Yoshikawa Akimasa

Japanese: 芳川顕正 - よしかわ・あきまさ

Year of death: January 10, 1920
Year of birth: Tempo 12.10.1842 (1842.1.21)
A bureaucrat from the Meiji and Taisho periods. Born in Tokushima Prefecture. His father was Harada Tamibu and his mother was Keiko. He studied medicine under Asano Genseki and was adopted by Takahashi Bunseki. From 1862 (Bunkyu 2), he studied English under Karakuri Reino and Uryu Tora while studying medicine in Nagasaki, and became friends with Ito Hirobumi. In 1867 (Keio 3), he went to Kagoshima and translated books on navigation, mathematics, and military science as a guest of the naval bureau. In 1868 (Meiji 1), he changed his surname to Yoshikawa. After serving as a professor of Western studies in Tokushima, he joined the Ministry of Finance in 1869, and traveled to the United States with Ito Hirobumi the following year to investigate currency and financial systems. After returning to Japan, he held positions such as head of banknotes, chief of the Ministry of Public Works, chief secretary of the Ministry of Public Works, and director of the Telegraph Bureau. He attended the International Telegraph Conference during his business trip to England from 1889 to 1890. After serving as Junior Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Junior Assistant Minister of Public Works, he served as Governor of Tokyo Prefecture for three years from 1882, during which he devoted himself to district reform and port construction. He then assisted Lord Home Minister and Home Minister Yamagata Aritomo as Senior Assistant Minister of Home Affairs and Vice Minister of Home Affairs. In 1940, he became Minister of Education in the first Yamagata Cabinet, and was involved in the formulation of the Imperial Rescript on Education. He subsequently served as Minister of Justice, Home Affairs, and Communications. During this time, he was appointed Imperial Court Advisor and Kuranokami, Director of the Imperial Household Accounting Bureau, and Chairman of the Central Health Association. From 1958 to 1962, he was a count in the House of Peers. From 1968, with the exception of a brief interruption, he served as a Privy Councillor. From 1968 to the following year, he served as President of Kokugakuin University and President of the Koten Kokyusho. From 1970 to 1917, he was Vice President of the Privy Council. During his time in Nagasaki, he taught English grammar to Ito Hirobumi, who had just returned from England and could speak but had difficulty reading and writing, which led to his official career. <Works> "Etsuzan Isho" <References> Hideo Mizuno "A Short Biography of Count Yoshikawa Kensho"

(Rikie Shibasaki)

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

Japanese:

没年：大正9.1.10(1920)
生年：天保12.12.10(1842.1.21)
明治大正期の官僚。徳島県出身。父は原田民部,母は慶子。浅野玄碩より医学を学び,高橋文昨の養嗣子となる。文久2(1862)年以降,長崎で医学修業の傍ら,何礼之,瓜生寅に英学を学び,伊藤博文と交遊。慶応3(1867)年,鹿児島に赴き,海軍所の賓客として航海,数学,兵学書の翻訳に当たる。明治1(1868)年,芳川と改姓。徳島の洋学教授を経て,3年大蔵省に出仕,翌年にかけて伊藤博文と渡米し貨幣・金融制度調査に従事。帰国後,紙幣頭,工部大丞,工部大書記官,電信局長などを歴任した。12年から翌年にかけてのイギリス出張では万国電信会議に出席。外務少輔,工部少輔を経て,15年から3年間,東京府知事を務め,地区改正や築港に尽力した。その後,内務大輔,内務次官として山県有朋内務卿・内相を補佐。23年,第1次山県内閣の文部大臣となり,教育勅語の制定に関与した。以後,司法,内務,逓信の各大臣を歴任した。この間,宮中顧問官兼内蔵頭,兼帝室会計審査局長,中央衛生会長などとなる。33～37年,貴族院伯爵議員。43年以降一時の中断を除いて枢密顧問官。43年から翌年,国学院大学学長,皇典講究所総裁を務める。45年から大正6(1917)年まで枢密院副議長。長崎時代,英国帰りで会話はできても読み書きが不自由な伊藤博文に英文法を教えたのが,官途につくきっかけとなった。<著作>『越山遺稿』<参考文献>水野秀雄『伯爵芳川顕正小伝』

(柴崎力栄)

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