Sakura Maruyama

Japanese: 丸山作楽 - まるやま・さくら

Year of death: August 18, 1899 (Meiji 32)
Year of birth: Tenpo 11.10.3 (1840.10.27)
A Shimabara feudal samurai and Meiji-era politician. His childhood name was Yuutaro. He was Masanao's eldest son, and his mother was Chiyo. He was well versed in Japanese, Chinese, and Western studies, and was said to be the successor to his teacher Hirata Tetsutane in Japanese classics, and was friends with patriots from all over the country. In 1869 (Meiji 2), he served the new government as a judge of the Shinto Ministry. He was transferred to the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs and traveled to Karafuto, where he negotiated with Russia over fishing grounds and other matters. After returning to Tokyo the following year, he advocated a hard-line stance on foreign affairs, including the Seikanron debate. He also came into contact with remnants of the Sonn-joi terrorist group, and was imprisoned in 1871. He was released in 1880, and in 1882 he organized the Constitutional Imperial Party, a pro-national rights group, to confront the pro-civil rights group. He later served as a member of the Genroin and the House of Peers. He was also a poet, and is famous as a conservative intellectual in the first half of the Meiji period.

(Katsu Sasaki)

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

Japanese:

没年：明治32.8.18(1899)
生年：天保11.10.3(1840.10.27)
島原藩士,明治時代の政治家。幼名勇太郎。正直の長男,母は千代。和・漢・洋の諸学に通じ,特に国学では師平田銕胤の継承者ともいわれ,諸国の志士と交遊した。明治2(1869)年神祇官権判事として新政府に出仕。外務大丞に転じて樺太に出張し,ロシアと漁場などについて交渉した。翌年帰京してのちは,征韓論をはじめ対外強硬論を主張する。尊攘派の残党テログループとも接触を持ち,同4年投獄された。13年に出獄し,15年には国権派の立憲帝政党を組織して民権派と対決した。のち元老院議官,貴族院議員を歴任した。歌人でもあり,明治前半期の保守派知識人として有名である。

(佐々木克)

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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