God's Whip Tomotsune

Japanese: 神鞭知常 - こうむち・ともつね

Year of death: June 21, 1905 (Meiji 38)
Year of birth: 1848.9.1
A politician of the Meiji period. The eldest son of Buchi Juzo of Yosa County, Tango (Kyoto Prefecture). His pen name was Shakai. He studied Chinese classics at Kamiyamajuku in Kyoto. He became independent and took the surname Shinbu. After briefly serving as a missionary, he decided to study English and moved to Tokyo, where he studied at Hegari Reishi and Kangaku Gijuku. In 1872 (Meiji 5), he assisted Hoshi Toru with his translation work, which led to him entering the service of the Ministry of Finance in 1873. In 1874, he entered the service of the Ministry of Home Affairs, and was ordered to inspect commerce and industry, traveling to the United States and serving as an official at the Philadelphia World's Fair. In 1887, he returned to Japan and became a first-class employee of the Ministry of Home Affairs. In 1888, he was promoted to first-class employee, junior clerk, and chief clerk in the Ministry of Finance's Commerce Bureau. He also served as a clerk for Agriculture and Commerce. In 1887, he was appointed deputy director of the Ministry of Finance's Tax Bureau, but was not employed during this time. During this time, he established a company related to industry and trade. In 1890, he was elected to the House of Representatives. At first he belonged to the neutral Taiseikai, but began a hardline foreign policy movement, criticizing the government's treaty revisions and condemning mixed residence in the mainland. After the Sino-Japanese War, he joined the Progressive Party and served as Director-General of the Legislative Bureau in the Matsukata Cabinet and in the same position in the Kumamoto Cabinet. He was an active member of the hardline anti-Russian movement, which developed from the National Alliance Association to the Anti-Russian Comrades Association. <References> "Xiehai's Words and Actions" edited by Hashimoto Isamu (reprint, 1988)

(Masatoshi Sakata)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：明治38.6.21(1905)
生年：嘉永1.8.4(1848.9.1)
明治期の政治家。丹後(京都府)与謝郡の鞭重蔵の長男。号は謝海。京都の神山塾で漢学を学ぶ。独立して神鞭を姓とす。一時宣教掛を務めたのち,英学を志して上京,何礼之や観学義塾に学ぶ。明治5(1872)年星亨の翻訳作業を手伝ったのが縁となって6年大蔵省出仕。7年内務省出仕となり,商工業視察を命じられ渡米,フィラデルフィア万国博覧会御用掛も務めた。10年帰国して内務省1等属。12年大蔵省商務局1等出仕,少書記官,大書記官と昇進。また農商務書記官を兼任。20年大蔵省主税局次長で非職。この間殖産,貿易関係の企業を興す。23年衆院議員に当選。初めは中立派の大成会に属したが,内地雑居を非として政府の条約改正を批判する対外硬運動を始めた。日清戦後は進歩党に参加し,松方内閣の法制局長官,隈板内閣でも同職を務めた。国民同盟会から対露同志会へと展開する対露強硬運動の積極分子であった。<参考文献>橋本五雄編『謝海言行録』(復刻,1988)

(酒田正敏)

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