Fukuoka Takachika
Encyclopedia
Viscount
was a Japanese
statesman of the Meiji period
.
in present-day Kōchi Prefecture
, and served the Yamauchi daimyō
of Tosa as a domain official. Together with fellow Tosa samurai
Gotō Shōjirō
, he went to Kyoto
in 1867 to convince Shogun
Tokugawa Yoshinobu
to return power peacefully to the Emperor, thus bringing about the Meiji Restoration
.
In 1870, Fukuoka was transferred back to Kōchi and focused on the reforms of domain's administration, just prior to the abolition of the han system
.
In 1872, Fukuoka re-entered the central government as Taifu (Senior Vice Minister) of Education and of Justice, but resigned in 1873 due to his opposition to the government policy with regards to the Seikanron
debate on the invasion of Korea
In 1880, Fukuoka returned to the government as a member of the Genrōin
and later served as Minister of Education, Sangi (Councillor), chairman of the Sanjiin (legislative advisory council).
He also served as and as a Privy Councilor
. In 1884, he was elevated to the rank of shishaku (viscount
).
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
was a Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
statesman of the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
.
Early life
Fukuoka was born in Tosa DistrictTosa District, Kochi
is a district located in Kōchi, Japan.As of the January 1, 2005 merger but with 2003 population estimates, the district has an estimated population of 5,348 and a density of 17.4 persons per km²...
in present-day Kōchi Prefecture
Kochi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kōchi.- History :Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Kōchi was known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chosokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi family during the Edo period.- Geography...
, and served the Yamauchi daimyō
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
of Tosa as a domain official. Together with fellow Tosa samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
Gotō Shōjirō
Goto Shojiro
Count was a Japanese samurai and politician during the Bakumatch and early Meiji period of Japanese history. He was a leader of which would evolve into a political party.- Early life :...
, he went to Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
in 1867 to convince Shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
Tokugawa Yoshinobu
Tokugawa Yoshinobu
was the 15th and last shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He was part of a movement which aimed to reform the aging shogunate, but was ultimately unsuccessful...
to return power peacefully to the Emperor, thus bringing about the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
.
Meiji statesman
After the Meiji Restoration, while serving as a San'yo (senior councillor), he helped draft the text of the Charter Oath which set the tone and direction for the new Meiji government. In the new government, he concurrently served in a variety of offices, including Political system Affairs Officer and Parliament System Examination Officer. It was in this capacity that he was afterwards, asked to help draft the Seitaisho, which setup the organizational structure of the early Meiji government.In 1870, Fukuoka was transferred back to Kōchi and focused on the reforms of domain's administration, just prior to the abolition of the han system
Abolition of the han system
The was an act, in 1871, of the new Meiji government of the Empire of Japan to replace the traditional feudal domain system and to introduce centralized government authority . This process marked the culmination of the Meiji Restoration in that all daimyo were required to return their authority...
.
In 1872, Fukuoka re-entered the central government as Taifu (Senior Vice Minister) of Education and of Justice, but resigned in 1873 due to his opposition to the government policy with regards to the Seikanron
Seikanron
The Seikanron debate was a major political conflagration which occurred in Japan in 1873....
debate on the invasion of Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
In 1880, Fukuoka returned to the government as a member of the Genrōin
Genroin
' was a national assembly in early Meiji Japan, established after the Osaka Conference of 1875. It is also referred to as the Senate of Japan, Genrōin being the word used to describe the Roman Senate, and other western legislatures named after it....
and later served as Minister of Education, Sangi (Councillor), chairman of the Sanjiin (legislative advisory council).
He also served as and as a Privy Councilor
Privy Council (Japan)
was an advisory council to the Emperor of Japan that operated from 1888 to 1947.-Functions:Modeled in part upon the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, this body advised the throne on matters of grave importance including:...
. In 1884, he was elevated to the rank of shishaku (viscount
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
).