Hayashi Tadasu - Hayashi・Tadasu

Japanese: 林董 - はやし・ただす

Year of death: July 10, 1913
Year of birth: February 29, 1850 (April 11, 1850)
A politician and diplomat of the Meiji period. Son of Sato Taizen and Takiko, a doctor of Western medicine in Sakura Domain (Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture). Adopted by Hayashi Dokai (husband of his sister Tsuru), a doctor to the shogunate. Studied Chinese classics under Tsukumo Tokutarou and English at the Hepburn School. In 1866 (Keio 2), he was sent by the shogunate to study in Britain. Accompanying him were Nakamura Masanao, Toyama Shoichi, and Kikuchi Dairoku. In June 1868 (Meiji 1), he returned to Japan and joined the army of Enomoto Takeaki. After his release in 1863, he went to Wakayama relying on Mutsu Munemitsu, introduced by his brother Matsumoto Jun. When Mutsu became governor of Kanagawa Prefecture, he began serving in Kanagawa Prefecture. In 1871, he served as second secretary accompanying the Iwakura Mission. He received orders from Minister of Public Works Ito to establish the Imperial College of Engineering (the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo), and hired teachers before returning to Japan. He was promoted from assistant public servant to junior public servant and deputy chief public servant. In 1882, he was appointed Grand Secretary of the Imperial Household and accompanied Prince Taruhito on his trip to Russia. In 1883, following a government system reform, he became Grand Secretary of Communications, Director of General Affairs, Post Office Officer, Director of Post Office and Director of Internal Communications. In 1886, he became the first Governor of the newly established Kagawa Prefecture. In 1888, he became Governor of Hyogo Prefecture. He was involved in entertaining the Russian Crown Prince (later Emperor Nicholas II) and handling the Otsu Incident (1891). He served as Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs under Foreign Minister Enomoto Takeaki and then Foreign Minister Mutsu Munemitsu, and worked with Director of the Trade Bureau Hara Kei and others on treaty revisions and handling the Sino-Japanese War. After the Triple Intervention, he became Minister to China and concluded the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce. He was made a Baron. In 1894, he became Minister to Russia, and in 1908, he became Minister to the United Kingdom (later Ambassador) and worked hard to conclude the Anglo-Japanese Alliance (1902). He was made a Viscount. Foreign Minister in the first Saionji Cabinet and a Count. He was the Minister of Communications in the second Saionji Cabinet, and also temporarily served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was one of the people responsible for establishing the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, the Franco-Japanese Entente, and the Russo-Japanese Entente, and building a system of cooperation among the great powers.

(Masatoshi Sakata)

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

Japanese:

没年：大正2.7.10(1913)
生年：嘉永3.2.29(1850.4.11)
明治期の政治家,外交官。佐倉藩(千葉県佐倉市)蘭方医佐藤泰然,たき子の子。幕府御典医林洞海(姉ツルの夫)の養子となる。続徳太郎に漢学を,ヘボン塾で英語を学ぶ。慶応2(1866)年幕府派遣英国留学生。同行中村正直,外山正一,菊池大麓ら。明治1(1868)年6月帰国,榎本武揚軍に投ず。3年釈放後兄松本順の紹介で陸奥宗光を頼り和歌山に行く。陸奥の神奈川県知事就任にともない神奈川県出仕。4年岩倉遣外使節一行の随行2等書記官。伊藤工部卿より工部大学校設立(東大工学部)の命を受け教師を雇い入れて帰国。工部助から工部少丞,工部権大書記官。15年宮内大書記官兼務となり熾仁親王の露国行に随行。18年官制改正により逓信大書記官,庶務局長,駅逓官,駅逓局長,内信局長。21年新設香川県の初代知事。23年兵庫県知事。露国皇太子(のちの皇帝ニコライ2世)の接待,大津事件(1891)処理にかかわった。榎本武揚外相,次いで陸奥宗光外相の下で外務次官を務め,原敬通商局長らと条約改正,日清戦争の処理に当たる。三国干渉後駐中国公使となり日清通商条約締結。男爵。29年駐露公使,33年駐英公使(のち大使)となり日英同盟締結(1902)に努力。子爵。第1次西園寺内閣の外相,伯爵。第2次西園寺内閣の逓信大臣,一時外相も兼務した。日英同盟に加え日仏協商,日露協商を成立させ列強協調態勢を作り上げた責任者のひとりである。<著作>『後は昔の記』(東洋文庫173)

(酒田正敏)

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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