Jotaro Yamamoto

A businessman and politician in the Meiji, Taisho and Showa periods. Born on November 11, 1867 in Fukui Prefecture. He joined Mitsui & Co., Ltd. and was in charge of trade with China, and in 1901 (Meiji 34) became the branch manager of Shanghai and established spinning in China. In 1908, he was promoted to director of the head office. He was involved in China policy, including providing a loan of 3 million yen in response to Sun Yat-sen's request, but left the company after being implicated in the Siemens scandal. In 1920 (Taisho 9), he was elected to the House of Representatives, and in 1927 (Showa 2), he became secretary-general of the Seiyukai party and then president of the South Manchuria Railway, and reached an agreement with Zhang Zuolin to build the Manchuria-Mongolian Five Railway in an attempt to resolve the Manchuria-Mongolian problem, but was thwarted by Zhang's death by explosion in 1928. After the resignation of the Giichi Tanaka Cabinet, he resigned as president of the South Manchuria Railway and promoted the movement for a national unity cabinet. In 1935, he was appointed by Imperial decree to the House of Peers. He died on March 25, 1936.

[Michio Fujimura]

"Yamamoto Jotaro" (1942, reprint edition, 1983, Hara Shobo, Meiji Centennial History Series) compiled and published by the Yamamoto Jotaro Biography Editorial Committee

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治・大正・昭和期の実業家、政治家。慶応(けいおう)3年11月11日福井県に生まれる。三井物産に入社して中国貿易を担当し、1901年（明治34）上海(シャンハイ)支店長となり在華紡績を確立。1908年本社理事に栄進。孫文(そんぶん)の要求に応じ300万円の借款を供与するなど中国政策に関与したが、シーメンス事件に連座して退社。1920年（大正9）衆議院議員に当選、1927年（昭和2）政友会幹事長、ついで満鉄総裁となり、張作霖(ちょうさくりん)と満蒙(まんもう)五鉄道建設を協定し満蒙問題解決を図ったが、張の爆死事件（1928）で挫折(ざせつ)した。田中義一(ぎいち)内閣総辞職後は満鉄総裁を辞任して挙国一致内閣運動を推進した。1935年貴族院議員に勅選。翌昭和11年3月25日死去。

［藤村道生］

『山本条太郎翁伝記編纂会編・刊『山本条太郎』（1942／復刻版・1983・原書房・明治百年史叢書）』

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