Tosimity Okubo Japanese politician Date of Birth: 10.08.1830 Country: Japan

1. Early Life and Education
2. Political Activism and the Kobun Gattai
3. Alliance with Chōshū and Meiji Restoration
4. Government Service and Reforms
5. Satsuma Rebellion and Assassination

Early Life and Education

Okuma Toshimichi, a Japanese politician and samurai, was born into the Satsuma clan in Kagoshima Castle, Satsuma Province (now Kagoshima Prefecture). He was the eldest of five children and attended the same school as Saigo Takamori, who was three years his senior.

Political Activism and the Kobun Gattai

In 1862, Okuma became a co-author of the Kobun Gattai proposal, a reform plan for the shogunate that aimed to reconcile the military government with the imperial court. This idea differed from the more extreme Sonnō Jōi movement, which advocated for the restoration of imperial rule and the expulsion of foreigners.

Alliance with Chōshū and Meiji Restoration

Following the bombardment of Satsuma by the British fleet in 1863, Okuma's views shifted. In 1866, he, Saigo Takamori, and Kirio Takayoshi formed an alliance between the Satsuma and Chōshū clans. This alliance led to the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1868 and the restoration of imperial power.

Government Service and Reforms

After the Meiji Restoration, Okuma entered the government as Minister of Finance. He initiated the land reform of 1872-1881 and the abolition of samurai privileges. From 1871-1873, he joined the Iwakura Mission to study Western practices in Europe and America. Subsequently, he became Minister of the Interior and the de facto head of the government.

Satsuma Rebellion and Assassination

In 1877, a rebellion broke out in Satsuma, led by Saigo Takamori, who had been Minister of War until recently. Okuma commanded government forces in suppressing the rebellion, making him an enemy in the eyes of his former comrades. In 1878, he was assassinated by Shimada Ichirō and a group of six samurai from Satsuma while on his way to Tokyo.