Yajiro Shinagawa

A Meiji period bureaucrat and politician. Viscount. Born on September 29, leap year 14, the son of a Choshu samurai. He studied at Yoshida Shoin's Shokasonjuku school, and was active in the Sonno Joi movement with Takasugi Shinsaku and Kusaka Genzui. During the Boshin War, he served in various regions as a staff officer for the Governor-General of Oshu. In 1869 (Meiji 2), he entered the Meiji government as Danjo Shochu, and the following year he traveled to Europe with Oyama Iwao and others to inspect the Franco-Prussian War. He continued to study in both England and Germany, and from 1873 he worked at the German legation. He returned to Japan in 1876 and served as Daijo, Daishokan, and Shoyu (Minister of the Interior). In 1881, when the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce was established, he was promoted to Shoyu (Minister of Agriculture and Commerce), and the following year he became Taifu (Minister of the Interior). During that time, he led the government's overall industrial promotion policy, such as supporting the Kyodo Unyu Kaisha (Cooperative Transport Company) in the establishment of the Dai-Nihon Agricultural Association, Dai-Nihon Sanrinkai (Dai-Nihon Sanrinkai), and Dai-Nihon Suisankai (Dai-Nihon Suisankai) to compete with the Mitsubishi Steamship Company. In 1885, he became the Japanese envoy to Germany, and after returning to Japan in 1887, he served as a Privy Councilor and Imperial Court Advisor, while also serving as Director of the Imperial Household Ministry's Imperial Property Bureau, in charge of organizing the Imperial Household's assets. In 1891, he became Minister of the Interior in the first Matsukata Masayoshi cabinet, and in the second general election the following year, he led the authorities in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the election of Minto (Dai-Nihon To) lawmakers. After taking responsibility for his resignation, he became a Privy Councillor again, but in 1892 he supported the formation of the National Association and was recommended as its vice-chairman, so he resigned from his position as an advisor. However, after the First Sino-Japanese War, the National Association's party strength was weak and it lost its assets during that time, so when he was appointed a Privy Councillor for the third time in 1899, he left party affairs. He died the following year, on February 26, 1900. During his time as Minister of the Interior, he submitted the Credit Union Law to the Diet, which created momentum for the establishment of credit unions, and he is considered a pioneer of the industrial union movement.

[Uno Shunichi]

"The Life of Shinagawa Yajiro, by Okutani Matsuji (1940, Koyo Shoin)" " The Documents Related to Shinagawa Yajiro, compiled by the Compilation Committee for Documents Related to Shinagawa Yajiro, Shoyu Club (1993-, Yamakawa Publishing)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治時代の官僚政治家。子爵。天保(てんぽう)14年閏(うるう)9月29日、長州藩士の子に生まれる。吉田松陰(よしだしょういん)の松下村塾(しょうかそんじゅく)に学び、高杉晋作(たかすぎしんさく)、久坂玄瑞(くさかげんずい)らと尊王攘夷(そんのうじょうい)運動に活躍、戊辰戦争(ぼしんせんそう)には奥羽鎮撫使(ちんぶし)総督参謀として各地に転戦した。1869年（明治2）に弾正(だんじょう)少忠として明治政府に出仕、翌年大山巌(おおやまいわお)らと普仏戦争の視察のため渡欧、イギリス、ドイツ両国で留学を続け、1873年からドイツ公使館に勤務した。1876年帰国し、内務大丞(だいじょう)、大書記官、少輔(しょうゆう)を歴任して、1881年農商務省の新設に伴い農商務少輔に転じ、翌年大輔(たいふ)となる。その間、大日本農会、大日本山林会、大日本水産会の創立にあたり、共同運輸会社を援助して三菱(みつびし)汽船会社に対抗させるなど、政府の勧業政策全般を指導した。1885年駐独公使に転じ、1887年帰国後は枢密顧問官、宮中顧問官を歴任、一方、宮内省御料局長を兼任して皇室財産の整理にあたった。1891年第一次松方正義(まつかたまさよし)内閣の内相となり、翌年の第2回総選挙では官憲を指揮して大選挙干渉を行い、民党議員の選出を阻止しようとして失敗した。引責辞任後ふたたび枢密顧問官となったが、1892年国民協会の結成を支援してその副会頭に推されたため顧問官を辞任した。しかし日清(にっしん)戦争後国民協会の党勢は振るわず、その間に資産も失い、1899年三たび枢密顧問官に任じられたのを機に党務から離れた。翌明治33年2月26日死去。内相時代に信用組合法を議会に提出、これ以後信用組合設立の機運が生まれたため、産業組合運動の先覚者とされている。

［宇野俊一］

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