Nobuyuki Nakajima

A politician of the Meiji period. Born in August 1845 to a samurai family of the Tosa domain. Nicknamed Sakutaro. At the end of the Edo period, he joined the Kaien-tai and played an active role. After the establishment of the new government, he served as a choshi (police officer), a foreign official, a Hyogo Prefecture judge, a gonhanji (banknote official) in the Ministry of Finance, and a tax official, before going on to serve as Kanagawa Prefectural Governor (1874-1876) and a member of the Genroin (senate) (1876-1880). During his time as Kanagawa Prefectural Governor, he expressed progressive views, such as a publicly elected citizen's association, at the first local officials' conference (1875). After resigning from his position as a member of the Genroin, he participated in the formation of the Liberal Party in 1881 (Meiji 14) and was recommended as its deputy prime minister. The following year, in 1882, he was asked to become the prime minister of the Constitutional Political Party in Osaka, where he devoted himself to the civil rights movement. In 1887, he moved to Yokohama in response to the Security Ordinance, and in 1890, he was elected as a member of the Diet from Kanagawa 5th District and became the first Speaker of the House of Representatives. In 1892, he served as the Japanese envoy to Italy, and in 1894, he became a member of the House of Peers. In 1896, he became a baron. He died on March 26, 1899. His wife, Toshiko (maiden name Kishida), was a well-known women's rights activist, and his eldest son, Kumakichi, was a well-known businessman.

[Kunio Yasuzai]

"The Tosa Great Men" by Masamichi Teraishi (1914, Fujikoshizawa Bookstore)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治時代の政治家。弘化(こうか)3年8月土佐藩士族の家に生まれる。通称作太郎。幕末、海援隊に入って活躍し、新政府成立後は徴士(ちょうし)、外国官権判事(ごんはんじ)、兵庫県判事、大蔵省紙幣権頭(ごんのかみ)、租税権頭を歴任ののち、神奈川県令（1874～1876）、元老院議官（1876～1880）を務めた。神奈川県令時代に開かれた第1回地方官会議（1875）では公選民会論を説くなど進歩的意見を述べ、元老院議官辞任後の1881年（明治14）自由党の結成に参加、副総理に推された。さらに翌1882年請われて大阪の立憲政党総理となり、民権運動に力を尽くした。1887年保安条例に触れ横浜へ転居し、1890年神奈川5区より代議士に当選し初代衆議院議長に就任。1892年イタリア公使、1894年より貴族院議員。1896年男爵となる。明治32年3月26日没。なお夫人俊子(としこ)（旧姓岸田）は女性民権家、長男久万吉(くまきち)は実業家として名高い。

［安在邦夫］

『寺石正路著『土佐偉人伝』（1914・富士越沢本書店）』

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