and promoting Karate and Judo to Italians.
Cho Man-sik (Korean: 조만식; 1 February 1883 – ?), also known by his art name Godang (고당), was a Korean independence…Cho Man-sik (Korean: 조만식; 1 February 1883 – ?), also known by his art name Godang (고당), was a Korean independence activist. He became involved in the power struggle that enveloped North Korea in the months following the Japanese surrender after World War II. Originally, Cho was supported by the Soviet Union for the eventual rule of North Korea. However, due to his opposition to the USA proposed trusteeship, Cho lost Soviet support and was forced from power by the Soviet-backed and pro Soviet communists in the north (a predecessor of the Workers' Party of Korea). Placed under house arrest in January 1946, he later disappeared into the North Korean prison system, where confirmed reports of him end. He is generally believed to have been executed soon after the start of the Korean War, possibly in October 1950.
Kunihiko Hashida (橋田 邦彦, Hashida Kunihiko; 15 March 1882 – 14 September 1945) was a Japanese physician and…Kunihiko Hashida (橋田 邦彦, Hashida Kunihiko; 15 March 1882 – 14 September 1945) was a Japanese physician and physiologist. Hashida was born in Tottori in 1882. He became a medical professor of Tokyo Imperial University. He also became the Headmaster of the First Higher School in 1937. He served as the Minister of Education from 1940 to 1943 under the Konoe and Tōjō cabinets. After World War II, Hashida came under suspicion of war crimes committed during his tenure as minister during the war. Hashida denied wrongdoing and committed suicide by taking potassium cyanide.
Hong Yi (23 October 1880 – 13 October 1942; Chinese: 弘一; pinyin: Hóngyī; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Hông-it, also romanized Hong-it)…Hong Yi (23 October 1880 – 13 October 1942; Chinese: 弘一; pinyin: Hóngyī; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Hông-it, also romanized Hong-it), or Yan Yin (Chinese: 演音; pinyin: Yǎnyīn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ián-im) was a Chinese Buddhist monk of the Nanshan Vinaya school. He was also an artist, and a musician. Born Li Shutong (李叔同 and 李漱筒), he was known by the names Wen Tao, Guang Hou, and Shu Tong, but was most commonly known by his Buddhist name, Hong Yi (Hokkien Hong-it). Master Hongyi was a highly influential figure in both the modern Chinese cultural movement and the Buddhist revival during the Republic of China period. Initially renowned for his diverse artistic talents in poetry, music, painting, and calligraphy, he underwent a significant transformation, ordaining as a Buddhist monk in 1918 at Hupao Temple in Hangzhou. From that point until his death in 1942, he dedicated his life to the study and dissemination of Chinese Buddhism. He is widely recognized as one of the four eminent monks of the Republic of China, alongside Masters Taixu, Yinguang, and Xuyun. Within the Chinese Buddhist tradition, Master Hongyi is primarily known and respected as the eleventh patriarch of the Nanshan Vinaya school, a title reflecting his critical role in revitalizing the Vinaya tradition in modern China.
Osami Nagano (永野 修身, Nagano Osami; 15 June 1880 – 5 January 1947) was a Marshal Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy…Osami Nagano (永野 修身, Nagano Osami; 15 June 1880 – 5 January 1947) was a Marshal Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy and one of the leaders of Japan's military during most of the Second World War. In April 1941, he became Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff. In this capacity, he emerged as a leading advocate for preventive war against the United States and served as the navy's commander-in-chief in the Asia-Pacific theater of World War II until February 1944. After the war, he was arrested by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East but died of natural causes in prison during the trial.
Teiichi Okano (Japanese: 岡野貞一 Okano Teiichi; 16 February 1878, Tottori, Tottori, Japan – 29 December 1941) was a…Teiichi Okano (Japanese: 岡野貞一 Okano Teiichi; 16 February 1878, Tottori, Tottori, Japan – 29 December 1941) was a Japanese composer.
Kawai Michi (河井 道; July 29, 1877 – February 11, 1953) was a Japanese educator, Christian activist, and proponent of…Kawai Michi (河井 道; July 29, 1877 – February 11, 1953) was a Japanese educator, Christian activist, and proponent of Japanese-Western ties before, during, and after World War II. She served as the first Japanese National Secretary of the YWCA of Japan and founded Keisen University.
Ryūsaku Tsunoda (角田 柳作, Tsunoda Ryūsaku; 8 September 1877 - 29 November 1964) was a Japanese scholar and is known as…Ryūsaku Tsunoda (角田 柳作, Tsunoda Ryūsaku; 8 September 1877 - 29 November 1964) was a Japanese scholar and is known as the "father of Japanese studies" at Columbia University. He was directly responsible for developing the Japanese language and literature collection at Columbia's library. Prominent among the former-students who credit his influence as formative is Donald Keene, who had himself become a later Dean of Japanese studies in the United States.
Baron Senshū Suetaka (千秋 季隆; 10 October 1875 – 12 May 1941) was a Japanese nobleman, politician, businessman and…Baron Senshū Suetaka (千秋 季隆; 10 October 1875 – 12 May 1941) was a Japanese nobleman, politician, businessman and educator. He served as Director of Office of Japanese Classics Research and was a member of the House of Peers. He was also a director of Bisan Bank and Owari Savings Bank, and a professor at Gakushuin University.
Kaiichiro Suematsu (18 June 1875 – 26 June 1947) was a Japanese politician who served as governor of Hiroshima…Kaiichiro Suematsu (18 June 1875 – 26 June 1947) was a Japanese politician who served as governor of Hiroshima Prefecture from September 1926 to November 1927. He was governor of Tokushima Prefecture (1915–1917), Shiga Prefecture (1923–1925) and Ibaraki Prefecture (1925–1926). He was mayor of Beppu, Ōita from 1942 to 1946.
Hideko Inoue (also Hideko Inouye, Japanese: 井上秀 6 January 1875 – 19 July 1963) was a Japanese educator and peace…Hideko Inoue (also Hideko Inouye, Japanese: 井上秀 6 January 1875 – 19 July 1963) was a Japanese educator and peace activist. She taught home economics at Japan Women's University and served as the first woman president of the school from 1931–1946. Active in the peace movement she led the Japanese affiliate of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and was one of the leading feminists supporting internationalism in the interwar era. In the 1930s she changed her focus to Pan-Asian cooperation and at the end of the decade was appointed to the Ministry of Greater East Asia to work on educational reforms. In the 1940s, she was decorated by the Emperor of Japan but lost her presidency at Japan Women's University in 1946 when she was purged by the U. S. Occupation Administration. She remained involved in education until the mid-1950s.
Wada Eisaku (和田英作; December 23, 1874 – January 3, 1959) was a Japanese painter and luminary of the yōga (or…Wada Eisaku (和田英作; December 23, 1874 – January 3, 1959) was a Japanese painter and luminary of the yōga (or Western-style) scene in the late Meiji, Taishō, and Shōwa eras. He was a member of the Japan Art Academy, an Imperial Household Artist, a recipient of the Order of the Sacred Treasure and Order of Culture, an Officier in the Légion d'honneur, and a Person of Cultural Merit.
Tsunesaburō Makiguchi (牧口 常三郎, Makiguchi Tsunesaburō; 23 July 1871–18 November 1944) was a Japanese educator who…Tsunesaburō Makiguchi (牧口 常三郎, Makiguchi Tsunesaburō; 23 July 1871–18 November 1944) was a Japanese educator who founded and became the first president of the Sōka Kyōiku Gakkai (Value-Creating Education Society), the predecessor of today's Soka Gakkai.
Yoshioka Yayoi (吉岡 彌生; April 29, 1871 – May 22, 1959) was a Japanese physician, educator, and women's rights activist.…Yoshioka Yayoi (吉岡 彌生; April 29, 1871 – May 22, 1959) was a Japanese physician, educator, and women's rights activist. She founded the Tokyo Women's Medical University in 1900, as the first medical school for women in Japan. She was also known as Washiyama Yayoi.
Yun Chi-oh (Korean: 윤치오; Hanja: 尹致旿; 5 August 1869 – 22 December 1950) was a Korean educator and politician. He was a…Yun Chi-oh (Korean: 윤치오; Hanja: 尹致旿; 5 August 1869 – 22 December 1950) was a Korean educator and politician. He was a member of the prominent Yun family of Korea, which also included Yun Chi-ho (statesman and activist for Korean independence), Yun Chi-young, and Yun Bo-seon (South Korea's 4th President). His art name was Dongam (동암; 東庵) and his courtesy name was Jajung (자정; 子正). Yun was born in Dunpo, in Asan County, South Chungcheong Province, Joseon. Returning to Korea after studying in Japan, Yun became a member of the Uijeongbu. While working as a state official in 1894, he became involved with the failed Kapsin Coup, for which he was exiled to Japan. In Japan, Yun taught Korean at the Tokyo International School. He was recalled to Japan by an ambassadorial attache of the Privy Council of Korea in 1897 and went on to become a member of the Munkwanjungoso Committee, Director of Parents of the Ministry of Education, Japan Student Director, and in 1907, Chairman of the Institute of Hangul. father of Yun Il-seon, Il-seon was early South Korean pathologist and anatomists.
John Yasutaro Naide (名出 保太郎) D.D. (December 22, 1866 – 1945) was an Anglican bishop of the Diocese of Osaka, in the…John Yasutaro Naide (名出 保太郎) D.D. (December 22, 1866 – 1945) was an Anglican bishop of the Diocese of Osaka, in the Nippon Sei Ko Kai, the Province of the Anglican Communion in Japan. He was born in Wakayama Prefecture. Naide served as a delegate to the first synod of the Anglican Church in Japan in 1887. He was consecrated on December 11, 1923 as one of the first two Japanese bishops in the Nippon Sei Ko Kai and the first Japanese Bishop of Osaka. Naide had previously served as Rector at Kawaguchi Christ Church and of Christ Church, Osaka. As Bishop of Osaka Naide succeeded the joint appointment of an American Episcopalian Henry St. George Tucker and English Anglican Hugh Foss. Bishop Thomas Frank Gailor preached at his consecration. In 1924 Naide was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree by the Virginia Theological Seminary. At the House of Bishops meeting in December 1937, Naide was elected chairman of the General Synod and president of the Executive Council of the Nippon Sei Ko Kai. In October 1942, in the face of Second World War Japanese government pressure for the church to join the Protestant United Church of Christ in Japan or Kyodan, Naide took the controversial decision to dissolve the Nippon Sei Ko Kai in his own diocese, publicly announcing in January 1943 that it had ceased to exist. Wartime nationalism and government pressure impacted the mission of many Christian churches in Japan during the 1930s and 1940s. Naide maintained his view that the Nippon Sei Ko Kai should be a national Christian church led by a cadre of Japanese bishops, an aim realised in 1947, two years after the end of the war and Naide's death in 1945.
Masataro Sawayanagi (澤柳 政太郎, Sawayanagi Masatarō; May 17, 1865 – December 24, 1927) was a Japanese educator, academic…Masataro Sawayanagi (澤柳 政太郎, Sawayanagi Masatarō; May 17, 1865 – December 24, 1927) was a Japanese educator, academic administrator and government official.
Hayashi Utako (林歌子; January 11, 1865 – March 24, 1946; some sources give 1864 as the birth year) was a Japanese…Hayashi Utako (林歌子; January 11, 1865 – March 24, 1946; some sources give 1864 as the birth year) was a Japanese educator and social worker. As head of the Osaka branch of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, she led campaigns against businesses serving alcohol in 1909, 1912, and 1916. She was also active in the international woman's peace movement.
Tsuda Umeko (津田 梅子; born Tsuda Ume (津田 梅); December 31, 1864 – August 16, 1929) was a Japanese educator who founded…Tsuda Umeko (津田 梅子; born Tsuda Ume (津田 梅); December 31, 1864 – August 16, 1929) was a Japanese educator who founded Tsuda University. She was the daughter of Tsuda Sen, an agricultural scientist, and at the age of 7, she became Japan's first female exchange student, traveling to the United States on the same ship as the Iwakura Mission. Originally named Tsuda Ume, with ume referring to the Japanese plum, she went by the name Ume Tsuda while studying in the United States before changing her name to Umeko in 1902.
Wakamatsu Shizuko (若松 賤子; 6 September 1864 – 10 February 1896) was a Japanese educator, translator, and novelist best…Wakamatsu Shizuko (若松 賤子; 6 September 1864 – 10 February 1896) was a Japanese educator, translator, and novelist best known for translating Little Lord Fauntleroy written by Frances Hodgson Burnett. She is also known for introducing literature with Christianity for children's novels.
Sakunosuke Koyama (19 January 1864 – 27 June 1927) was a Japanese composer and music teacher. He was the founder and…Sakunosuke Koyama (19 January 1864 – 27 June 1927) was a Japanese composer and music teacher. He was the founder and president of the Japanese Music Education Federation.
Shiga Shigetaka (志賀 重昂; 15 September 1863 – 6 April 1927) was the editor of the magazine Nihonjin during the Meiji…Shiga Shigetaka (志賀 重昂; 15 September 1863 – 6 April 1927) was the editor of the magazine Nihonjin during the Meiji period, in which he argued against extreme Westernization (Japanese: 欧化主義).
Lieutenant-General Mori Rintarō (森 林太郎; February 17, 1862 – July 8, 1922), known by his pen name Mori Ōgai (森 鷗外…Lieutenant-General Mori Rintarō (森 林太郎; February 17, 1862 – July 8, 1922), known by his pen name Mori Ōgai (森 鷗外; Japanese pronunciation: [mo.ɾʲi (|) oꜜː.ɡai, -ŋai]), was a Japanese Army Surgeon general officer, translator, novelist, poet and father of famed author Mari Mori. He obtained his medical license at a very young age and introduced translated German language literary works to the Japanese public. Mori Ōgai also was considered the first to successfully express the art of western poetry in Japanese. He wrote many works and created many writing styles. The Wild Geese (1911–1913) is considered his major work. After his death, he was considered one of the leading writers who modernized Japanese literature. His continued obstinacy to recognize beriberi as a thiamine deficiency led to the death of more than 27,000 Japanese soldiers.
Korehiro Kurahara (蔵原 惟郭; August 11, 1861 – January 8, 1949) was a Japanese educator and politician. He was the father…Korehiro Kurahara (蔵原 惟郭; August 11, 1861 – January 8, 1949) was a Japanese educator and politician. He was the father of Korehito Kurahara.
Ishii Fudeko (born Watanabe Fude, 27 April 1861 (Bunkyu-1) – 24 January 1944 (Showa-19)) was a pioneer of modern…Ishii Fudeko (born Watanabe Fude, 27 April 1861 (Bunkyu-1) – 24 January 1944 (Showa-19)) was a pioneer of modern education for Japanese girls, and one of the first founders of welfare for people with mental disabilities in Japan.
Tameyuki Amano (天野 為之, Amano Tameyuki; February 6, 1861 – March 26, 1938) was a Japanese politician, educator and…Tameyuki Amano (天野 為之, Amano Tameyuki; February 6, 1861 – March 26, 1938) was a Japanese politician, educator and economist. He was born in Edo (after renamed to Tokyo), and grown in Karatsu, Saga. He argued the classical economics and free trade policy, and introduced John Stuart Mill's theory into Japan, from Meiji to pre-war Showa era. He was elected in the first Japanese general election in 1890, from the Rikken Kaishintō, which pursued a British-style constitutional monarchy. He was also a president of Toyo Keizai Inc. and Waseda University.
Ume Kenjirō (梅 謙次郎; July 24, 1860 – August 26, 1910) was a legal scholar in Meiji period Japan, and a founder of Hosei…Ume Kenjirō (梅 謙次郎; July 24, 1860 – August 26, 1910) was a legal scholar in Meiji period Japan, and a founder of Hosei University.
Princess Ōyama Sutematsu (大山 捨松; born Yamakawa Sakiko (山川 咲子); February 24, 1860 – February 18, 1919) was a Japanese…Princess Ōyama Sutematsu (大山 捨松; born Yamakawa Sakiko (山川 咲子); February 24, 1860 – February 18, 1919) was a Japanese socialite in the Meiji era, and the first Japanese woman to receive a college degree. She was born into a traditional samurai household which supported the Tokugawa shogunate during the Boshin War. As a child, she survived the monthlong siege known as the Battle of Aizu in 1868, and lived briefly as a refugee. In 1871, Yamakawa was one of five girls chosen to accompany the Iwakura Mission to America and spend ten years receiving an American education. At this time, her name was changed to Yamakawa Sutematsu (山川 捨松), or, when she wrote in English, Stematz Yamakawa. Yamakawa lived in the household of Leonard Bacon in New Haven, Connecticut, becoming particularly close with his youngest daughter Alice Mabel Bacon. She learned English and graduated from Hillhouse High School, then attended Vassar College, the first nonwhite student at that fledgling women's university. She graduated with the Vassar College class of 1882, earning an A.B. After graduation, she remained a few more months to study nursing, and finally returned to Japan in October 1882. When she first returned to Japan, Yamakawa looked for educational or government work, but her options were limited, especially because she could not read or write Japanese. In April 1882, she accepted a marriage proposal from Ōyama Iwao, a wealthy and important general, despite the fact that he had fought on the opposing side of the Battle of Aizu. As her husband was promoted, she was elevated in rank to become Countess, Marchioness, and finally Princess Ōyama in 1905. She was a prominent figure in Rokumeikan society, advising the Empress on Western customs. She also used her social position as a philanthropist to advocate for women's education and volunteer nursing. She assisted in the founding of the Peeresses' School for high-ranking ladies, and the Women's Home School of English, which would later become Tsuda University. She died in 1919 when the 1918 flu pandemic reached Tokyo.
Akiyama Yoshifuru (秋山 好古; February 9, 1859 – November 4, 1930) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, and was…Akiyama Yoshifuru (秋山 好古; February 9, 1859 – November 4, 1930) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, and was considered the father of modern Japanese cavalry. He was the older brother of Vice Admiral Akiyama Saneyuki.
Yukio Ozaki (尾崎 行雄, Ozaki Yukio; born 24 December 1858 – 6 October 1954) was a Japanese politician of liberal…Yukio Ozaki (尾崎 行雄, Ozaki Yukio; born 24 December 1858 – 6 October 1954) was a Japanese politician of liberal signature, born in modern-day Sagamihara, Kanagawa. Ozaki served in the House of Representatives of the Japanese Diet for 63 years (1890–1953). He is still revered in Japan as the "God of constitutional politics" and the "father of the Japanese Constitution".
Hōjō Tokiyuki (北条 時敬; 23 March 1858 – 27 April 1929) was an educator, mathematician and politician in Meiji period…Hōjō Tokiyuki (北条 時敬; 23 March 1858 – 27 April 1929) was an educator, mathematician and politician in Meiji period Japan. He was the twelfth head of Gakushūin Peers’ School, and an early Japanese Scouting notable.
Inoue Enryō (井上 円了; March 18, 1858 – June 6, 1919) was a Japanese philosopher, Shin Buddhist priest and reformer…Inoue Enryō (井上 円了; March 18, 1858 – June 6, 1919) was a Japanese philosopher, Shin Buddhist priest and reformer, educator, and royalist. A key figure in the reception of Western philosophy, the emergence of modern Buddhism, and the permeation of the imperial ideology during the second half of the Meiji Era. He is the founder of Toyo University and the creator of Tetsugaku-dō Park 哲学堂公園 (Temple Garden of Philosophy) in Tokyo. Because he studied all kinds of mysterious phenomena and apparitions (妖怪, yōkai) in order to debunk superstitions, he is sometimes called "Professor Specter" (妖怪博士, Yōkai Hakase) and the "Spook Doctor" (お化け博士, Obake Hakase).
Utako Shimoda (下田 歌子, Shimoda Utako; September 30, 1854 – October 8, 1936) was a Japanese educator and poet of the…Utako Shimoda (下田 歌子, Shimoda Utako; September 30, 1854 – October 8, 1936) was a Japanese educator and poet of the Meiji and Taishō period. Born in present-day Ena, Gifu, she was the founder many educational organizations, including what is today Jissen Women's University. She had international influence, and was one of the most influential women in Asia.
Baron Yamakawa Kenjirō (山川 健次郎; 9 September 1854 – 26 June 1931) was a Japanese samurai, politician, physicist…Baron Yamakawa Kenjirō (山川 健次郎; 9 September 1854 – 26 June 1931) was a Japanese samurai, politician, physicist, academic administrator, and author of several histories of the Boshin War. He served as president of Tokyo Imperial University, Kyushu Imperial University, and Kyoto Imperial University. He also served as a Privy Councilor and a member of the House of Peers. Though his name is commonly written "Yamakawa," he himself wrote it as "Yamagawa" in English.
Clara Matsuno (松野 クララ, Matsuno Kurara; 2 August 1853 – 1931), born Clara Louise Zitelmann, was a German-born educator…Clara Matsuno (松野 クララ, Matsuno Kurara; 2 August 1853 – 1931), born Clara Louise Zitelmann, was a German-born educator, a pioneer in the kindergarten movement in Japan.
Baron Kitasato Shibasaburō (北里 柴三郎; January 29 [O.S. 17 January], 1853 – June 13, 1931) was a Japanese physician and…Baron Kitasato Shibasaburō (北里 柴三郎; January 29 [O.S. 17 January], 1853 – June 13, 1931) was a Japanese physician and bacteriologist. He is remembered as the co-discoverer of the infectious agent of bubonic plague in Hong Kong during an outbreak in 1894, almost simultaneously with Alexandre Yersin. Kitasato was nominated for the first annual Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1901. Kitasato and Emil von Behring, working together in Berlin in 1890, announced the discovery of diphtheria antitoxin serum. Von Behring was awarded the 1901 Nobel Prize because of this work, but Kitasato was not.
Chiba Takusaburō (千葉 卓三郎; 17 June 1852 – 12 November 1883)—also known as Chiba Takuron—lived as an obscure liberal…Chiba Takusaburō (千葉 卓三郎; 17 June 1852 – 12 November 1883)—also known as Chiba Takuron—lived as an obscure liberal political activist and schoolteacher in the late Tokugawa, early Meiji period. In his younger years, Takusaburō studied Confucian, Buddhist, Christian and Methodist thought. In his later years, Takusaburō devoted his life in disseminating the importance of liberty and rights for the people. His numerous texts include the draft constitution in 1880 (influenced by texts regarding English, German and American models of governmental structure), The Institutional Maxims of Chiba Takusaburō, Treatise on the Kingly Way, and On the Futility of Book Learning. Takusaburō died in late 1883 after a long battle with tuberculosis. Chiba Takusaburō attempted to bring forth a "grass roots" society, driven by the people. Chiba is emblematic of how the revolutionary spirit, more frequently attributed to men like Itagaki Taisuke, Ōkuma Shigenobu and Fukuzawa Yukichi, was existent in even low ranking samurai during the Freedom and People's Rights Movement or Jiyū Minken Undō.
Senshō Murakami (村上専精, 1 May 1851 – 31 October 1929) was a Meiji period Buddhist scholar and Jodo Shinshu priest. He…Senshō Murakami (村上専精, 1 May 1851 – 31 October 1929) was a Meiji period Buddhist scholar and Jodo Shinshu priest. He famously introduced Western scholarship on Buddhism to Japan, and because of this was forced to resign from the Japanese Buddhist priesthood. However, ten years later he was reinstated into the priesthood. He belonged to the Ōtani-ha branch of Shin Buddhism.
Masayoshi Oshikawa (押川方義; 1850–1928) was a Japanese evangelist, political activist and founder and first president of…Masayoshi Oshikawa (押川方義; 1850–1928) was a Japanese evangelist, political activist and founder and first president of Tohoku Gakuin University.
Baron Yamakawa Hiroshi (山川 浩, Hiroshi Yamakawa; 4 December 1845 – 6 March 1898) was a Japanese general, samurai…Baron Yamakawa Hiroshi (山川 浩, Hiroshi Yamakawa; 4 December 1845 – 6 March 1898) was a Japanese general, samurai, politician and educator. Originally a samurai from Aizu Domain during Bakumatsu, he became a general in the early Meiji era Imperial Japanese Army. He was also one of the first persons, together with his brother Kenjirō, to write a history of the Aizu War from the Aizu perspective. His brother-in-law was general Oyama Iwao, who married his sister Sutematsu.
Nagai Nagayoshi (長井 長義; August 8, 1844 – February 10, 1929) was a Japanese doctor of pharmacy and chemist. He is best…Nagai Nagayoshi (長井 長義; August 8, 1844 – February 10, 1929) was a Japanese doctor of pharmacy and chemist. He is best known for the discovery of ephedrine and methamphetamine.
Atomi Kakei (跡見 花蹊; May 10, 1840 – January 10, 1926) was a Japanese calligrapher, Maruyama school painter, scholar of…Atomi Kakei (跡見 花蹊; May 10, 1840 – January 10, 1926) was a Japanese calligrapher, Maruyama school painter, scholar of Sino-Japanese studies, and Meiji period educator. She founded the Atomi School in 1875 in Kanda, Tokyo, one of the oldest women's universities in Japan.
Marquess Ōkuma Shigenobu (Japanese: 大隈 重信; 11 March 1838 – 10 January 1922) was a Japanese statesman who was a leading…Marquess Ōkuma Shigenobu (Japanese: 大隈 重信; 11 March 1838 – 10 January 1922) was a Japanese statesman who was a leading figure in the Meiji and Taishō eras of Japan, serving as Prime Minister in 1898, and from 1914 to 1916. A key advocate for the adoption of Western science and culture in Japan, Ōkuma was a central figure in the country's modernization. He founded the political party Rikken Kaishintō and was an early proponent of parliamentary democracy. He is also the founder of Waseda University. Born in Hizen Province (modern-day Saga Prefecture), Ōkuma was an early advocate for the abolition of the feudal system and the establishment of a constitutional government. As an "outsider" from Saga, he was a rare exception in the Satsuma-Chōshū clique that dominated the Meiji government. He joined the government in 1868 and rose to become Minister of Finance, a position in which he unified the nation's currency, created a national budget, and established the national mint. Following a political crisis in 1881, he was ousted from the government by his rivals. In opposition, he founded the Rikken Kaishintō and became one of the most prominent public figures championing a British-style parliamentary system. Ōkuma returned to government as Foreign Minister in 1888 to work on treaty revision, but resigned after an assassination attempt by a nationalist in 1889 cost him his right leg. He later organized Japan's first party cabinet in 1898, serving as prime minister, though it collapsed after only four months. He returned to the premiership in 1914, leading Japan into World War I on the side of the Allies and formulating the Twenty-One Demands on China in 1915. Throughout his career, Ōkuma's populist and pro-modernization political style, his strong nationalism, and his unwavering advocacy for parliamentary rule made him one of the most influential statesmen of his generation. His national funeral in 1922 drew an unprecedented number of citizens.