Kenjiro Denkenjiro

Bureaucrat and politician. Born on February 8, 1852, as the second son of wealthy farmer Suetane in Shimo-Ogura Village, Hikami County, Tanba Province (Tamba City, Hyogo Prefecture). He studied under Confucian scholar Watanabe Fusso of the Sasayama Domain and others. In 1874 (Meiji 7), relying on a fellow countryman, he went to Kumagaya Prefecture to enter the government career. He subsequently served as a prefectural official in Aichi, Kochi, Kanagawa, and Saitama, mainly in the fields of justice and police. In 1890, he joined the Ministry of Communications, and in 1898 became Vice Minister of Communications. In 1901 (Meiji 34), he was dismissed from his position. In the same year, he was elected as a member of the House of Representatives from Hyogo 3rd District and joined the Seiyukai Party, but left the party in 1903. He subsequently played an active role as a bureaucrat affiliated with Yamagata Aritomo, was reappointed Vice Minister of Communications in the same year, was appointed by Imperial decree to the House of Peers in 1906, and was awarded the title of Baron the following year. In 1916 (Taisho 5), he became Minister of Communications in the Terauchi Masatake Cabinet, in 1919 he became the first civil servant to become Governor-General of Taiwan, and in 1923 he became Minister of Agriculture and Commerce in the second Yamamoto Gonbei Cabinet. In 1926, he became a Privy Councilor, a position he held until his death on November 16, 1930 (Showa 5).

[Masaomi Yui]

"The Den Kenjiro Biography Compilation Committee, ed., published the Den Kenjiro Biography (1932, reprint edition, 1988, Ozorasha)" ▽ "The Den Kenjiro Diary, compiled by the Shotomo Club and others, complete set of 7 volumes (2008-, Fuyou Shobo Publishing)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

官僚、政治家。安政(あんせい)2年2月8日、丹波(たんば)国氷上(ひかみ)郡下小倉(しもおぐら)村（兵庫県丹波市）の豪農季胤(すえたね)の二男に生まれる。篠山(ささやま)藩儒渡辺弗措(ふっそ)らに学ぶ。1874年（明治7）同郷人を頼って熊谷(くまがや)県に行き官途につく。以後愛知、高知、神奈川、埼玉各県官吏を歴任、おもに司法・警察畑を歩む。1890年逓信(ていしん)省に入り、1898年逓信次官となる。1901年（明治34）次官免官。同年兵庫3区より衆議院議員に当選し政友会に属したが、1903年脱会。以後山県有朋(やまがたありとも)系の官僚として活躍し、同年逓信次官に再任、1906年には貴族院に勅選され、翌年男爵を授けられる。1916年（大正5）寺内正毅(まさたけ)内閣の逓信大臣、1919年には文官として初の台湾総督、1923年第二次山本権兵衛(やまもとごんべえ)内閣の農商務大臣を経て、1926年枢密顧問官となり、1930年（昭和5）11月16日没するまで終生その地位にあった。

［由井正臣］

『田健治郎伝編纂会編・刊『田健治郎伝』（1932／復刻版・1988・大空社）』▽『尚友倶楽部他編『田健治郎日記』全7巻（2008～　・芙蓉書房出版）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例