Ume Kenjiro - Ume Kenjiro

A Meiji-era private law scholar. Born in Matsue (Shimane Prefecture). After graduating from the Ministry of Justice Law School, he became a professor at the University of Tokyo in 1885 (Meiji 18). After studying in France and Germany, he lectured on civil law and commercial law. He also served as professor and supervisor of the Japanese-French Law School (the precursor to Hosei University). In two debates over the implementation of the Commercial Code and the Civil Code, held in 1890 and 1892, he opposed the postponement of the implementation of the Civil Code and advocated its immediate implementation, demonstrating his status as a liberal legal scholar and an authority on French civil law. In 1892, he became a member of the Code Investigation Committee, and drafted the Civil Code together with Hozumi Nobushige and Tomii Masaaki, and the Commercial Code together with Tanabe Kaoru and Okano Keijiro. He wrote books such as "Essentials of Civil Law," "Lectures on Civil Law," and "Commercial Law Explanation," which are written by a legislator, and "Essentials of Civil Law" in particular is highly valuable as the only commentary of the time written by a scholar with a deep knowledge of French civil law. In 1906 (Meiji 39), he was invited by Hirobumi Ito, the Resident-General of Korea, to become a legal adviser to Korea, where he assisted in compiling the Korean legal code, but died in Keijo (Seoul) in the 10th year of the same year.

[Toda Shuzo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治時代の私法学者。松江（島根県）に生まれる。司法省法学校卒業後、1885年（明治18）東京大学教授となり、フランス、ドイツに留学後、民法、商法を講じた。また、和仏法律学校（法政大学の前身）の教授・学監を兼ねた。90年および92年の2回にわたる商法典と民法典の施行をめぐる法典論争において、民法施行延期論に反対し、即時断行を主唱し、フランス民法学の権威として自由主義的法学者の面目を発揮した。92年法典調査会委員となり、穂積陳重(ほづみのぶしげ)、富井政章(とみいまさあきら)とともに民法を、田部芳(たなべかおる)、岡野敬次郎とともに商法を立案起草した。『民法要義』『民法講義』『商法義解』などの著書があるが、それらは立法者の著述として、とくに『民法要義』は、フランス民法学に造詣(ぞうけい)の深い学者による当時唯一の注釈書として価値が高い。1906年（明治39）韓国統監伊藤博文(ひろぶみ)の招請により韓国法律顧問となり、韓国の法典編纂(へんさん)を助けたが、10年京城(けいじょう)（ソウル）で没した。

［戸田修三］

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