Mutsu Munemitsu

Mutsu Munemitsu

Ryoko, Mutsu's wife

Mutsu Munemitsu ( Japanese 陸 奥 宗 光 ; born August 20, 1844 in Kishū , Japan ; † August 24, 1897 Kita ) was a Japanese politician .

Mutsu was born the son of Date Munehiro , a samurai and follower of the Sonnō jōi movement from Kishū. In the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate , Mutsu was with the Kaientai , a shipping company and forerunner of the later Japanese Navy.

During the Meiji Restoration , he was, among other things, governor of Hyōgo , from 1871 of Kanagawa and other prefectures and a member of the Genrōin .

Because of his involvement in the Risshi-sha and conspiracy to overthrow the government, he was released and served four years and four months in prison.

After his release, he visited Europe and the USA, and on his return joined the State Department. In 1888 he was appointed envoy to the United States. Two years later he was elected to the Teikoku-gikai .

Under Yamagata Aritomo and Matsukata Masayoshi he was Minister of Agriculture and Trade, under Itō Hirobumi Foreign Minister.

After the Ōtsu incident , Mutsu and Matsukata tried to influence the highest ranking judge on the Supreme Court Kojima Korekata to use the death penalty for Tsuda Sanzo , the assassin, in order to placate Russia. However, this request was rejected by the majority of the members of the Supreme Court.

In 1894 he signed the Anglo-Japanese Trade and Navigation Treaty , which abolished consular jurisdiction in Japan.

The Donghak uprising worsened Sino-Japanese relations. Mutsu was an advocate of a hard line against China, which led to the First Sino-Japanese War .

In 1895, Mutsu negotiated during Shimonoseki's intervention .

His grave is in the Jufuku-ji cemetery .

Web links

Commons : Mutsu Munemitsu  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Mutsu Munemitsu on the homepage of the Library of the Japanese Parliament

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Donald Keene: Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His World, 1852-1912 . New York 2003. page 809, note 17.
2. ↑ Donald Keene: Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His World, 1852-1912 . New York 2003. page 455.
3. ↑ Donald Keene: Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His World, 1852-1912 . New York 2003. Pages 477-478. ; Gerhard Krebs: Modern Japan 1868-1952. Munich 2009. page 28.

literature

• Donald Keene : Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His World, 1852-1912. New York 2003, ISBN 0-231-12340-X .
• Gerhard Krebs : Modern Japan 1868-1952. Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-486-55893-7 .