Okubo, Toshimichi

Okubo, Toshimichi

(tō'shēmē`chē ō`ko͞obō), 1830–78, Japanese statesman. A major figure in the Meiji restoration, he was influential in introducing Western ideas to Japan. He supported the emperor against the shogun and worked to eliminate feudalism. A powerful figure in the new government, he put down (1873) the party favoring war with Korea. In 1874 he became home minister and sponsored a military expedition to Taiwan. After the Satsuma rebellion of 1877 (see Saigo, TakamoriSaigo, Takamori
, 1828–77, Japanese soldier and statesman noted for his obstinate conservatism. He was an early opponent of the Tokugawa shogunate. He was exiled (1859–64) but returned to train Satsuma warriors.
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), in which he took the government side, he was assassinated, presumably by a fellow clansman of Satsuma.

Bibliography

See biography by M. Iwata (1964).