Akiyoshi Yamada

A Meiji era soldier and clan politician. Born on October 9, 1830, as the eldest son of Yamada Akiyuki, a samurai of the Choshu clan, he studied at Yoshida Shoin's Shokasonjuku school. He volunteered for the Sonno Joi movement, mainly in Kyoto, and was defeated in the Hamaguri Gomon Incident. He formed the Mitatetai with Shinagawa Yajiro and others, and fought against the Shikoku Combined Fleet. He also played an active role in the Genji civil war and the Second Expeditionary Choshu Army, and served in the Boshin War, fighting from the Tohoku region to Hakodate and Goryokaku, where he distinguished himself. In 1869 (Meiji 2), he served in the Ministry of War as Hyobu Taijo (Military Chief), and in 1871 he became a major general, accompanied Ambassador Iwakura Tomomi as a councillor, and investigated the military systems of France and other countries. In 1873, he returned to Japan and became the commander-in-chief of the Tokyo Garrison. The following year, in 1874, he marched to Kyushu to suppress the Saga Rebellion, and also served as Shiho Taifu (Assistant Vice-Minister of Justice), and in 1877, he marched to the front as the commander of the Second Separate Brigade during the Seinan War. In 1878, he was promoted to lieutenant general, also serving as a genro councillor, and the following year in 1879, he served as councillor and Minister of Public Works, and later as Minister of the Interior and Minister of Justice. In 1884, he was awarded the title of count, and joined the first Ito Hirobumi cabinet as Minister of Justice in 1885. He remained in this position for four cabinets until the first Matsukata Masayoshi cabinet, and was responsible for compiling a legal code as a prerequisite for treaty revision. In addition, as the minister in charge of the Otsu Incident in 1891, he pressured the Daishinin court to apply the crime of high treason to the accused. He resigned due to illness immediately after receiving a life sentence in May of the same year, and became a Privy Councilor the following year in 1892, but died of an illness on November 14th. He was also involved in the establishment of the Koten Kokyusho in 1882, and the founding of the Japan Law School (the precursor to Nihon University) and Kokugakuin.

[Uno Shunichi]

"The Legend of Yamada Akiyoshi" (1963), edited and published by Nihon University ; "The Legend of Yamada Akiyoshi - 50 Years of Modernizing Japan" (1994, Pana Publishing Planning), by Takanashi Kimiyuki; "The Legend of the Giants of Japan - Yamada Akiyoshi" (2011, Kodansha), by Sato Mitakero.

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治時代の軍人、藩閥政治家。天保(てんぽう)15年10月9日長州藩士山田顕行の長男として生まれ、吉田松陰(よしだしょういん)の松下村塾(しょうかそんじゅく)に学んだ。京都を中心に尊王攘夷(そんのうじょうい)運動に挺身(ていしん)、蛤御門(はまぐりごもん)の変に敗れ、品川弥二郎(しながわやじろう)らと御楯隊(みたてたい)を結成、四国連合艦隊とも戦った。さらに元治(げんじ)の内戦、第二次征長軍との対戦でも活躍、戊辰戦争(ぼしんせんそう)に従軍して東北から箱館(はこだて)五稜郭(ごりょうかく)に転戦、功をたてた。1869年（明治2）兵部省に出仕し兵部大丞(ひょうぶたいじょう)、1871年陸軍少将となり、岩倉具視(いわくらともみ)遣外大使の理事官として随行、フランスはじめ各国の兵制を調査し、1873年に帰国して東京鎮台司令長官となった。翌1874年佐賀の乱征圧のため九州に出征、司法大輔(しほうたいふ)を兼任し、1877年の西南戦争には別働第二旅団長として出征した。1878年元老議官を兼ね陸軍中将に昇進、さらに翌1879年には参議兼工部卿(こうぶきょう)、のちに内務卿、司法卿を歴任した。1884年に伯爵を授けられ、1885年第一次伊藤博文(いとうひろぶみ)内閣に司法大臣として入閣、以後第一次松方正義(まつかたまさよし)内閣まで4内閣に司法大臣として留任、条約改正の前提として法典編纂(ほうてんへんさん)の任にあたった。また1891年の大津事件では、担当大臣として大逆罪を適用するよう大審院の裁判に圧力をかけた。同年5月の無期徒刑の判決直後に病気を理由に辞任、翌1892年には枢密顧問官となったが、11月14日に病没した。なお1882年には皇典講究所設置に関与、日本法律学校（日本大学の前身）や国学院の創設にも関与した。

［宇野俊一］

『日本大学編・刊『山田顕義伝』（1963）』▽『高梨公之著『山田顕義伝――日本近代化にかけた五十年』（1994・パナ出版企画）』▽『佐藤三武朗著『日本巨人伝――山田顕義』（2011・講談社）』

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