Who was this person?
A Meiji statesman from Chōshū and Japan’s first prime minister. He studied at Yoshida Shōin’s Shōka Sonjuku and secretly went to Britain to study in 1863. In 1885 he created the cabinet system and became prime minister, and after studying constitutions in Europe he led the drafting of the Meiji Constitution. He served four times as prime minister and became the first Resident-General of Korea, but was assassinated in Harbin in 1909.
| Name | Itō Hirobumi (伊藤博文) |
|---|---|
| Born–died | 1841 – 1909 |
| Period | Meiji period |
| Birthplace | Tsukari village, Suō Province (now Hikari, Yamaguchi) |
| Also known as | Itō Shunsuke, Shunpo |
| Main achievements |
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Born into a farming family in Tsukari village, Suō (Hikari, Yamaguchi). His father was later adopted into the Itō family of foot soldiers.
He studied at Yoshida Shōin's Shōka Sonjuku.
With Inoue Kaoru and others he secretly went to study in Britain; seeing Western power, he concluded that expelling foreigners was impossible.
Learning of the planned bombardment of Shimonoseki, he hurried home and served as interpreter in the peace talks.
He toured America and Europe as a deputy envoy of the Iwakura Mission.
He went to Europe and studied constitutions, chiefly in Germany.
He created the cabinet system and at 44 became Japan's first prime minister.
The Constitution of the Empire of Japan, drafted under his leadership, was promulgated.
After the First Sino-Japanese War he concluded the Treaty of Shimonoseki with Qing China.
He founded the Rikken Seiyūkai party and became its president.
As Resident-General he went to Korea and advanced Japanese control.
At Harbin station in Manchuria he was shot by the Korean independence activist An Jung-geun and lost his life.
A. A Meiji statesman from Chōshū and Japan’s first prime minister. He studied at Yoshida Shōin’s Shōka Sonjuku and secretly went to Britain to study in 1863. In 1885 he created the cabinet system and became prime minister, and after studying constitutions in Europe he led the drafting of the Meiji Constitution. He served four times as prime minister and became the first Resident-General of Korea, but was assassinated in Harbin in 1909.
A. Period: Meiji period. Born in 1841, died in 1909.
A. Itō Hirobumi was born in Tsukari village, Suō Province (now Hikari, Yamaguchi).
A. Promulgated in 1889, it was Japan’s first modern constitution, drafted by Itō Hirobumi and others with reference to the Prussian and other constitutions. It vested sovereignty in the emperor and established the Imperial Diet.
See also: Wikipedia (ja) / Wikipedia (en) / Wikipedia (fr) / Wikipedia (zh) / Wikidata
Follow this life (autoplay)Yoshida ShōinInoue KaoruKomatsu Tatewaki (Kiyokado)Matsukata MasayoshiTani TatekiSanjō SanetomiMutsu MunemitsuInoue Kowashi
Edward S. MorseGoto ShojiroShibusawa EiichiKuroda KiyotakaTanaka ShōzōŌyama IwaoNiijima JōInoue Masaru
People of the Meiji period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.