Tomosaburou Kato - Tomosaburou Kato

A military man and politician of the Meiji and Taisho eras. Born on February 22, 1261 in Aki Province (Hiroshima Prefecture). He graduated from the Naval Academy and the Naval War College, and served as gunnery officer on the cruiser Yoshino during the Sino-Japanese War, and served as Chief of Staff of the Second Fleet during the Russo-Japanese War, and later as Chief of Staff of the Combined Fleet and Chief of Staff of the First Fleet, where he led a great victory in the Battle of Tsushima. He served as Vice Minister of the Navy in 1906 (Meiji 39), promoted to Vice Admiral in 1908, Commander-in-Chief of the Kure Naval District in 1909, and Commander-in-Chief of the First Fleet in 1913 (Taisho 2). In 1915, he became Minister of the Navy in the second cabinet of Shigenobu Okuma and was promoted to Admiral. He subsequently served as Minister of the Navy in the cabinets of Masatake Terauchi, Takashi Hara, and Korekiyo Takahashi, and was made a Baron in 1920. He attended the Washington Conference as Chief Plenipotentiary in 1921-1922, and after returning to Japan, he organized the Takahashi Cabinet and served as Minister of the Navy. The Kato Cabinet implemented measures such as the reduction of the Army and Navy's military forces, the streamlining of administration and finances, and the withdrawal of troops from Siberia. He himself spoke in the Diet in favor of a system of civilian officials as military ministers, but opposed the universal suffrage law. Due to his naturally weak stomach and thin stature, and also because he organized his cabinet around the House of Peers, he was nicknamed the "remnant candle" or "remnant candle cabinet" by pro-constitution journalists. However, he fell ill with colon cancer while in office as Prime Minister, and was awarded the title of marshal and viscount just before his death. He passed away on August 24, 1923.

[Junichiro Kizaka]

"The Life of Marshal Kato Tomosaburo" edited by Miyata Mitsuo (1928, Marshal Kato Biography Compilation Committee)" ▽ "Kato Tomosaburo" by Arai Tatsuo (1958, Jiji Press)" ▽ "Kato Tomosaburo: The Man Who Sacrificed His Life for the Reduction of Japan's Arms" by Tanabe Ryohei (2004, Shunjusha)" ▽ "Biographies of Prime Ministers of Japan Series 13: Kato Tomosaburo" edited by Mikuriya Takashi (2006, Yumani Shobo)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治・大正時代の軍人、政治家。文久(ぶんきゅう)1年2月22日安芸(あき)国（広島県）に生まれる。海軍兵学校、海軍大学校を卒業し、日清(にっしん)戦争には巡洋艦吉野(よしの)の砲術長として従軍、日露戦争には第二艦隊参謀長、のち連合艦隊参謀長兼第一艦隊参謀長として出征、日本海海戦に大勝を収めた。1906年（明治39）海軍次官、1908年中将昇進、1909年呉鎮守府(くれちんじゅふ)司令長官、1913年（大正2）第一艦隊司令長官を歴任、1915年第二次大隈重信(おおくましげのぶ)内閣の海相となり大将に昇進、以後寺内正毅(てらうちまさたけ)、原敬(はらたかし)、高橋是清(たかはしこれきよ)各内閣の海相を務め、1920年男爵となる。1921～1922年ワシントン会議に首席全権として出席、帰国後高橋内閣の後を継いで内閣を組織し、海相を兼任した。加藤内閣は陸海軍軍縮、行財政整理、シベリア撤兵などを断行し、彼自身議会で軍部大臣文官制を容認する発言を行ったが、普通選挙法には反対した。生来胃腸が弱くやせ形のため、また貴族院を中心に内閣を組織したため、護憲派のジャーナリズムから「燃え残りのロウソク」「残燭内閣(ざんしょくないかく)」というあだ名をつけられていたが、首相在任中に大腸癌(だいちょうがん)で倒れ、死の直前元帥、子爵を授けられ、大正12年8月24日に死去した。

［木坂順一郎］

『宮田光雄編『元帥加藤友三郎伝』（1928・加藤元帥伝記編纂委員会）』▽『新井達夫著『加藤友三郎』（1958・時事通信社）』▽『田辺良平著『わが国の軍備縮小に身命を捧げた加藤友三郎』（2004・春秋社）』▽『御厨貴監修『歴代総理大臣伝記叢書13　加藤友三郎』（2006・ゆまに書房）』

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