Mutsu Munemitsu

A Meiji-era diplomat and politician. Born on July 7, 1830, as the sixth son of Date Munehiro (Chihiro), a samurai of the Wakayama domain. After Munehiro lost his position in a political struggle within the domain, he went to Edo to study hard and studied under Yasui Sokuken and others. He eventually threw himself into the Sonno Joi movement and met Sakamoto Ryoma. In 1863 (Bunkyu 3), they both entered the Kobe Naval Training School under Katsu Kaishu. When the school was closed, he followed Ryoma to Nagasaki, where he formed the Kameyama Company, and worked in shipping and commerce. It was around this time that he took the name Mutsu Yonosuke. In 1867 (Keio 3), he joined the Kaientai under Ryoma and played an active role. With the Meiji Restoration, he was appointed to the Foreign Affairs Bureau, and after serving as Governor of Hyogo Prefecture and other positions, he was in charge of reforming the Wakayama Domain's government. After traveling to Europe, he returned to the government and became Governor of Kanagawa Prefecture. In 1872 (Meiji 5), he was appointed Head of Taxation and proposed land tax reform. In 1875, he became a member of the Genroin (councillor). He participated in a plan to raise an army by the Tosa Risshisha in response to the Seinan War in 1877, and was arrested, dismissed from office, and imprisoned in 1878. After being released from prison in 1882, he traveled abroad, and in 1888 he became the Japanese envoy to the United States, where he succeeded in concluding the first equal treaty with Mexico. He joined the first Yamagata Aritomo cabinet as Minister of Agriculture and Commerce, and worked to maneuver political parties in the first Diet, and remained in the subsequent Matsukata Masayoshi cabinet, but resigned after pursuing the government's responsibility for the election interference issue. After serving as a Privy Councillor, he became Minister of Foreign Affairs in the second Cabinet of Ito Hirobumi, where he promoted treaty revision negotiations with Great Britain, and managed to sign the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Commerce and Navigation in July 1894, overcoming opposition from hardline foreign policy factions, and succeeded in abolishing extraterritoriality. Furthermore, when the Donghak Rebellion (Kogo Peasant War) broke out in Korea, he immediately decided to send troops, and in August, Japan entered the Sino-Japanese War. In 1895, together with Prime Minister Ito, he signed the peace treaty as plenipotentiary, but after the Triple Intervention, he decided to return the Liaodong Peninsula. During the war, his chronic pulmonary tuberculosis progressed, and he resigned as Minister of Foreign Affairs in May 1896. During this time, he was made a count in 1895. He then had Takegoshi Yosaburo edit the magazine Sekai no Nippon (Japan in the World), to which he contributed anonymously, but he died on August 24, 1897. His memoirs include "Kenkenroku".

[Uno Shunichi]

"Kenkenroku" (Iwanami Bunko)" ▽ "Mutsu Hiroyoshi, editor: Count Mutsu Munemitsu's Manuscripts (1929, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Mutsu Munemitsu, Volumes 1 and 2, by Hagiwara Nobuhisa (2007-2008, Asahi Shimbun Publications)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治時代の外交官、政治家。天保(てんぽう)15年7月7日、和歌山藩士伊達宗広（千広）(だてむねひろ（ちひろ）)の六男として生まれる。宗広が藩内の政争で失脚したため江戸に出て苦学、安井息軒(そくけん)などに師事。やがて尊王攘夷(じょうい)運動に身を投じて坂本龍馬(りょうま)を知り、1863年（文久3）ともに勝海舟(かつかいしゅう)の神戸海軍操練所に入った。同所が閉鎖されると龍馬に従って長崎で亀山(かめやま)社中を結成、海運・商業に従事、このころに陸奥陽之助(ようのすけ)と称した。1867年（慶応3）には龍馬の下で海援隊に入って活躍した。明治維新とともに外国事務局御用掛に登用され、兵庫県知事などを経て和歌山藩の藩政改革を担当。渡欧後、政府に復帰して神奈川県知事となり、1872年（明治5）には租税権頭(ごんのかみ)に任じられて地租改正を建議した。1875年元老院議官となる。1877年の西南戦争に呼応した土佐立志社の挙兵計画に加担し、1878年に拘引され、免官、下獄した。1882年出獄後外遊、1888年駐米公使となり、メキシコとの間の最初の対等条約締結に成功した。第一次山県有朋(やまがたありとも)内閣に農商務大臣として入閣、最初の議会で政党工作に努め、続く松方正義(まつかたまさよし)内閣にも留任したが、選挙干渉問題をめぐる政府の責任を追及して辞任した。枢密顧問官を経て第二次伊藤博文(ひろぶみ)内閣の外務大臣となり、イギリスとの間で条約改正交渉を進め、対外硬派による反対を抑えて1894年7月日英通商航海条約の調印にこぎ着け、治外法権の撤廃に成功した。さらに朝鮮で東学党の乱（甲午(こうご)農民戦争）が起こるとただちに出兵を決定、8月日清(にっしん)戦争に突入した。1895年伊藤首相とともに全権として講和条約に調印したが、三国干渉を受け、遼東(りょうとう)半島の還付を決断した。戦争中から持病の肺結核が進行し、1896年5月外務大臣を辞任した。この間1895年に伯爵となる。その後、竹越与三郎(たけごしよさぶろう)に雑誌『世界之日本』を編集させ、匿名で寄稿したが、明治30年8月24日没した。回顧録に『蹇蹇録(けんけんろく)』がある。

［宇野俊一］

『『蹇蹇録』（岩波文庫）』▽『陸奥広吉編『伯爵陸奥宗光遺稿』（1929・岩波書店）』▽『萩原延壽著『陸奥宗光』上下（2007～2008・朝日新聞出版）』

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