Matsukata Masayoshi

Matsukata Masayoshi

Matsukata Masayoshi ( Japanese 松 方 正義 ; born March 23, 1835 ( traditional : Tempō 6/2/25); died July 2, 1924 ) was an important Japanese politician of the Meiji period .

Live and act

Matsukata was a samurai from the Principality of Satsuma (based in Satsuma Province ). At the age of 13 he attended the Han school , the Zōshikan, and there learned the basics of the Yōmei direction of Confucianism, which then determined his life. After 1862 he rose quickly in the Satsuma administration, then went to Nagasaki in 1866 to study Western sciences. Ōkubo Toshimichi and Saigō Takamori , who were in Kyoto, used him as a liaison. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Ōkubo appointed him as governor of Hita Prefecture in what is now Ōita , Fukuoka and Miyazaki prefectures . In 1871 he then moved to the central government. He worked in the Treasury and Home Office and played a leading role in tax reform and its implementation and in promoting industry. After Ōkubo's death, he became the leader of the Satsuma faction in the government.

After the political crisis of 1881, he was appointed State Councilor and Minister of Finance, although he retained the latter post after the establishment of the cabinet system in 1885.

Matsukata increased the savings within the government and triggered massive deflation against the background of global economic developments (see also “ Great Deflation ”) through his policies . The "Matsukata deflation" ( 松 方 デ フ レ , Matsukata defure ), named after him, hit many farmers and smaller landowners and thus many rural regions particularly hard due to the fall in rice prices. However, it was possible to consolidate the national budget, reduce the amount of paper money, improve the balance of trade and payments in Japan and secure currency stability both internally and externally - the basis for the later adoption of the gold standard . With the exceptions from 1892 to 1896 and 1898, Matsukata remained finance minister until 1900, which means he held this post for 15 years. He was also Minister of the Interior from 1888 to 1890. In 1890 he became a member of the Herrenhaus for the first time , the upper house of the new Reichstag .

As finance minister, Matsukata was the architect of Japan's modern financial system. He set up the banking system with the central bank with the sole right to issue banknotes, created a convertible currency, a regulated budget and a corresponding tax system. In 1900 the currency was gold standard and stable.

Matsukata was Prime Minister twice, from 1891 to 1892 and then from 1896 to 1897. His first “bureaucratic” cabinet got into a dispute with the House of Representatives , the lower house of the Reichstag, and then dissolved it. The interference of Interior Minister Shinagawa Yajirō in the subsequent new election led to sharp criticism, which ultimately led to the resignation of the cabinet. Matsusaka's second cabinet was initially supported by the Shimpotō (Progressive Party), but an increase in land tax and restrictions on freedom of speech eventually led to the total loss of their support. Matsukata dissolved the House of Representatives and resigned himself.

Matsukata belonged to the Genrō from 1900 , was a member of the State Council from 1903 to 1917 and Lord Seal Keeper from 1917 to 1922. In 1905 he was raised from the rank of count to prince and in 1922 made prince. From 1903 to 1912 he was President of the Japanese Red Cross . However, his political influence decreased with the end of the Meiji period.

Matsukata's grave in Aoyama Cemetery

The entrepreneur and art collector Matsukata Kōjirō was Masayoshi's third son.

Remarks

1. ↑ In 1881, when discussing a future imperial constitution, Itō Hirobumi and Inoue Kaoru , the proponents of a constitution based on the Prussian model, quarreled with Ōkuma Shigenobu , the proponent of a constitution based on the British model. Ōkuma was unable to prevail and then left the government.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} S. Noma (Ed.): Matsukata Masayoshi

literature

• S. Noma (Ed.): Matsukata Masayoshi . In: Japan. An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Kodansha, 1993, ISBN 4-06-205938-X .
• Hunter, Janet: Matsukata Masayoshi . In: Concise Dictionary of Modern Japanese History. Kodansha International, 1984. ISBN 4-7700-1193-8 .

Web links

• National Parliamentary Library : Short biography of Matsukata Masayoshi (Japanese, English )

Japanese name: As is common in Japan, the family name comes before the first name in this article . Thus Matsukata is the family name, Masayoshi the first name.