Sone Arasuke

Japanese: 曾禰荒助 - そね・あらすけ

Year of death: September 13, 1910 (Meiji 43)
Year of birth: 20th February 1849 (28th January 1849)
A Meiji-era bureaucrat and politician. Born as the son of a chief retainer of the Yamaguchi domain, he studied at the domain school, Meirin School. He served in the Boshin War (1868-69), and after the Meiji Restoration, he aspired to become a soldier and enrolled in the Osaka Military Academy, a junior school. He studied in France, and after returning to Japan, he played an active role as a legal bureaucrat. When the Imperial Diet began in 1890, he was appointed Chief Secretary of the House of Representatives, and worked hard to establish customs for running the Diet proceedings. The following year, he ran for office himself and was elected, becoming its vice-speaker. In 1891, he worked hard to revise treaties as an envoy to France, and in 1906, he became Minister of Justice in the third cabinet of Ito Hirobumi, where he worked to revise the Ministry of Justice and compile a legal code. He later served as Minister of Agriculture and Commerce in the Yamagata Aritomo cabinet, and in 1901, he became Minister of Finance in the first cabinet of Katsura Taro, and was involved in raising funds for the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05). In 1904, he was appointed Privy Councillor, and in 1907, he was appointed Governor-General of Korea. In 1908, he was made Viscount. As a capable legal and practical bureaucrat, he was involved in the construction of modern Japan in many areas and built its foundations.

(Kitake Yoshiya)

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

Japanese:

没年：明治43.9.13(1910)
生年：嘉永2.1.28(1849.2.20)
明治期の官僚,政治家。山口藩家老の子として生まれ,藩校明倫校に学ぶ。戊辰戦争(1868～69)に従軍し,維新後は軍人を志して大阪兵学寮幼年学舎に入学,フランスに留学し帰国後は法制官僚として活躍する。明治23(1890)年に帝国議会が始まると衆議院書記官長に就任,議事運営の慣行作りに尽力,翌年は自ら立候補して当選し,副議長となる。26年駐仏公使として条約改正に尽力,さらに31年には第3次伊藤博文内閣で司法大臣となり司法省の刷新,法典編纂に努める。その後,山県有朋内閣の農商務大臣を務め,34年第1次桂太郎内閣の大蔵大臣に就任,日露戦争(1904～05)時には資金調達に当たった。39年には枢密顧問官,42年には韓国統監と要職を歴任する。40年子爵。有能な法制・実務官僚として,近代日本の多方面での建設に携わり,その基礎を築いた。<参考文献>美濃部俊吉編『西湖曾禰子爵遺稿並伝記資料』

(季武嘉也)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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