Nobuaki Makino

Japanese: 牧野伸顕 - まきの・のぶあき

Year of death: January 25, 1949
Year of birth: Bunkyu 3.10.22 (1863.12.2)
A politician from the Meiji to early Showa periods, and a close aide to Emperor Showa. The second son of Okubo Toshimichi and Masuko, he inherited the Makino family. In 1871, he accompanied his father on the Iwakura Mission and studied in America. In 1874, he returned to Japan and entered Kaisei School in Tokyo, but dropped out in 1889 to join the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and work at the Japanese Embassy in London. He was discovered by Ito Hirobumi, and after serving in various positions including counselor of the Legislative Bureau, he served as secretary to Prime Minister Kuroda Kiyotaka in 1896, director of the Cabinet Records Bureau, and governor of Fukui and Ibaraki prefectures, before serving as vice-minister of education from 1926 to 1929. He was appointed minister to Italy in 1930 and minister to Austria in 1932, spending about 10 years in Europe. After returning to Japan, he was appointed Minister of Education in the first Saionji Kinmochi cabinet in 1939, and made efforts to extend the years of compulsory education and hold Ministry of Education art exhibitions, during which time he was awarded the title of baron. In 1942, he became a Privy Councilor. In 1911, he joined the second Saionji Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture and Commerce, and in 1913, he also joined the first Yamamoto Gonbei Cabinet, where he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs. In 1913, he was a member of the Provisional Foreign Affairs Investigation Committee. In 1914, he attended the Paris Peace Conference as Japan's plenipotentiary with Saionji and others, and played a key role on the Japanese side. In 1915, he was made a viscount for his achievements. In 1918, he became Minister of the Imperial Household and in 1919, he became Minister of the Interior. He devoted himself to the appointment of Emperor Showa as regent and his marriage, and in 1919, he was awarded the title of count. Until his resignation in 1935, he assisted the Emperor together with Saionji Genro, promoting international cooperation and defending constitutional government, and gained his deep trust. For this reason, he was attacked by the military and the "reformist" faction in the civilian world as a "traitor to the Emperor," and was targeted for assassination. He was attacked during the May 15 and February 26 Incidents, but narrowly escaped. After he resigned, he continued to work behind the scenes in the same capacity, and passed away after the war. His memoirs and diary have been published.

(Takashi Ito)

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

Japanese:

没年：昭和24.1.25(1949)
生年：文久3.10.22(1863.12.2)
明治から昭和前期の政治家,昭和天皇の側近。大久保利通と満寿子の次男で,牧野家を継いだ。明治4(1871)年岩倉使節団に実父と随行,アメリカで勉強した。7年帰国して東京開成学校に入学したが,12年中退し外務省に入り,ロンドン日本公使館勤務。伊藤博文に見いだされ,法制局参事官など歴任後,21年黒田清隆総理秘書官,内閣記録局長,福井,茨城県知事などを経て,26年から29年文部次官。30年駐伊公使,32年駐オーストリア公使に任ぜられ,約10年ヨーロッパにあった。帰国して,39年第1次西園寺公望内閣の文部大臣に就任,義務教育年限延長,文部省美術展覧会開催に尽力,この間男爵を授与される。42年枢密顧問官。44年第2次西園寺内閣に農商務大臣として入閣,大正2(1913)年第1次山本権兵衛内閣にも入閣,外相を務めた。6年臨時外交調査委員会委員。8年のパリ講和会議には西園寺らと日本全権として出席,日本側の実質的中心の役割を果たした。9年その功により子爵。10年宮内大臣,14年には内大臣に就任し,のちの昭和天皇の摂政就任,成婚などに心血を注ぎ,14年に伯爵を授けられた。昭和10(1935)年に辞職するまで,国際協調推進,立憲政治擁護の立場で西園寺元老と共に天皇を補佐し,深い信任を得た。そのため軍部,民間の「革新」派から「君側の奸」として攻撃され,暗殺の対象とされた。5・15,2・26事件の際襲撃されたが危うく難を逃れた。辞職後も同じ立場で陰で活動し,敗戦後病没。回顧録,日記が刊行されている。

(伊藤隆)

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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