Heizo Okada

...After the Meiji Restoration, the management of the Osarizawa mine was continued by Murai Shigebei, a locksmith who had been contracted by the feudal domain at the end of the Edo period. However, Murai was unfairly made responsible for repaying foreign debts that the domain had borrowed, and in 1872 (Meiji 5), the mine was confiscated by the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of Finance sold the mine to Okada Heizo, a businessman for political reasons, for the same amount as Murai's debt. Eto Shinpei, the Minister of Justice, began an investigation, as Inoue Kaoru, the then Minister of Finance, was deeply involved in the sale, but Eto resigned from his post and was executed in the Saga Rebellion, so the truth was never revealed (Osarizawa Scandal). ...

*Some of the terminology that mentions "Okada Heizo" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…明治維新後，尾去沢鉱山の経営は幕末に藩から請け負っていた鍵屋村井茂兵衛が継続するが，村井は藩が借り入れた外債の返済責任を不当にも負わされ，1872年(明治5)鉱山を大蔵省に没収された。大蔵省は村井の負債額と同額で同山を政商岡田平蔵に払い下げた。この払下げには当時の大蔵大輔井上馨が深くかかわっているとして，司法卿の江藤新平が調査を開始したが，江藤が下野，佐賀の乱で死刑になったため真相は解明されずに終わった(尾去沢疑獄事件)。…

※「岡田平蔵」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

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