Okubo Toshimichi

Okubo initially supported cooperation between court and shogunate under Shimazu Hisamitsu. He later turned toward overthrowing the shogunate, working with Choshu leaders and court figures including Iwakura Tomomi. His changing strategy connected domain politics, the imperial court and alliances across domains.

After the new government formed, he promoted the return of domain registers and abolition of the domains, and served as councillor and finance minister. These measures transferred governing resources toward the center. His work moved from political coalition-building into finance and administrative organization.

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In 1871 he joined the Iwakura Mission as a deputy ambassador and visited Western countries. After returning, he argued for domestic consolidation and opposed immediately sending Saigo Takamori to Korea. His resignation memorandum of October 17, 1873 records pressure on the government after the proposed mission initially gained support.

The dispute ended with postponement of Saigo's mission and departures from government. Okubo became home minister while retaining a central political role. He promoted land-tax reform, industrial development and administrative consolidation, amid divisions within the former Restoration alliance.

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Government policies met resistance from former samurai. In a February 1877 letter to Ito Hirobumi, Okubo discussed the seizure of a Kagoshima powder magazine and initially doubted Saigo's involvement. The document preserves a judgment made before their rupture became open military conflict in the Satsuma rebellion.

Okubo was assassinated in 1878 at forty-seven. Letters and official records coexist with later commemorative images. The National Printing Bureau holds an 1879 portrait engraving by Edoardo Chiossone, employing engraving, etching and mezzotint. Produced after Okubo's death, it belongs to the history of his representation as well as to the development of printing techniques.

References: [1] [2] [3]