Iwakura, Tomomi, Prince
Iwakura, Tomomi, Prince
(tōmō`mē ēwä`ko͞orä), 1825–83, Japanese statesman. A court noble, he supported the Meiji restorationMeiji restoration,The term refers to both the events of 1868 that led to the "restoration" of power to the emperor and the entire period of revolutionary changes that coincided with the Meiji emperor's reign (1868–1912).
..... Click the link for more information. and became a minister of state (1871–83). In 1871 he headed a mission to Europe and the United States that failed to secure abolition of the unequal treaties but brought back much useful information on foreign institutions and technology. He returned to Japan in 1873 to forestall the threat of war with Korea. From 1873 until his death Iwakura, a conservative, was a leader of the moderate political forces.