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Deposited by the
Linonian and Brothers Library
192.1

PRINCE I TO OF FORTY-FIVE
VKARS AGO

PRINCE [TO IN OFFICIAL UNIFORM
OF KORF.AN RESIDENT GENERAL

MEMORIAL HALL OF CONSTITUTION AT OMORI, GIVEN TO
LATE PRINCE ITO BY THE EMPEROR

PRINCE ITO
The Man and Statesman
A Brief History of His Life

KAJU NAKAMURA, M. A.

Japanese-American Commercial Weekly
and
Anraku Publishing Company
New York, 1910

COPYRIGHT, 1910
BY
KAJU NAKAMURA

IN FOND REMEMBRANCE OF
GENIJIRO and EDA NAKAMURA,
A PATIENT DEVOTED FATHER
AND
DECEASED MOTHER
WHOSE LOVE AND DEVOTION
MADE ME WHAT I AM,
I DEDICATE THIS LITTLE VOLUME.

Contents

INTRODUCTION
His Life a Drama  xi
PART I
Prince Ito in Revolutionary Period
CHAPTER PAGE
I. — His Early Days — New Aspi
ration  1
II. — His European Trip  6
III. — Study — New Vision  12
IV. — Ito to the Rescue  15
PART II
Prince Ito in the Meiji Era
V. — Beginning of His Official
Life  22
VI. — Reorganization of Govern
ment  24
VII. — Prince Ito, the Father of
Japanese Constitution . . 27

VI

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE
VIII. — Prince Ito and Satcho Pol
itics  33
IX. — Prince Ito's Statesmanship 43
X. — His Part in Foreign Policy 56
XI. — Prince Ito and Korea  59
PART III
Prince Ito's Private Life
XII. — Prince Ito and the Princess 61
XIII. — A Pathetic Farewell  67
XIV. — Prince's Instruction to His
Son  69
XV. — Prince Ito's Habits and In
clinations  75
XVI. — His Religious Inclination ... 85
XVII. — Prince Ito's Residences  89
XVIII. — Prince Ito's Last Days  91
PART IV
Prince Ito's Anecdotes
Foreigners Like Japanese  95
Long Speakers  96
Only Able Rival  97

CONTENTS

vu

PAGE
Puffed-Up Foreign Diplomat  98
Marquis Saigo Silenced  99
Aroused Emperor's Resentment  100
Sword Better Than Gardening  101
Subordinates Overtaxed  102
Wealth No Account  103
Viscount Kato Silenced  104
A Wonderful Contrast  105
Missed Rare Art  100
A Good Citizen  107
Rope Contest with Marquis Saionji. 108
Prince Ito's Faithful Servant  110
Angry at Yamaza  112
One Hundred Yen for Tip  113

Preface
THE following little biography of Prince
Hirobumi Ito, the man and states
man of latter day Japan, is designed
not merely as the tribute of an ordinary fellow
countryman but as a little guide book for
the literary and political student who would
catch a better glimpse of our nation, now
often seen by the Occidental through colored
or false glasses. In no better way, I believe,
can I help to this badly needed better perspec
tive than by a cursory outline of the life of
that patriotic and wise worker, stricken in the
midst of a mighty labor in behalf of his coun
try and her kindred neighbors, nay of the
world at large!
I have let the facts of his life, the accounts
of crucial incidents related by fair friends
and his own words tell the story.
It has not been my purpose to deny any

x PREFACE
shortcomings attributed which after all that
may be said were mildly human ; neither have
I extolled as a hero worshipper his unusual
virtues and consistent nature.
At the importunities of my many friends,
Japanese as well as American, I offer this
little contribution.
I may also add that I am deeply indebted
to my firm friend and colleague, Mr. Yeiji
Anraku, for his assistance and encouragement.
Kaju Nakamura.
New York, March 24, 1910.

Introduction HIS LIFE A DRAMA
NOT in ancient Rome, neither in the
glorious history of eternal China,
nor in the era of present days, has
a man of lowest caste lifted himself up so
high solely by what he accomplished for his
nation, as did the late Prince Hirobumi Ito
of Japan.
The world has had many heroes and states
men whose lives were more glorious and more
widely heralded than his. Many have made
themselves Emperors and Kings through their
own merit, but their lives had no such national
and international place as had his. The Eu
ropean conception may be different, but the
Japanese believe that he died the death of an
international martyr on international soil and
while on a mission of international peace. For
the soul of such a man whose life was given

xii INTRODUCTION
up for the services of his country there should
be no misgivings. Death under such circum
stances must be an absolute satisfaction. Not
that we rejoice over his unfortunate fate,
but to the Japanese, whose ideal is to die for
his nation, death suffered while doing duty is
a glory which no natural death can equal.
When the assassination of the Prince was re
ported, all Japan, as did other nations,
mourned. But, contrary to one accidental la
ment, there was no Japanese who failed to
say that "he died the best death at the best
moment and at the best place." His death
was the final dramatic incident in a life of
tragedy. The incidents of his life were the
incidents of a drama, culminating as does a
drama. The late Prince Hirobumi Ito, President of
the Privy Council at the time of his death, l
was born on September 2, 1841, in the little
village of "Tsukari" in the province of
"Suwo," the son of Juzo Hayashi, a samurai
of low grade. His remote ancestors are traced
to the Etchi and Kono families of Iyo prov-

INTRODUCTION xiii
ince, from which they drifted to "Suwo"
province and assumed the name of Hayashi.
Prince Ito's baby name was "Jukichi" which
was soon replaced by "Risuke," according to
Japanese custom of re-naming. He began
his study of Chinese classics and history at
his sixth year. At his ninth year his father
and mother were adopted into the family of
Ito, which thereby became his permanent sur
name. At his sixteenth year his name was
once more changed to "Shunsuke," according
to the old custom of "of age ceremony."
When the American squadron came to Ur-
aga under Commodore Perry, young Ito was
stationed at the nearby village of Miyata as a
soldier in the army of the Choshu. clan, ready
to uncase his sword against Americans should
an emergency take place. During this period
he won the admiration of his superiors by his
constant and diligent study of books and he
was soon introduced to the famous Shoin
Yoshida, a patriot and scholar of Choshu
clan, by his superior officer Ryuzo Kihara,
brother-in-law of the late Prince Koin Kido.

xiv INTRODUCTION
Shunsuke Ito was then only seventeen years
old, but he was noted for his chivalry as a
soldier and his learning, which soon became ¦
his absorbing object for the great future. '
With this humble beginning, he lifted him
self up to the rank of Prince and there was
no Japanese affair of importance which had
not been referred to him since those days.
In fact, the history of modern Japan, which
has made such wonderful progress within half
a century, has been interwoven with the brains
and thoughts of Prince Ito so closely that
every page of it contains his name and deeds.
The restoration of the power to the Imperial
Court, the opening of foreign intercourse, re
organization of the government, abolition of
the old regime, the promulgation of the con
stitution, the establishment of the national
diet, successful wars with China and Russia,
reorganization of the Korean government and
what not? All these great and tremendous
tasks were accomplished by him or by his aid.
To Japanese, the name of Prince Ito has far
more meaning than that of any single states-

INTRODUCTION Xv
man who has ever lived. If his diplomacy
was not so successful as that of Bismarck,
if his character and personality were different
from those of Gladstone, and if his deeds were
not so notorious and determined as those of
Theodore Roosevelt, in Prince Ito we found
all the qualities of the statesmen just men
tioned and many more.
So long as he was human, we must admit
many of his shortcomings, but his fine quali
ties and accomplishments more than shadow
these only human defects.
This vivid drama of Ito's life was ended
by the curtain of his tragic death at a little
after ten o'clock, October 26, 1909, at the
Harbin Railroad station.
His last official appearance, cast as it was
in the windy field of Manchuria in meeting
with the Russian finance minister, M. Kokovt-
seff, was carefully watched by all the nations.
But just as the Manchurian epoch of his
career was to begin, fate suddenly dropped
the curtain, and the wires of the world were
kept red hot for the next several days.

xvi INTRODUCTION
Some wished that the curtain might have
been kept back for a few days, nay, even a
few hours longer, while others vainly con
jectured as to the purpose and sought for ob
ject of this fateful trip. But he who alone
knew it and who only could have accomplished
it, is now dead. Nothing can be learned nor
can we make his spirit speak.

Part I
Prince Ito in Revolutionary Period
CHAPTER I
HIS EARLY DAYS  NEW ASPIRATION
FROM the time Prince Ito became
known to Kihara and the great scholar
Yoshida, he gained new aspiration for
the great goal. Five months after he became
ja pupil of Yoshida, he was chosen to accom
pany a group of young men under Kihara to
proceed to Nagasaki, where they learned the
western military system under Dutch officers.
This was not the first time, however, for Jap
anese to accept western military learning, for
Kihara himself advocated this long before,
but this we might call the real germ and nu
cleus of Japan's elaborate military system
of today. l

2 PRINCE ITO

By thus learning the western military tactics
young Ito became eager for more western
learning, which he afterwards secured.
On his return to his own home from Na
gasaki, he found his instructor Yoshida had
been sent to Yedo for imprisonment on ac
count of his opposition to the Shogunate gov
ernment. While Ito received only five months'
training under Yoshida, the latter's influence
is said to have been so great that Ito's aspira
tion was greatly due to Yoshida's training.
Hence came Ito's initiation in consecration of
the scholar's spirit in the shrine of "Yoshida
Temple" in Tokyo.
Through the introduction of Kihara, Ito
became known to the great Koin Kido, who
took Ito to Yedo in his eighteenth year. Ini
Yedo, the political upheaval was so intense
and dangerous that the two parties, one favor
ing the open port and the other against it,
were on the verge of open revolution.
In such days of turmoil, the world has al
ways seen men capable of meeting the situ
ation and one such, no one will deny was

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 3
young Ito. Though yet a youth of eighteen
Ito had been closely studying the situation for
a final solution. As the result of this political
antagonism between the ruling government,/
which advocated the open port, and the "Im-f
perial Anti-foreign" faction under the lead-|
ership of the great clans of Satsuma ana
Choshu, many had lost their lives. Yoshida]
Hashimoto, Rai and Ugai were executed be
cause of their anti-government advocacy and
Lord Ii became the victim of an assassin for
his open-port policy. During these political
upheavals Ito was with Koin Kido and other
advocates of the anti-foreign party, hence his
opposition to the open port was only a matter
of course. His new instructor, Ohashi, being
an intense anti-foreign advocate, Ito's antag
onism against the open port became more
intense and resolute. This anti-foreign senti
ment being prompted by the spirit of respect
for the Imperial Court, his position won him
the clear title- of "Samurai" at his twenty-
second year, together with young Yamagata
now Prince Yamagata.

PRINCE ITO

With Takasugi, Kusaka and others, all his
chums in the school of Yoshida, young Ito
never forgot to push his principle of anti-
foreign policy and he was one of the malcon
tents who burnt the British legation at
Shinagawa. When we think of this incident
now, nothing seems to have been more ridic
ulous or dangerous than this, though thanks
to the wise policy of the Tokugawa govern
ment, the incident was peacefully closed. We,
however, must bear in mind that all this had
been done from patriotic motives and the best
intentions. Soon, however, young Ito, seeing the folly
of such meaningless opposition, deemed it of
vital importance to make a study of the for
eign nations, and he began his study of
the English language for future preparation.
This is a course an ordinary anti-foreign
advocate would seldom have taken in those
days. It was not his intention to change his
views on the subject, but to strengthen them
by knowing the enemy more fully. Therein

fi

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 5
lies the root of his vision of things and the
foundation of New Japan.
After the foreign legation incident had been'*
closed without the punishment of the insur
gents, Monta Inouye, now Marquis Inouye,
having listened to the argument for naval
expansion by Shozan Sakuma, became a
strong advocate of naval expansion and de
cided on a trip to Europe, still with the hope
of accomplishing the seclusion of the country.
With him Yozo Hamao and Yakichi Nomura
had sworn to participate in the undertaking
under the secret permission of their feudal
lord, Mori and against the law of the Toku-
gawa government prohibiting departure from
Japan. Upon the earnest advice of young
Inouye, Ito and Endo had also decided to
\join the expedition. Ito was then twenty-
'three, while Inouye was twenty-nine years old.'

CHAPTER II
HIS EUROPEAN TRIP
THESE five patriots with a burning de
sire for western knowledge, negoti
ated with an English agency for pas
sage and finally succeeded in securing it and
sailed from Yokohama on May 12, 1863, for
Shanghai. The narrative of the trip given
by Prince Ito himself is very interesting, as
it portrays their hardships and their strong
resolution. It is reproduced here :
"Knowing that the only way to secure the
passage was to directly appeal to foreigners,
we did so. We sought a certain Mr. Gower
of an English firm, Messrs. Glover & Co., who
spoke Japanese well and we were fortunate
enough to be successful. The five thousand
Japanese dollars we had, had been exchanged
for eight thousand American dollars. We
carried this in a draft, leaving only a small
6

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 7
amount in cash for our incidental expenses
during the voyage. Thus after everything
had been arranged we went to Kanagawa and
slipped into a tea house called Shimodaya,
which was well patronized by the Clansmen
of Choshu and there we disguised ourselves
to merchants.
"After entrusting our swords to the tea
house keeper we secretly went to Yokohama,
where we secured a lodging and made our
preparation for the trip. We went to a Eu
ropean store which was only a little junk
store and tried to buy shirts and suits, but
in those days there was nothing decent and we
were compelled to buy all second-hand goods
worn by sailors. The shoes we bought were
big enough to hold two feet! Imagine how
funny we must have looked in this attire with
our 'Chonmage' (old fashioned topknot)
still on! In the deep night of May 11th we
were summoned to the English firm and were
told to wait until the Captain finished his
dinner. So we complied with the instructions
and I now remember that all of us waited

8 PRINCE ITO

hidden in a corner of the hill which is be
sides the moat behind the Company's office
building. While thus waiting for the Captain,
each of us went out in turn and had our hair
cut. This made us look still worse and far
funnier. At about midnight Mr. Gower came
out and told us that after a consultation with
Captain that person had declined to give us
the passage, for it was against the laws for a
Japanese to leave Japan. We appealed to
him earnestly and finally told him that after
thus cutting our hair we would be arrested
and executed by the government, we showed
our determination to commit 'harakiri' right
on the spot, rather than be disgraced and be
headed by the officials. At this determined
appeal Mr. Gower became alarmed and made
another attempt to induce the Captain to con
sent to the passage. He finally did so.
"At about two o'clock in the morning of
May 12th, when all sound was hushed away
the Captain, preceding Mr. Gower, led us to
ward the wharf. Mr. Gower was trembling for
the fear of discovery by the Japanese custom

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 9
authorities whose office we had to pass by,
but he instructed us to loudly respond in
some jargon whenever he spoke to us so as
to pass ourselves off as foreigners. We fol
lowed his instruction and finally reached a
boat at the end of the wharf which took us
to the steamer.
"This, however, was not all we had to suffer,
for a customs' officer was stationed near the
wharf. So we were hidden in a small hole
right behind the engine room and did not
come out until the steamer was passing by
Kwannonzaki at the end of the Bay of Yedo.
At daybreak, we were told to come out on
deck, but trouble never ended, for we en
countered so rough a gale that we were una
ble to eat anything during the whole voyage
because of seasickness."
Upon their landing at Shanghai they were""
amazed at the large men-of-war, steamers,
buildings and everything which was entirely
new to them. Upon seeing these wonders
young Inouye completely altered his firm se
clusion idea and became a champion of the

10 PRINCE ITO

open-port policy! Ito, of course, was some
what influenced by this new vision, but he
was slow to change his old principles. They
were, however, completely changed on his
arrival at London.
At Shanghai the exiled patriots were di
vided into two parties. Ito and Inouye were
booked as sailors on the little sailing ship
Pegasus, while the other three were commis
sioned to the White Adder, in a similar capac
ity. It is said that when they were questioned
as to what was their object, they answered,
as best they could "navigation" when they\
meant to say "naval affairs." Hence their |
duty as sailors, and to their lot fell hardships !
never before experienced. The Pegasus,
which carried Ito and Inouye, is said to have
avoided touching any port on its way through
to London for the sake of economy in spite
of her long voyage around the Cape of Good
Hope. Soon after sighting the Island of
Madagascar the ship encountered a strong
gale, adding misery to the plight of young Ito,
who was still suffering from sickness and

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 11
diarrhoea. This was afterward described by
him as "unspeakable hardship."
Four months and eleven days elapsed before
they reached London, but thanks to their
courage, they were safe and their experience
had by this time taught them some English.
Their meeting with the other three friends
who, having arrived earlier, welcomed them,
is a pathetic story.

CHAPTER III
STUDY — NEW VISION
AS soon as they landed at London, Ito
and the others went to the family of
Dr. Williamson, Professor of Chem
istry at London University, and made their
study of science and other subjects under the
tutorship of the professor and his wife, who
took a particular interest in these young Ori
entals. They assisted Professor Williamson
at the University laboratory during the day
time and learned English and mathematics at
home. Thus while they were studying they heard
from a member of the family of a projected
declaration of war by the Choshu clan at
home against the foreign powers, whereupon/
fearful of the result which would surely be/
the destruction not only of their clan, but o|
all Japanese, young Ito and Inouye made up
their minds to return to Japan with the hope
of preventing this calamity. 12

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 13
Prince Ito's own narrative, of which a
translation is reproduced here, vividly pictures
the situation then confronting him. He says :
"One day a member of the professor's family
who was reading the London Times, suddenly
asked us as to our birthplace and wished
to know if Shimonoseki was in Choshu Prov
ince, which we affirmed. The questioner told
us of the firing upon foreign warships by
Choshu warriors, whereupon I asked Inouye
to read the paper carefully. We all were as
tounded when the situation was realized. Our
observation of the observatory at Kew Gar
dens, the gun factory and ship yard at Green
wich and other places, reminded us of the
uncomparable advance of the western na-
Itions over Japan. We instantly knew what
/ catastrophe must fall upon Choshu which was
trying to wage war against such great powers
| without a whit of western knowledge. The
attitude of the English parliament, which fa
vored the bombardment of Shimonoseki, made
us tremble worse. Whatever knowledge we
might gain by study would be of no. use to us

14 PRINCE ITO

I should our country be destroyed. So Inouye
and I decided on a sudden return home,
though without knowing whether our influ
ence would have any effect or not. We
wanted to stop this folly even at the risk of
our lives, and in spite of the advice of Pro
fessor Williamson and others, we took leave
of London and sternly told our other three
comrades left behind to accomplish what we
had aimed at."
The two lads left London in the middle of
March, 1864, and after another hard passage
around the Cape of Good Hope and Indian
Ocean, they reached Yokohama on June 10th
of that year, only to find their clan of Choshu
pressed to the walls and on the verge of bom
bardment by foreign warships.
However, young and insignificant as they
were at the time, Ito and Inouye faced a gi
gantic problem which was to oppose all the
decisions of their feudal lord and to earn
the opposition of their clansmen. Here began
their activity to turn the table completely.

CHAPTER IV
ITO TO THE RESCUE
IT was certain that they would have been
arrested had they openly landed at Yoko
hama when the Choshu clan had then
lost all of its influence and sympathy of the
government. So Ito and Inouye, through
the friendship of a certain Mr. Harris of
Glover & Co., were secretly landed and hid
den in an English boarding house disguised as
Portuguese boys, Ito taking the name of
"Deponar" in order to avoid discovery by the
Japanese servants employed there. But soon
finding the impossibility of returning to
Choshu by land and knowing that the com
bined fleets consisting of eighteen warships
were ready to bombard Shimonoseki within
ten days, the young patriots decided on a
meeting with the English Minister, Mr. Al-
cock, to whom they explained their plan and
15

16 PRINCE ITO

appealed for a delay of the bombardment.
They asked assistance to take them to their
own home by way of the water. The English
Minister at first laughed at the lads' idea and
declined, but finally he consented to consult
with the Ministers and naval commanders of
other nations, England, France, America and
Holland. Their appeal having availed, an
agreement was arranged between the repre
sentatives of the combined nations and these
young patriots to the effect that a fleet con
sisting of an English and a French warship
should take them as far as Himejima in
Bungo Province, whence they were to pro
ceed to their own province by convenient fish
ing junks. It was also agreed that twelve
days should be extended for the answer of the
Lord of Choshu to the Powers' demand. By
this means Ito and Inouye landed at Toumi
in their own province, and through the assist
ance of an old friend, they changed their
clothes to Samurai attire and after difficulty ,
in getting a pass, they finally managed to
reach Yamaguchi, the seat of their feudal

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 17
Lord. Through the influence of an official
who was their friend they appealed to their
lord for a formal interview, which was hap
pily granted to them the following day. Of
this interview Prince Ito speaks in his rem
iniscences as follows :
"In the presence of the Lord and his high
officials we opened the map and explained
European civilization and its strength as well
as we could for nearly four hours. After
describing the construction and strength of
the eighteen warships then gathered at Yoko
hama ready to bombard our own home, we
explained how futile and destructive a war
with them would be for the country and ad
vised him to declare for peace and do his
utmost to restore the Imperial regime on the
basis of unity for the future welfare of our
nation. "At our departure from Yokohama, we had
been entrusted with a letter signed by the
representatives of the combined nations and
addressed to our lord, but for the .fear of
arousing excitement and suspicion, we \did[

18 PRINCE ITO
not present the letter, which was couched in
rather a threatening tone. The matter was
discussed by the conference carefully, but
ignorance of the feuds and by most of the
officials seemed so complete that there was
no chance for peace and we were now in
danger of assassination by the war-like Sa
murais, who deemed us traitors. One night,
when it was known that a plot was made
against our lives, Inouye declared that he
would rather commit harakiri than be assas
sinated, but I appealed to him not to do so
and we were determined to fight our way out,
should we be attacked. Happily, however,
due to timely intervention from the Lord, and
the sympathy of old friends, the plot was
dropped and our lives saved.
"Meanwhile the twelve days were passing
away without any success and just before the
two warships were to weigh their anchors I
and Inouye went to the fleet and reported
that neither answer nor receipt of the letter
the nations addressed to the Lord was forth
coming. So Mr. Satow of the English lega-

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 19
tion, who was on board the English man-of-
war, indignant as he was, disappointed, said
goodby to us with an expectation of meeting
us again in the heat of the battle."
Thus bombardment of Shimonoseki became
inevitable. Actual bombardment was started
by the combined fleet in spite of the untiring
efforts of young Ito and Inouye.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, however, the
army of Choshu, which was fighting against
the Shogunate army at Kyoto, had been
badly repulsed and an attack upon Choshu
by the Tokugawa army became imminent,
Ihus hedging Choshu between the devil and
rhe deep sea! Meanwhile, the great strat
egist, Takasugi and the patriot Shimizu
joined and finally compelled the Lord of
Choshu to declare for a truce, which mission
was entrusted to Ito, Inouye and Takasugi.
Thus empowered, the peace envoys opened
negotiations for a truce with Mr. Satow, who
was on board the flagship ; but it was declined
on the ground that the commission was not
armed with proper credentials. Another com-

20 PRINCE ITO

mission, with full power this time, was or
ganized under the leadership of Commodore
Shishido and concluded an agreement for
peace. While Ito was nominally acting in the ca
pacity of interpreter on this occasion, it is
no secret that he was really the author of the
treaty. The provisions of this treaty in effect
were: 1 — To treat foreign ships passing Strait
of Shimonoseki fairly and kindly.
2 — To supply them with provisions, water,
fuel and other necessaries.
3— Neither to build nor to make repairs of
fortresses nor to add guns, and
4 — To indemnify the expenses of bombard
ment and further to agree to the propositions
to be made by the four combined nations
through Yedo government.
Thus Ito saved his clan and contributed
great service to his nation.
^ After the provincial plan had been restored,
young Ito devoted his effort to an alliance
with the great clan of Satsuma for the purpose

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 21
of restoring the Imperial regime. In this
movement, Satsuma represented by great
Saigo and Okubo and Choshu by Kido, young
Ito was an important factor.
Herein begins the Satcho-pelitieser, the al
lied politics of Satsuma and Choshu which i
afterwards became the almost sole power in/
Japanese affairs. J \

Part II
Prince Ito in the Meiji Era
CHAPTER V
BEGINNING OF HIS OFFICIAL LIFE
BY the restoration of power to the Im
perial Court and at the downfall of
the Tokugawa Shogunate the present
era of Meiji, "Era of Enlightenment," was
established with the enthronement in 1867
of the present Emperor of Japan.
«- At the outset of the new government Ito
was appointed to the office of "Sanyo" or
councilor, from which he was soon and suc
cessfully promoted to Justice for the Foreign
Bureau and Justice of Osaka Prefecture. On
May 23rd of the same year he was appointed
governor of Hyogo Prefecture, thus making
// a record in official appointments. \/

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 23
At about this time once and for all he
changed his name to Hirobumi Ito. Ever
since Ito's name has been identified with the
affairs of national importance, whether finan
cial, political or otherwise. His official promo
tion to even higher stages of official life was
such that no other Japanese, dead or living,
ever enjoyed.
One of the most important and difficult
accomplishments was the building of the first
railroad in Japan between Tokyo and Yoko
hama. Knowing that the nation's feeble
economy was unable to build even this short
line at the time, young Okuma, now Count,
and Ito planned a foreign loan.

CHAPTER VI
REORGANIZATION OF THE GOVERNMENT
S 
"" "\OR the purpose of accomplishing the

F

reformation of the financial system in
taxation, currency, coinage, customs,
the Budget and national banking, he and aj
few others made a trip to the United States'
and learned all these subjects through in- ¦
specting the American Treasury Department
for six months. On his return in May, 1871,
he was appointed the head of the Osaka mint. ^
Of the reorganization of the governmental
system his own story following will explain :
"I was the sponsor of the abolition of the
feudal system and though it was strongly op
posed by the general public, with the consent
of the great clans of Satsuma, Choshu, Hizen
and Tosa, backed by Princes Sanjo and
Iwakura, it soon became practical, and the
rest was easy enough. •'Now the other im-
24.

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 25
portant matters to be referred were the mat
ters relating to foreign affairs and finance.
Under the ministership of Date, Okuma and
I were in the Department of Finance and we
worked together hard to prevent the counter
feiting and depreciation of the paper money,
and I visited America in order to study the
American financial system. In the next cab
inet, under the mijrf|Bfchip of finance of
Okubo, I becanjMff^roead of the Taxation
Bureau and Minr^miring the time of which
office the regulations and by-laws of the De
partment of Finance have been drafted by me.
The establishment of the national banking sys
tem and the issuance of government bonds
were also decided on at the time. Soon after
ward I was made Vice-Minister of Public
Works and again when Prince Iwakura, Kido,
Okubo and Yamaguchi were commissioned
for a European trip in 1868, I accompanied
them and returned in the September of 1870.
"The next governmental reformation was
accomplished in the April of 1875 when the
Supreme Court, council of elder statesmen

26 PRINCE ITO

or 'Genroin,' and the conference of local
government officials, had been established.
This was the first step for constitutional
movement. While the commission for this
reformation consisted of Okubo, Kido, Itagaki
and myself, practically all the work was done
by myself." *

CHAPTER VII
PRINCE ITO, THE FATHER OF THE JAPANESE
CONSTITUTION
THE fact that Prince Ito was the author
of the Japanese constitution is known
the worldirover and the Japanese
people must forever be thankful. The writer
again deems it wise to reproduce what the
Prince himself said of the Japanese consti
tution, for this shows the history and the in
terpretation of the same at length:
"In the year of 1881 the Emperor issued
an Imperial edict to the effect that the consti
tution shall be promulgated and enforced in
the year of the 23rd of the Meiji era or
1890. I was commissioned to make a thor
ough investigation of the constitutions of for
eign countries. In Germany I learned of the |
subject under the tutorship of Prof. Gneist i
of Berlin University and here I am convinced '
27

28 PRINCE ITO

that I made quite a thorough study there.
In Austria, Prof. Stein was my tutor for the
fundamental study of the state and its phi
losophy. While the system of municipal and
local government and other minor subjects
have been lectured by some other authorities.
A large volume of thus gained materials per
taining to the constitution and others, such as
diplomacy, economics, laws, navy, military,
education and judiciary, have been compiled
by Ito (present Viscount Ito), but unfor
tunately, this has been lost.
"Before I go any further it is proper for
us to classify the period from the first to the
tenth year of Meiji (1868 to 1877) as the
period of Restoration of the Sovereignty and
from the eleventh to the twenty-second year
(1878 to 1889) as the period of constitutional
preparation. In the latter period as soon as
the Satsuma rebellion was pacified the confer
ence of the local government officials was
opened preparatory to the installation of par
liamentary discipline and the various exec
utive businesses were accordingly reformed.

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 29
"The constitutional movement must first
be attributed to my seniors, who visited
Europe in 1871. In 1873 after our return
from Europe, Kido declared that Japan can
not hold her own unless she adopt a constitu
tional government, and Okubo, then Finance
Minister, wrote a lengthy letter amounting to
a voluminous book advocating the constitu
tional government and I have still this letter
in my possession. Soon after the great Saigo
and others advocating a Korean expedition,
resigned their offices, Itagaki and Soejima
presented a memorial advocating the repre
sentative government, but before anything
could be done the Satsuma rebellion became a
matter of all-absorbing concern coupled as
it was with the death of Kido and the assas- ,
sination of Okubo within a short time. At
this time Prime Minister Prince Sanjo, Right
Minister Prince Iwakura and Left Minister
Prince Arisugawa, as they were called at the
time, all agreed on the necessity of a consti
tutional government.
"In 1881 Okuma presented an appeal for

30 PRINCE ITO

an early adoption of the constitutional govern
ment. Now, the question arose: What form
of constitution should be adopted for Japan?
In order to study this the Imperial edict of \
1882 had been issued to me. This edict in- j
structed me to make a thorough study on the
following points: —
1 — Origin, history, merit and demerit in the
workings of the constitutions of European
constitutional monarchies ;
2 — Privileges of the Imperial Court;
3 — Properties of Imperial Court and Im
perial Relatives ;
4 — Cabinet organization, and powers of
legislature, executive and judicial depart
ments ;
5 — Responsibilities of Cabinet Ministers ;
6 — Relations between Cabinet Ministers and
both houses;
7 — Organization of the both houses ;
8 — Classification of Peers and their privi
leges ;
9 — Rights and business regulations of leg
islative bodies;

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 31
10 — Privileges of the Imperial Court rela
tive to the legislative bodies ;
11 — Opening, closing, dissolvement and ad
journment of the legislative bodies;
12 — Free discussion of the legislative bodies ;
13 — Dispute of privileges between legisla
tive bodies;
14 — Regulations of the protocol or proce
dure; 15 — Treatment of the legislative bodies by
the Imperial Court;
16 — Relations existing between both legis
lative bodies ;
17 — Bills and their initiative;
18 — Method of deciding or voting on Bud
get by the both houses;
19 — Judicial power and both houses;
20 — Various appeals and civil court system ;.
21 — Qualification and election regulation of
the two legislators;
22 — Distinction between laws and civil reg
ulations ;
23 — Organization and rights of cabinet de
partments ;

32 PRINCE ITO

24 — Relation between cabinet departments
and both houses ;
25 — Relation between cabinet departments
and local officials;
26 — Removals and punishment of judicial
officials ;
27 — Relations between judicial officials and
both houses;
28 — Responsibilities and removals of vari
ous officials;
29 — Pensioning of various officials;
30 — System of local government.
J "After my return from this trip in 1883 I
began the work of drafting the constitution
for Japan with the assistance of a few others
and completed it at the end of the year.
This had been accepted by the Emperor, who
promulgated it on 11th of the year 1889, as
the fundamental law of the Japanese nation.
Under this constitution the National Diet for
the first time opened at the end of the follow
ing year in November, 1890." i/

CHAPTER VIII
PRINCE ITO AND SATCHO POLITICS
DUE to the fact that the great work of
restoration of the Imperial regime
had been accomplished by the lead
ers of Satsuma and Choshu, it was only nat
ural that the officialdom of the time should
have been under the control of these two
clans. Saigo and Okubo at the head of the
Satsuma clan and Kido leading the Choshu
clan, their power was impregnable, much to
the bitter jealousy of the other clansmen.
For peculiarly fit reasons, Ito became the
wedge between the two clans and thus gained
the confidence of the leaders. As always,
there were two factions, one representing the
militant party headed by Saigo of Satsuma
and Itagaki of Tosa and the other represent
ing the civil party headed by Okubo and Kido
with whom Ito was always identified.
33

34 PRINCE ITO

While the civil party was advocating the
hasty advancement of the nation on their
return from Europe, they found a great prob
lem facing them. That was the question of J
he Korean expedition led by Saigo and other
nilitant elements. Their course having been
unavailing at the cabinet discussions, they re
signed office, thus leaving government control
. entirely in the hands of the civil party. At
; this time Ito was made a member of the
High Council and the University of Public
Work. ^
Soon after, however, there was a disagree
ment between the two civil leaders, Okubo
and Kido, on the Formosan question and Kido
resigned his office, retiring to his home in
Yamaguchi. The cabinet was politically iso
lated in the midst of a wretched condition,
and seeing a great danger to the nation in this
state of affairs, Ito arranged a meeting of
conciliation of both leaders at Osaka and thus
saved the situation.
Of the arrangement of Osaka conference,
Prince Ito spoke as follows:

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 35
"Kido opposing the Formosan policy, and
the leaders of Satsuma, Tosa and Hizen al
ready retired, the state of things at the time
had been something discouraging and I also
proposed to resign from the office with Kido,
but due to the persuasion of Prince Iwakura
and others, I remained in the office with
Okubo in order to save the Satcho (clan)
affinity. On his return from China, whither
he had gone for negotiations on the Formosan
question, in 1874, Okubo was earnest in his
wish to restore Kido to the government which,
he declared, needed the wise counsel and guid
ance of Kido.
Okubo even ventured to say that he would
go to Yamaguchi himself, but this I stopped
for it would be to reveal the weakness of the
existing government. I proposed a plan for
their half way meeting at Osaka. As Okubo
had anticipated, his meeting with Kido re
sulted in no agreement nor did my effort avail
either. I, however, finally proposed the fol
lowing plan:
1st, Establishment of "Genroin" or council

36 PRINCE ITO
of elder statesmen, in order to avoid an auto
cratic tendency and to give more considera
tion to the legislature, preparatory to the
opening of the National Diet.
2nd, The establishment of a Supreme
Court in order to effect a firm foundation for
the Judiciary system.
3rd, The establishment of a conference of
local government officials in order to effect a
closer understanding between the government
and the people.
4th, The separation of the cabinet and exec
utive office in order to benefit by the wisdom
of the Emperor himself, and the placing of
responsibilities on the executive officials
chosen among the junior elements.
"This was first submitted to Okubo, who
agreed to the plan and then Kido gave his
consent to return to the office if this plan
could be successfully carried out and then two
leaders long separated have thus shaken
hands. At the same time Inouye and Itagaki
were in Osaka on a mission similar to mine.
So the five of us held a conference which

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 37
resulted in a happy restoration of the old good
feeling between these statesmen."
Thus we learn that Ito was responsible for
the restoration of the restrained Satcho ties.
Unfortunately, however, the death of Saigo,
Okubo and Kido, the leaders of Satcho pol
itics, completely turned the political situation
for some time. After their death Okuma, who ;
was heretofore hidden behind the screen in
spite of his political ambition and genius, sud
denly sprang up and took the place of Okubo
as the central figure in Japanese politics.
His first aim was to crush the backbone of
Satcho politics by gradually replacing the
Satcho elements in the government with the
members of his own faction and by enforc
ing all his plans heretofore unadopted. This
furious onset against the Satcho elements
could not be stopped even through the influ
ence of Ito nor by that of Inouye, who was of
a more conciliatory temperament. They did
not care to assume an adverse attitude toward
Okuma at this inopportune moment. So they
kept a silent forbearance.

38 PRINCE ITO

This was not due, let it be said, to their
timidity, but, they long before saw the natural
and not distant outcome of the situation.
Now, Okuma's influence became supreme and
was at its zenith in 1881. Ito suddenly as- ,
sumed an opposing attitude toward Okuma I
and the now famous political change of thej
fourteenth year of Meiji took place.
For some time Okuma and Ito had been in
the same accord against the militant faction,
for both of them stood for a constitutional
regime. But soon Okuma began his high
handed policy, first, by separating the cabinet
and executive offices. Okuma himself as
sumed the most important role of foreign af
fairs and finance. Okuma's second movement
was to establish the new department of Agri
culture and Commerce, for which ministership
he appointed T. Kono of his own faction.
Again he separated the Bureau of the Treas
ury from the finance department and named
it the "Board of Finance Auditors," filling
the offices mostly with his own faction. Hav
ing cultivated his influence in all the govern-

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 39
mental departments, he was just about ready
to deliver a heavy and crushing blow to Satcho
politics. Alas ! Before this blow was to be struck,
Ito was to be heard from. Ito, who was
raised in Satcho politics, abandoned his silent
forbearance. He was too wise, he was too
loyal to now abandon the Satcho faction.
yHere began the titanic struggle between
Okuma and Ito, the outcome of which meant
the downfall of Okuma, or the death of the
Satcho regime in power now since the restora
tion of the empire^--
In a secret representation to Prince Aris-
ugawa, then Left Minister, Okuma is reported
as saying : "The popular sentiment being such
that nothing can pacify it, it is now high time
for the government to overthrow the Satcho
influence by replacing the Satcho elder states- j
men with younger ones, and comply with the
popular request to open the parliament in the
year 1882."
In spite of a rigid secrecy, this leaked out.
It was discovered by the Satcho faction.

40 PRINCE ITO

There was nothing left but to defend them
selves and the elder statesmen and the gov
ernment against this radical onslaught.
v While Okuma was accompanying the Em
peror on his trip to North East, the Satcho
faction planned a successful scheme to stem
Okuma's power. Ito and Saigo, brother of
the great Saigo, advised Okuma to resign the
office on his return from the trip. With him,
Kono, Minister of Agriculture and Commerce,
and all others belonging to the Okuma fac
tion, resigned their offices, thus practically
closing the powerful and threatening official
career of Okuma. His power has never since
been fully restored in the government. +^~~
With the downfall of the Okuma faction
the question of the Hokkaido Reservation
sale, which aroused a sensation at the time,
was ended. The popular demand for an early
opening of the National Diet was gratified by
the promulgation of an Imperial Edict prom
ising a representative government in 1890.
Everything having thus been sufficiently
and smoothly carried out as planned, Ito

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 41
came into supreme power. This lasted until
his last days. He became president of the cab- ,
inet, which was solely composed of the Satcho j
faction, making himself the central figure of j
Satcho politics. He made also many political
enemies, but his power remained intact in the
Japanese government, even though there has
been a gradual decline of the Satcho influence.
Aside from the political campaign with
Count Okuma, Prince Ito found his compet
itors in his own political family. At the time
of the governmental reorganization, in 1885
Count Kuroda of the Satsuma clan seemed to
be besting Ito in the contest for first premier
ship, but the assistance of Inouye and the
Siberian trip of his opponent enabled him to
win the laurels which, however, were lost
to Kuroda two years later. After Kuroda's
death, he found among the Satsuma men,
Matsugata, now Marquis, but the latter's
influence was not far-reaching enough to
counterbalance that of Ito or Choshu.
With Matsugata out of the race, there was no
Satsuma statesman who could possibly oust

42 PRINCE ITO

— 3 
Ito. For this reason there began the contest
for supremacy between Ito and Yamagata,
both of the same Choshu clan. This party
line is clear until today. V
Marquis Saionji, President of the Consti
tutional party, representing the Ito faction
while present Prime Minister, Marquis Kat-
sura represents the Yamagata element. But
the partisan feeling between these two fac
tions, like that between their leaders who were j
personal friends from childhood, is something'
different from an ordinary partisan antago^'
nism.

CHAPTER IX
PRINCE ITO'S STATEMANSHIP
UNDER the new system of governmental
organization, Ito was appointed the
first Prime Minister in the Decem
ber of 1885 while in his forty-sixth year.
Though this ministry lasted but two years
and four months, it may be said to have been
a successful one in that it was his first and
an experiment. During this period, the period
of experimental ministry, many faults and
mistakes were made and revealed. Many
things of importance were also accomplished.
The old system in which the Prime Min-
fter was only a figure-head while some one
• more might be exercising actual power
as abolished. At the same time thus fell
the long-despised autocratic government.
In the second place he made a basis upon
which there would be promotion for able men
13

44 PRINCE ITO

whatever clan or family claimed them, by
having himself raised to the nation's highest
executive and a peer with the title of Count.
Though the first ministry was organized
mostly with the Satcho element, his aim was
to gradually make the opening for all. In
spite of his mighty efforts to hold the first
ministry until the opening of the National
Diet in 1890, it was impossible under the cir
cumstances. Cabinet resigned after an ex
istence of two years and four months.
The chief failure of Ito's first ministry was
due to a difference on the vital matter of re
vision of treaties with foreign nations. While
Ito and his foreign Minister Inouye advocated
sudden reorganization in the social customs
as well as political ideas in order to secure
advantages in the treaty revision, more con
servative elements such as General Tani, then
Minister of Agriculture and Commerce,
strongly opposing such a sudden radical
/ change compelled the resignation of the for
eign minister at the sacrifice of his own office.
The conservative faction gaining the upper

\

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 45
hand in public sentiment, the ministry faced
a grave difficulty, which was made worse by
the suspension of the negotiations for the
treaty revision. Ito, believing that Okuma
was the only person who could save the sit
uation by taking up the portfolio of the for
eign office, appointed him to succeed Inouye.
This made things still worse and resulted in
the resignation of the ministry within less
than three months after Okuma's appoint
ment, at the end of the April of 1888. It
was succeeded by the Kuroda Ministry.
His second ministry was organized at the
resignation of the Matsugata Ministry on
August 8, 1892, mostly again with the Satcho
members. This ministry having lasted nearly
four years, conducted many difficult affairs,
including the Chino-Japanese War which won i
him the title of Marquis and the decoration
of the Grand Cordon, or "Daikun-i."
At the outset this ministry encountered the
intense hatred of the populace for the Satcho
Clan. Here he exercised his supreme power
of popular diplomacy in order to pacify the

46 PRINCE ITO

people acting under the firm belief that too
1 frequent a change in the ministry would re-
1 Iflect upon the stability of the yet infant rep
resentative government. Just as the Fourth
National Diet was to be opened on November
25th of that year, Ito met with an accident
which disabled him from attending the Diet.
The acting Premier, Count Inouye, at his
failure to accomplish his object, had the Diet
adjourned pending the recovery of Ito, who
was able to resume the duty on the following
February 6th.
The great question at issue was the fiscal
problem, of which the Naval budget as well
as all others had been strongly opposed by the
House of Representatives. Naval expansion
was the most vitally important question of the
time. The war clouds were already lowering
from China and the naval budget must be
passed at any cost. The issue became such
that it was necessary either to resign the min
istry or to have the Diet adjourned and to
have the nation succumb at China's mercy.
In spite of his efforts and epoch-making

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 47
address that day, the Diet passed the resolu
tion for an appeal to the Emperor criticising
the course of the ministry, which was pre
sented to the Emperor on February 8th by
Speaker Hoshi.
At this deadlock, however, Ito proved the
depth of his statesmanship, by causing the
Emperor to issue an Imperial Edict to the
ministry and Diet recommending a concilia
tory deliberation of the question and giving
his liberal contribution of 30,000 yen per an
num for the next six years to the course of
naval expansion.
This of course completely changed the
front of the Diet and a compromise was
agreed upon by cutting off only 2,721,300 yen
from the original budget. In the fifth session
of the Diet, Ito's ministry faced a furious on
slaught, this time at the hands of the lower
house on inquiries as to the "Chishima" inci
dent, (the incident in which a Japanese war
ship "Chishima" was sunk by a collision with
a British merchantman in the Inland Sea) and
the Stock Exchange fraud, but this affair was

48 PRINCE ITO

passed by twice adjourning and finally dis
solving the Diet.
The Sixth National Diet voted a resolution
impeaching the ministry for its inefficiency
and presented the resolution to the Emperor,
but His Majesty not only rejected it, but also
ordered a dissolution of the Diet.
Thus the year 1894 witnessed two general
elections and two dissolutions of the Diet,
quite an unusual thing in the parliamentary
history and even in the beginning of consti
tutional governments. Prince Ito, unruffled
and undismayed, steered clear his helm of
statesmanship throughout this eventful sea
of politics.
In 1894 the long hoped for treaty revision
was realized and war was declared against
{3hina. The Nation forgot its petty political
ssues and united for a successful outcome
of this national struggle. Seventh and Eighth
Diets passed without any opposition to the
ministry. At the close of the Eighth Diet,
the Chinese Peace Envoys, headed by the late
Li Hung Chang, came and the successful

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 49
treaty of Shimonoseki was concluded by
Prince Ito and Count Mutsu, then foreign
minister. Soon, however, following this restoration
of peace, the unhappy intervention of the
Triple Alliance, consisting of Russia, Ger
many, and France, compelled Japan to retro-
cede the Liao-Tung Peninsula, the fruit of
war, which afterward became the nucleus of
the colossal war with Russia. It was painful
as it was disgraceful for Ito as well as for
Japan, but this had to be swallowed under the
circumstances. He took all the blame for
himself, and it was this diplomacy and fore
sight that are now looked upon as the master
pieces of his statesmanship and of his great
name. The Ninth Diet made inquiry of the dis
graceful retrocession of the Liao-Tung Pen
insula, but the assistance of the Liberal Party
led by Count Itagaki, saved the situation,
and 26,000,000 yen was added to the National
revenue by an increased tax on luxuries and
the establishment of the tobacco monopoly.

50 PRINCE ITO

In recognition of this assistance, Count
Itagaki was appointed Minister of the Interior,
but the latter's opposition to the appointment
of Count Okuma to the portfolio of foreign
affairs, compelled the resignation of this suc
cessful ministry on August 31, 1896. This
ministry lasted just four years and one month
with comparatively few changes.
Prince Ito's Third Ministry was formed on
January 12, 1898, a year and four months
after his second ministry had resigned. In
forming this ministry he had no fixed policy.
It was only with the expectation that he
would secure the assistance of Okuma or of
Itagaki that he accepted the responsibility.
The natural consequence was its early down
fall after an existence of only four months,
mainly due to the failure of the fiscal measure
of the Twelfth Diet, which also met in turn
an untimely dissolution after an adjournment
of three days. Again Prince Ito was sum
moned to form his Fourth Ministry on Octo
ber 19, 1900. This time his ministry was
formed by his party, the Constitutional Party,

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 51
but due to the untrained conditions of party
politics in Japan, its life ended in eight
months. Besides the weakness of party pol
itics, the unfortunate entanglement of the
Minister of Communication Hoshi with the
Tokyo municipal scandal, and the changed at
titude of Finance Minister Viscount Wa-
tanabe hastened the resignation of the min
istry. In the Fifteenth National Diet, Prince Ito's
party having the control of the House of Rep
resentatives, the fiscal measure was easily
voted by the popular house, but it met a strong
opposition from the House of Peers. In
this opposition Prince Ito experienced the
most difficult problem he ever met, but by his
usual tactics of securing an Emperor's Edict,
it was finally passed by both houses.
For this unusual tactic of causing the Em-
¦ peror worry, Prince Ito and his ministry were
severely denounced causing them to present
a personal apology to the Emperor. This was
the last ministry Prince Ito formed.
There is as little need to say, as there is

52 PRINCE ITO

any question that Prince Ito was a savior
to his nation, one of the great prime ministers
and able statesmen of his time. /With the
single exception of Gladstone, there has yet
been no premier to lead as many as four min
istries. His rapid rise may be compared only
to that of William Pitt. v^Doubtless he had
faults, but whatever his critics may say, and
to this the world can subscribe, Prince Ito
was a political genius of rare example, of
large calibre, with an unusual foresight and
energy. »4As can be seen, judging the part he played
in the Japanese Legislature during his Pre
miership, he was an able legislator as well as
executive, as much as author of the Japanese
Constitution, which was also first put in prac
tice by his hand. When the National Diet
was opened he was elected first President of
the House of Peers. s/
In the early days of the Japanese parlia
mentary stage, when there were none with
training or knowledge, everything was guided
well and wisely by Prince Ito through his

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 53
influence in the Diet. This, however, did not
last long, for an Anti-Ito faction appeared in
the House of Peers at the time of the undue
dissolution of the Fifth Diet. While this
faction was gaining power, the deadlock be
tween the government and the House of
Peers at the Fifteenth Diet, due to his con
temptuous address and manner, rendered an
almost complete downfall of his influence
in the Upper House.
Thus he was rather unfortunate in dealing
with the Upper House of the Legislature.
He was often denounced for his/high handed J
policy toward the legislature. His frequent!
resorting to the Imperial Edict is not alto-!
gether scrupulous or without blame. But all'
such must be given an allowance for this
period when the legislature was in its infancy.
On the other hand, however, his support in
the House of Representatives became stronger
every year until it became an assured fact
for him to have every measure of his origin
to be passed with little opposition. This is, of
course, due to the fact that the controlling

54 PRINCE ITO

party, the Constitutional party, was organized
| by Prince Ito as against the Progressive party
I under Count Okuma.
At first Prince Ito was strongly opposed to
party politics in Japan and he endeavored to
dislodge the partisan spirit. But later while
experiencing himself a strong opposition from
party politics, he found it necessary to or
ganize a party of his own. This was at the |
time when he was hard-pressed by the com
bined force of the Progressives and the Lib
erals in the Third National Diet. Then he
had nearly completed his plan for the organi
zation of a party, but by a strong opposition
of Prince Yamagata the plan was dropped.
Ever since, however, Prince Ito awaited an
opportunity to form an ideal government
party which finally was realized on Septem
ber 15th of 1900 under his own leadership.
ffts object and platform were unique and the
prganization an ideal one, but due to the
various circumstances and his unfitness as a
party leader, the leadership was turned over
to Marquis Saionji three years afterward.

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 55
If Prince Ito was not a successful party
leader, he was a successful party founder,
and he had many able lieutenants to lead it.
The party which now dominates the popular.
Chamber of the Legislature may justly be
called one of Ito's monuments.

CHAPTER X
HIS PART IN JAPAN'S FOREIGN POLICY
AS has been already described, the part
Prince Ito played in the Japanese for
eign policy, is far more important
than that of any single person in any nation.
In fact he played the leading role in the Japan
ese foreign policy for a little over fifty years.**
Beginning with his anti-foreign movement as
evidenced by burning the foreign legation, he
became and died a most enthusiastic cham
pion of universal peace. /The negotiation he
conducted with the European diplomats for
the peace between them and the Choshu Clan
is one of the most noteworthy and valuable
services he rendered to the cause of his clan
as well as to the cause of his country *t_»
In his first ministry he failed in conducting
a successful negotiation for the treaty re
vision with other nations, but this was finally
effected during his second ministry. If his
56

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 57
ability as a diplomat was amateurly displayed
in the earlier roles, his constant experience
made him one of the successful diplomats of
his time. His foresight in the matters of inter
national relations is something rarely pos
sessed even by born political genius. He
proved most clearly his unusual statesmanship
at the time of the peace negotiations with Chi
nese envoys.
Just before the Chinese envoys arrived at
Japan, Prince Ito delivered an address in a
Conference of Cabinet Ministers and the Mil
itary Authorities, outlining the course to be
taken in the Peace Negotiation. In the course
of this address miraculously enough he proph
esied that the Chinese envoys may not be
armed with proper credentials and that an in
tervention may be offered by a Triple Alli
ance after a conclusion of the treaty. This
prophecy proved to be true, to the credit of
his wonderful foresight. The ill-prepared
Chinese envoys who arrived at Hiroshima
on January 31, 1895, were met by the Japanese
envoys, Prince Ito and Count Mutsu, but they

58 PRINCE ITO

were turned down on the ground of the lack
of proper credentials from their Emperor.
-""On the arrival of the new envoys led by Li
Hung Chang, the Japanese envoys met and
conducted the peace negotiation to a success
ful issue. Herein lies the masterstroke of
Prince Ito which will long be adored in the
history of Japanese diplomacy. *^*
This successful peace treaty, however, was
met by that fateful intervention of the Triple
Alliance composed of Russia, Germany and
France. Though under the pressure of
strong national sentiment and personal griev
ance, Prince Ito yielded to this wicked inter
vention and for some time he was denounced
even with the name of a national traitor, but
the whole nation now recognizes this submis
sion as the inevitable and best course Japan
could have taken under the circumstances.
Again we must not forget that the Anglo-
Japanese Alliance and all the negotiations with
Russia before and after the war were largely
advised, influenced and consummated by the
lamented Prince.

CliAPTER XI
PRINCE ITO AND KOREA
THE last important role in his political
career was the part he played in the
affairs of the Korean Government
as the first Resident General. This was not
the first time he had taken interest in the
Korean welfare, but his life might truly be
said to have been for the welfare of both
Japan and Korea. It was Korea that caused
all the troubles Japan had to suffer for many
years. Aside from the old expeditions by
Empress Jingu and Taicoon, Toyotomi, the
cause of the Satsuma Rebellion, the Chino-
Japanese War, and finally the Russo-Japan
ese War may all be traced to Korea.
His life itself was taken away for and by
Koreans. But for Prince Ito Korea might
long ago have been annexed to Japan, or she
might not be enjoying the peace and welfare
59

60 PRINCE ITO

now prevailing there. His services in Korea
were equally helpful to Korea and Japan.
The work he did during his three-years-and-
a-half service in Korea are too fresh in
memory, too well known to the whole world,
and further, too tremendous and complex to
be chronicled and condensed in this small
publication.

Part III
Prince Ito's Private Life
CHAPTER XII
PRINCE ITO AND THE PRINCESS
PRINCE ITO married Miss Umeko Kida
of the same clan in 1866, in the lat
ter's seventeenth year.
He was survived by his two daughters and
two sons, besides his bereaved wife and
adopted son. The family of Prince Ito is
succeeded by Hirokuni Ito, an adopted son
from the family of Marquis Inouye.
His first daughter, Ikuko, is now Vis
countess Suyematsu, wife of a Privy Coun
cilor, while his younger daughter, Asako, was
married to Mr. G. Nishi, now a Secretary to
the Japanese Embassy at Berlin.
His first son, Bunkichi, now Baron Ito, is
61

62 PRINCE ITO

at present a secretary at the Department of
Agriculture and Commerce, and the younger
son, Shinichi, is yet in his schooling age of
eighteen. Prince Ito's affection for the Princess and
his admiration of her are well known among
the Japanese. He is said to have never neg
lected to write letters of affection and advice
even in the busiest time of official duty while
in Korea.
One of the counsels he used to give the
Princess was "to be philanthropic," without
which, he thought one was not qualified to
be a lady of high standing.
He has always attributed to his Princess his
popular admiration and credit. Equally, per
haps more, devoted was Princess Ito to her
husband. One of the examples that shows
her devotion and chivalry is that, when
Prince Ito was being followed by assassins
in the dark days of political upheaval, she
was, one night, waiting for her husband, sit
ting up late, and on his return, she greeted
the Prince by saying, "I was waiting your

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 63
return, determined to meet the assassin my
self, if such should come."
At this devoted remark, Prince Ito is said
to have wept for her true devotion and
thanked her in tears. She never neglected to
celebrate the Prince's birthday on every Sep
tember the second.
In connection with his birthday there is
an interesting anecdote. A night before one
of his birthday celebrations, while the Prin
cess was preparing for the occasion, Prince
Ito, apparently forgetting it, did not return
until late next morning. On his return, be
ing reprimanded by the Princess, he ear
nestly apologized. In his desire to make it
good, he slipped out of the back door and
bought bric-a-brac to be used for the souve
nir lottery, thus soothing and saving the
Princess from the trouble.
The manner in which he apologized is said
to have been so childish and unique that
everybody was forced to laugh.
As a woman, Princess Ito is said to be
both highly cultured and unusually wise. In

64 PRINCE ITO

her early days, when the modernization
spirit was at its height, she was the social
leader of Tokyo. In her present old age she
is said to concern herself in personally in
structing and assisting the servants. Her
remarkable forbearance and chivalry are well
exemplified in her attitude at and after the
receipt of the news of the Prince's assassina
tion. Of this Mrs. Tomioka, wife of Ad
miral Tomioka, who was at the scene, nar
rates as follows :
"When I was paying my usual respect to
the Princess on that morning Viscountess
Suyematsu and Madame Ito, the wife of
the Prince's heir, were present. Later, at
the suggestion of the Princess, we had our
luncheon together in an adjoining villa. At
about three o'clock we moved to the main
villa for a tea and I now remember that it
was about ten minutes after three that the
Chamberlain brought three pink-colored tel
egrams at the same time. Because they were
written in Roman letters, Princess handed
them over to us youngsters. One we first

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 65
opened being the last despatch signed by Mr.
Furuya, Prince's Private Secretary, it read:
" 'His Excellency the Prince expired at
ten this morning at Harbin Station. Will
immediately return.'
"At this we all staggered from grief and
for some time we could not believe our eyes,
but after repeated reading in silence, we real
ized the whole situation. Handing over the
message to Viscountess Suyematsu, I urged
her to announce the message. For the fear
of a shock to her mother, the Viscountess,
warning the Princess to bear herself steady,
broke the news. For a few moments the
Princess turned pale and speechless, but soon
recovering herself bravely answered, 'Don't
fear for me. I have been always prepared
for such an event. Outside his home, a man
can't help having some enemy. Such was not
entirely without anticipation. Read the next.'
Then the Princess calmly summoned the
members of her household and gave orders
becoming the occasion.
"No doubt she must have severely suffered

66 PRINCE ITO

to herself, but her reception of this tragic news
in such a steady and cool manner was really
a splendid display of chivalry. She is really
a model of Japanese womanhood worthy of
her great husband."
Another example of her courage is shown
in her refusal to have the Prince's coffin
opened at its arrival, on the expressed ground
that it was not necessary to have it examined
after so careful an embalming, as had been
reported to her. This, however, it is now
alleged was not the real reason, but that she
declined for the fear of a shock to Marquis
Inouye, who was not yet fully recovered
from his recent illness, and who she thought
was hardly able to see his closest friend in
the coffin. To the western mind this may
seem absurd and heartless, but this self-denial
for the sake of others is the spirit Japanese
pride themselves upon over everything.

CHAPTER XIII
A PATHETIC FAREWELL
THE night before Prince Ito left for
Manchuria, he gathered all the mem
bers of the family to his Memorial
Hall of Constitution at Omori presented him
by the Emperor, and held a farewell dinner.
In the course of conversation, proud and sat
isfied as he was at the blooming prosperity
of the family, he gave the following tribute
to his life consort and stern instruction to
his family : "I am gratified with this pros
perity of my family, but when I calmly peruse
my past, I must thank my wife, to whose
assistance my achievements are partly re
sponsible. For one like me who has steered
many straits between death and life and who
fought the struggles of poverty, her assist
ance was indispensable. I, therefore, sternly
and tenderly instruct you to pay her highest
67

68 PRINCE ITO

respect and serve her as my own incarnation
should anything ever happen to my life."
At the close of this affectionate but pathetic
instruction, all drunk the health, but some
how the occasion proved very lonesome and
blue, and peculiarly enough the Prince him
self feeling no influence of liquor seems to
have retired early in a mood of unhappiness.
This was his last dinner with his family and
the instruction he had given proved to be
his last instruction as well as his will.

CHAPTER XIV
THE PRINCE'S INSTRUCTION TO HIS SON
PRINCE ITO was a very affectionate
father to his children and of recent
years he has spent much of his time
at home playing with his grandchildren. He
is said to have often amused himself by say
ing: "If you had what belongs to a boy you
should be my heir, but unfortunately you
had forgotten it," to his elder daughter, now
Viscountess Suyematsu when she was only
a child.
He never interfered with the affairs of his
own children, but a few days before his de
parture for Manchuria he gave some in
structions to his son Bunkichi at his Oiso
residence. Of this instruction the Prince's
son, now Baron Ito, speaks as follows: "As
I was educated in Yamaguchi, I had little
society with my father ; but as I was to leave
69

70 PRINCE ITO

for Europe soon, I was summoned to Oiso
just before his departure for the Manchurian
trip and in the presence of mother, he gave
me very affectionate but stern instruction on
the route of one's life. He remarked that
he had never said nor will say any more than
what he was saying to me that night. The
gist of his instruction is as follows:
"^ "Every one has an inborn genius. What
ever this genius may be, he must use
it to his best advantage. I do not
want to unduly interfere with your fu
ture. If you become a beggar I will not
grieve, nor will I be glad should you become
wealthy. If you should ever wish to inherit
my career with your own inborn genius, you
must not forget the loyalty to the Emperor.
\ Japan became what she is today because we
| all united for the welfare and protection of
ithe Emperor, but China is far behind because
[her people lack that spirit of loyalty to their
Emperor. "All the people of Japan, whether officials
or merchants, should not forget for a mo-

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 71
ment, the fact that our duty is to secure and
to champion the peace of the East with the
unbroken Imperial dynasty. The next im
portant thing is sincerity. As it is said, sin
cerity can make even devils weep. I have
never borrowed a penny from merchants nor
is it necessary for one to leave property to
his family. I have a little savings from
what was given to me by the Emperor, but
all this I am going to spend in my Manchu-
rian trip. You also must pay particular care
to your own health, for without good health
one can do nothing.
"Though the learning from books is im
portant, still more important is the learning
gained from the living world. In the wide*
world of the Occident you will learn a great/
deal by seeing things and by personal contaclj
with western genius. Everything has its two
sides, correct observation of which is of vital!
importance. In this regard Occidentals havej
far superior foresight to the Orientals.
"To accomplish a thing one must follow
the regular routine and an abnormal or hasty

72 PRINCE ITO
course is to be strictly avoided. One always
must be prepared for the risk of life which
is often necessary for great deeds. It is
rather a miracle that I survive, yet after all
the risks and dangers I have encountered I
survive. Should you wish to inherit my ca
reer never depend on others, you must open
up your own way.
"Of the political situation of East Asia,
my father spoke as follows :
"Whether constitutional government may
work well or not in China, whether she may
be preserved or divided, Japan's voice should
be first heard and most respected in the mat
ters of the Chinese Empire. All the nations
, will not deny this fact. Not only China, but
it is Japan's natural duty to safeguard all
'the Oriental nations, including Korea and
Manchuria. So the domination of the Sea
of Japan, China Sea as well as the Pacific,
is a matter of most vital importance for our
own protection.
"As he said in his instruction, my father
has never interfered with our individual af-

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 73
fairs. He would approve if he saw it to be
right, but he would simply question the rea
son if otherwise."^
Baron Bunkichi Ito was sent to Hagi,
Prince Ito's birthplace, for his education
from childhood under an assumed name. It
was only when he was in middle school that
he received the name of Ito and only then
he learned of his father being Prince Ito.
This was done purposely in order to avoid
the undue contempt of the boy by letting him
know his high birth. He being an unusually
intelligent youth, distinguished himself all
through his study until he had graduated
from the University of Tokyo in 1908. After
his graduation, he intended to enter the dip
lomatic service, but due to the suggestion
of his family, secured an office in the Depart
ment of Agriculture and Commerce, where he
is now one of the secretaries. For some
time, from his own accord, he lived in a
boarding house, but at his father's suggestion
he now lives in a small wooden house for
which he pays only fifteen yen or seven dol-

74 PRINCE ITO

lars and a half per month, within the limit of
his own income. He is said to be very fond
of literature. This is the son's education by
the thoughtful father, in Japan.

CHAPTER XV
PRINCE ITO'S HABITS AND INCLINATION
PRINCE ITO had an unusually strong
constitution and endurance. He used
to go to bed as late as three or four
o'clock in the morning, yet he would arise
before eight at the latest. It was not infre
quent that he drank and talked all night, yet
he attended his official duties the following
day. He is quoted as saying, "Never mind,
when I go to sleep it is the time of my death,"
when one would suggest that he go to bed.
In the evenings he used to invite his near
relatives or subordinate officials and either
play "go," Japanese chess, or tell old stories
and his own narratives. If no guest was
there he used to change his uniform at about
ten o'clock and listened to Satsuma Biwa until
early in the morning. He is said to have
slept for an hour after his lunch every day.
75

76 PRINCE ITO

Prince Ito had a very strong drinking habit
and his capacity was something unusual. In
his youthful days it was a matter of every
night that he consumed several gallons of
sake, but in later years he was warned against
strong liquor and he only took medical claret
for his daily beverage.
In connection with his strong alcoholic in
clination there are several anecdotes, and one
of them has it that some twelve years ago,
General Katsura, now Marquis and Prime
Minister, had to resort to a jinrikisha ride to
catch up with Prince Ito, who was walking
after a hard drink with the former through
out the night!
Another story has it that on his way to
Korea a few years ago he met General Tojo
on the train and both began drinking, but
when the General succumbed to the liquor,
Prince Ito is alleged to have laughed and
remarked: "Ha-ha! how can you fight?" On
this occasion he alone drank throughout the
night and paid a visit to the Miyajima Temple
without displaying the slightest effect.

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 77
He was also fond of smoking and he is
said to have never been without a cigar in
his mouth. When he was young he was an
unusually hearty eater, but in his later years
his appetite is said to have been very light.
In the mornings he only took tea and a few
salted plums for his breakfast and he was
very fond of "Kayu," or rice gruel.
He was very fond of Japanese cooking, but
occasionally he liked to have soup of an Oc
cidental and Oriental mixture. Like all the
drinkers, he liked the appetizers, such as raw
fish, seasoned vegetables, noodles and so on.
His taste for clothing was very simple and
he was often mistaken for one of the old
farmers when taking a walk in his kimono.
If not in his uniform, he always wore an old
shabby frock coat outside. At home or
rambling he wore the simplest sort of cotton
kimono fastened loosely with a cotton sash
made by the Princess Ito. In summer he
preferred white cotton, while he chose plain
brown or dark color for his winter kimonos.
Prince Ito is said to have been particularly

78 PRINCE ITO

proud of his L.L. D. cap and gown in which
he was honored by Yale University a few
years ago, and he used to wear them when-j ¦
ever the Yale Alumni Society of Tokyo heldi
a meeting or dinner, at which he is said to
have boasted and called himself a "Chum"
of the members.
Outside of reading and collecting old
swords he had very little taste for any other
thing. He had some taste for the antique
arts and "go" play, but he never became ab
sorbed in them as is often the case with
others. The reason he was always in touch with
the world-happenings was due to his taste for
reading. What he read was not for pleasure,
\but solely for the purpose of learning. Of
Japanese publications he was particularly fas
cinated in the "Nihon Seiki," or "Japanese
Political Record," which he declared should
be read by every patriotic Japanese. From his
boyhood he never neglected to read this pub
lication whenever he found time. The vol
umes of this publication, which were long

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 79
kept by himself, were presented to his inti
mate friend, now Count Yoshikawa, who in
turn has recently contributed them to the
Tokyo Museum of Natural History as his
relics. Most of the books formerly read by
him were publications of a political or eco
nomic nature or Chinese poetry. But bf
recent years he took interest in lighter read
ings. Most time was given to the reading of
European publications, and he has read al
most all the books on Napoleon Bonaparte,
of whom his knowledge was said to surpass'
that of any special student of Napoleon inj „
Japan. His study of Napoleon was begun'
even before his first trip to Europe and he
made special efforts to collect as many books
as he could on this great warrior-statesman
whenever he made trips to Europe.
In recent years, besides the books on Korea
written in Chinese and other languages, he
has read books and histories on governments
of Egypt, India, Philippines, Tunis, and other
protectorates or dependencies in order to
learn the policies of their protectors, so as to

80 PRINCE ITO

apply the same to the Korean administration.
He is said to have taken special interest
in reading the Life of Cavour and that of
Cromar, who were in positions not unlike his
own. While he made a close study of their works,
Prince Ito is said to have paid little admira
tion or to have had little liking to the per
sonalities of Gladstone and Bismarck. This
may be due to the difference in his political
views from theirs, but it is now alleged to
have been mainly due to his self-confidence.
Prince Ito did not pay much attention to
newspaper reading. He read clippings, but
never cared to read any particular Japanese
paper, but he was a constant reader of the
"London Times," "Standard," and "Fort
nightly Review" of England, and the "Nine
teenth Century and Afterward" of this coun
try. He did not believe it worth while to
read American newspapers, which he thought
a little too sensational. Of his purpose in
reading he once spoke as follows : "In read
ing the lives of great men I have a secret.

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 81
This secret is that I first discover the genius
of the man and study what deed was ac
complished by this genius or what difficulty
was the cause of one's failure. Then the in
ference thus gained is applied as the mirror
of my own political life. As I have no born
genius, I always try to learn it from others."
This shows the idea of his reading and the
application he made of his learning. "^
Prince Ito was a poet of rare talent and
there are many poems both in Chinese and
Japanese which bear his name. His Chinese
poems are widely read by the rising genera
tion of Japan. Of his poetical genius, a
noted scholar says that, "There are two types
of poetical genius. One is a professional and
the other is an amateur. The first is a little
too sentimental and is all absorbed with na
ture, such as the flower, cloud or moon, but
the other is rather dry and crude. The
poems of Prince Ito's composition belong to
neither of them, but they stand aloof with
higher inspiration and unique beauty."
Every spare minute was spent by him for

82 PRINCE ITO

reading whether at home or on the train, and
even in bed he did not lose the lazy hours.
It was not seldom that he kept on reading,
forgetting the visitors in spite of the atten
tions called by the attendants.
In his villa at Oiso, his study occupies a
spacious room on the second floor, which is
supplied with tens of thousands of volumes
from all parts of the world. On the walls
portraits of great men are hung. In the cen
tre of the room there is a comfortable bed
and a chair. Whenever he had time he used
to be buried among the books in this room
and he would occasionally read the book ly
ing on the bed. His study in the Memorial
Hall of Constitution at Omori is the sitting
room where thirteen wagon loads of books,
transferred from his villa at Oiso, are neatly
shelved. This room is particularly well kept,
with the portraits of great men hung on the
walls and a few skins of tigers and bears are
neatly placed on the floor.
A hanging picture of the Rising Sun and
a "Rooster," recently presented by a Korean

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 83
official in the Mahogany "Tokonoma," a place
of honor, a "gaku" of the poem written and
presented by Her Majesty the Empress and
the portraits of his deceased parents sus
pended on the "Ramma," upper partition
right under the ceiling, complete this simple
but dignified room. In token of his rever
ence for the Imperial gift and the portraits of
so noted personalities, he has never lain in
this particular room. While in this room he
used to read calmly, squat or enter into a
deep meditation upon matters of national im
portance. When he became tired of reading
he moved to another room, where he con
tinued his reading easily sunk in his long
arm-chair. Prince Ito was an unusually good hand
writer and whenever he went out for a visit
to country places, the gentlemen of the place
came pressing for his favor to write a few
lines and had them framed for hanging pieces
as their family treasure. Writings done by
him now bring very high prices, just as do
the writings of George Washington and Abra-

84 PRINCE ITO

ham Lincoln. Apart from the intrinsic value
the name of the writer gives, his handwriting
is considered worth the price as an art, pure
and simple.

CHAPTER XVI
HIS RELIGIOUS INCLINATION
V A S he was in everything else, Prince
f~\ Ito's religious view was very broad.
He never has openly professed his
religious inclination to any particular belief
nor did he have any prejudice against any
particular creed. To him Christianity was
just as good as Buddhism or Shintoism. But
he is alleged once to have urged Shintoism
for Japan, which is and must be, as he
thought, founded on the basis of ancestor
worship. ?This, however, was not observed
by him in the formalities nor did he often
pray to his ancestors as others do. Prince
po, however, admitted as having prayed
thrice during his lifetime. One was when
the Crown Prince was dangerously ill some
years ago, and the second was his prayer for
Japan's victory at the opening of the war
85

86 PRINCE ITO

with Russia. The third and last was his
prayer for the safety of the Crown Prince
when he accompanied him on his trip through
Korea a few years ago.
While he believed in Shintoism, he had
perhaps more interest in Buddhism, which
was the religion of his parents and fore
fathers. Here is an interesting story : He had
a little gold image of "Kokuzo Bosatsu," one
of the Buddhist saints, measuring five
inches in height. The image carries a sharp
sword on the right hand, signifying keen
foresight, and a string of beads on the left
hand, signifying prosperity and happiness.
Prince Ito kept this image always in his per
sonal effects as his protector, and it is said
that this image was taken with him on his
fateful Manchurian trip.
The history of this image makes it still
more interesting. This was cast more than
seven hundred years ago by Lord Fujifusa
Fujiwara, the highest adviser to the Em
peror Goraigo, for the sake of condoling
the dead spirits of patriot Masashige Kusu-

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 87
noki and his son Masatsura, who died a most
patriotic and historical death for the ruling
Emperor. With this image hanging on his
breast Fujifusa made a pilgrimage of pray
ers throughout Japan. This was, in some
way, kept a treasure by one of the monas
teries at Atami. Prince Ito incidentally se
cured it from the priest in the spring of 1893.
At the suggestion of General Miura, Prince
Ito had the spirit of "Bosatsu" consecrated
into it by a prolonged prayer of seven days
performed by priest Unshoritsu of Mejiro,
on the outskirts of Tokyo. He ever after
wards was attached to this image. His oc
casional visits to Miyajima are said to be re
sponsible for the fact that the same "Kokuzo
Bosatsu" is consecrated therein. He even
contributed all the expenses for the construe- -
tion of a road of nearly three miles leading
to this Temple of "Kokuzo Bosatsu."
He is alleged to have given equally high
reverence to the Christian religion, which is
well protected in Japan, due to his broad
and liberal interpretation of religion. He

88 PRINCE ITO

once outlined his view of religion as fol
lows: "One's faith is his spiritual inclination,
and the formality of faith, religious discus
sion, missionary work, and religious gather
ings should be performed in the degree that
does not cause disorder or break the public
peace. YAH religions should be respected, but
no religion should be allowed to overstep the
laws and regulations of the nation, thus dis
turbing the public peace for the sake of out
ward display or demonstrations; no subject
of Japan should neglect his duty for the sake
of his personal belief.'^'So long as one's be
lief is confined to his spiritual domain, he is
at liberty whether he may believe Christianity
or Buddhism." With this view he took a part
in protecting and regulating the religious
problems in Japan as well as in Korea.

CHAPTER XVII
PRINCE ITO'S RESIDENCES
WHILE in Tokyo Prince Ito lived
either in his residence at Izarago,
or the official residence of the
President of the Privy Council, at Reinan-
zaka, but whenever he could, he lived in his
villa called "Sorokaku" or the "Villa of Blue
Waves," at Oiso, about fifty miles south
west of Tokyo. In recent years he spent
some of his time at the "Kempo Kinen
Kwan," or the "Memorial Hall of Constitu
tion," at Omori, given him two years ago by
the Emperor as the token of his services in
framing the Constitution of Japan.
His residence or rather villa at Oiso was
built some twelve years ago for the reason
that the place was particularly attractive to
him. The site, with the famous Yenoshima in
89

90 PRINCE ITO

the blue sea far away on the left and the
ever green mountains of Hakone on the right,
commands a unique view. The main villa
is of an Occidental construction, which con
tains the sitting room, drawing room, parlor,
study and so on. Adjoining this there is
a little straw-thatched cottage which is occu
pied by the Princess. The famous "Shi-
kendo," or "Four Saints Hall," is on a nearby
hill surmounted by the foliage and green
forest. The "Shikendo" was built in memory
of the four great men, Kido, Okubo, Iwa
kura and Sanjo, whom he regarded as his
benefactors and the great statesmen of the
Meiji Era. A little hot-house and a long
tenement for the employees and servants
complete the precinct of the villa.
The simplicity of the villa and the democ
racy prevailing among the employees and
servants represent the simple life of its mas
ter.

CHAPTER XVIII
PRINCE ITO'S LAST DAYS
LEAVING his residence at Oiso on
October 14th last he started his Man-
churian trip with an unknown mis
sion and arrived at Dalny on October 18th.
After an inspection or rather glimpse of the
city of Dalny and the historic battlefield of
Port Arthur, he proceeded toward Harbin
over the South Manchurian Railroad, passing
Liao-Yang, Mukden and Changchun, ever re
mindful of the long struggle.
He and his party arrived at Harbin at 9 :15
a. m. on October 26, 1909. He was met by
the Russian Finance Minister and at the lat
ter's request Prince Ito inspected the Russian
Army in the capacity of an Honorary Com
mander. Then, just as he was to proceed to
ward the Russian officials and foreign Con
suls, who were gathered in a certain spot,
91

92 PRINCE ITO
Crack! Crack! Crack! went revolver bullets,
piercing Prince Ito from behind.
Prince Ito felt the shot, but without the
slightest disturbance in his manner, calmly
saying, "I am done for. Certainly two or
three hit me. Who else was hurt? Were
others hit?" walked for about thirty yards
toward one of the train entrances. He was
assisted into the car by the members of his
party. Stimulants were given and he was
comforted, but his face soon turned pale, his
body cold and the cold perspiration only dis
heartened and staggered all the onlookers
present! He never complained of the pains
nor blamed anything, but when he was told
that the assassin was a Korean, he nodded
and said, "What a fool!" Thirty minutes
after the shooting, his last breath expired,
thus ending the dramatic history of the great
statesman of Japan. The assassin was An
Chung-Keun by name and belonged to the
so-called patriots of Korea with headquar
ters at Novisky, near Vladivostock. An
was one of the fourteen ruffians assigned and

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 93
sworn to take the life of Prince Ito. When
arrested at the spot by the Russian police the
assassin, An, confessed his crime and added
that, "I came here with the fixed purpose of
assassinating Prince Ito, whose policy ruined
my mother country. I arnsatisfied with the
success of my revenge.''
An was tried and sentenced to death at
Port Arthur, while one of his three accom
plices was sentenced to three years' im
prisonment and the other two for one and a
half years on February 14, 1910. A careful
investigation of the plot resulted in many ar
rests and a plan for the extermination of such
criminal hotbeds is now under way.
Prince Ito's body was carefully embalmed
and conveyed to Japan on board the Japan
ese cruiser "Akitsushima." The State funeral
was performed on November 4, 1909, and his
coffin is resting peacefully under the green
grasses in the Cemetery of "Yadare," near his
Memorial Hall of Constitution. This day, all
the schools of the nation mourned and paid
their respect by reminding the children of the

94 PRINCE ITO

events of his life. The highest officials of all
the departments, foreign representatives and
other prominent citizens of Tokyo held the
bier. The cloudy sky and the soft rain that
prevailed that day added sadness to the oc
casion. Thus the last shadow of Prince Ito
was honored by every soul living upon the soil
of Japan and many others in foreign coun
tries. Never before had the city of Tokyo
witnessed such a great burial for other than
one of those of the Imperial members !
Neither will it see such a burial for some
time to come.
Just as this manuscript was going to press,
a despatch came from Port Arthur to the ef
fect that the assassin, An, was executed there
in the morning of March 25, 1910.

Part IV
Prince Ito's Anecdotes
FOREIGNERS LIKE JAPANESE
WHEN young Ito and Inouye were
boarding at an English boarding
house at Yokohama, disguised as
Portuguese on their return from Europe, the
Japanese waiters there absolutely believing
them to be Portuguese lads, entered into a
conversation in Japanese and one would say:
"These two fellows look just like Japanese.
Don't they look intelligent? But aren't they
very stingy fellows?"
Another waiter would respond, "Well, I
think that these fellows, being first time to
this country, don't know how to spend
money." Still another remarked in a way
of contempt and scorn, "Why, I tell you,
95

96 PRINCE ITO
they are the lowest and poorest of all the low
class Portuguese."
While all this criticism was being made
about themselves in the language of their
own, they kept their silence and pretended
their innocence, lest they might be discov
ered and beheaded. In recent years whenever
they were talking their life over, both
Prince Ito and Marquis Inouye used to tell
this anecdote as a reminiscence.

LONG SPEAKERS
On an occasion when Prince Ito was told
that Count Okuma made an address of
ten hours in a Conference of Cabinet
organization, he remarked, "Why, Okuma is
really and incredulously a long speaker, isn't
he?" to Count Mutsu, who was in conversa
tion with Prince Ito. "But," Count Mutsu
rejoined, "if Okuma's ten-hour speech is
long, you aren't qualified to laugh at him,"
meaning that he was an equally long speaker.
At this joke Prince Ito laughed and said to

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 97
Count Mutsu, "Why! you can't escape being
a long speaker either."
The two statesmen were tickled and
laughed heartily for a few minutes.

ONLY ABLE RIVAL
When Prince Ito held a Conference at the
Imperial Hotel with Count Okuma and others
in the matter of organizing his third ministry,
Prince Ito and Count Okuma entered into a
memorable debate and neither Okuma nor Ito
seemed the after debater. Both presented
their argument to their best ability.
Some time after Prince Ito admitted that
while he had faced a great many difficult de
bates and negotiations, the worst times he
had ever experienced were during the debate
with Li Hung Chang at the time of the
Treaty of Peace at Shimonoseki and the
other one with Count Okuma just mentioned.
On the other hand, Count Okuma after his
next meeting a few years later with Prince
Ito, paid an unusual tribute to his life-long
rival, by saying that, "While most of the

98 PRINCE ITO

elder statesmen have lost their energy and
faculties, Ito alone never shows any decline,
either in his vigorous courage or faculty.
He is just as he was many years ago. He
is my only able rival." A great man knows
his rival better than the rival's friends.

PUFFED-UP FOREIGN DIPLOMAT
Mr. Shuto Osada, who served the late
Prince as his secretary-interpreter for about
three years a decade ago, says : "One after
noon the Prince had a call from the represen
tative of a certain Power. After the main talk
was over, the visiting diplomat praised the
Prince to the skies, saying that he had never
yet met so great and wonderful a diplomat as
the Prince. In fact, he said, the Prince was
the greatest man living. I was curious to see
how the Prince would meet this onset. I no
ticed that the Prince had a cigar in his right
hand and as the visitor finished, he drew at
the weed for a moment looking in silence in
the face of his praiser. Then I saw him relax
his lips in a smile, and the next moment he

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 99
was grinning, but only for a second; for he
now broke out into a loud laughter. And
he laughed and laughed till I thought he
would burst. No man looked more puzzled
than the visiting diplomat; he seemed unable
to make up his mind as to whether his host
was appreciating what he had said or whether
he was making game of him. His puzzled
look changed into an appearance of mysti
fication, when he took his leave."

MARQUIS SAIGO SILENCED
When he had suddenly and completely
changed his political views from the non
partisan doctrine to the advocacy of party
ministries, previous to his organization of the
Constitutional party, his enthusiasm for party
politics towered seemingly to an almost dan
gerous degree. At this radical change his
intimate friends, fearing the fall of his polit
ical prestige, did their best to modify his at
titude, but without success.
Finally Marquis Saigo was assigned for
the mission to give him advice which was

100 PRINCE ITO

done in a most sincere and discreet way,
but Prince Ito declined the counsel by scorn
fully saying, "Well, your brother, great
Saigo, even mutinied against the Nation for
what he believed best in the interests of na
tion. I will under any circumstances, carry
out my plan, which I sincerely believe is the
best policy for the interest and safety of our
Nation a thousand years hence."
Marquis Saigo never uttered another word
at the time, but he is said to have admired
the courage and determination of his col
league.

AROUSED EMPEROR S RESENTMENT
Prince Ito is credited as being the only
person who called the attention of the Em
peror whenever any fault was found on his
part. In 1896 Prince Ito asked an audience
from the Emperor and offered a criticism and
advice as to the education of the Crown
Prince, whom Prince Ito held in very high
affection. This having aroused the Emper
or's anger, Prince Ito refrained from ap-

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 101
pearing at the Emperor's audience for a
month. He was, however, soon forgiven by
the Emperor.
It was his conviction that to refrain from
correcting the Emperor's fault is disloyalty
to him and the Nation, but few have such
courage and conviction as to really act ac
cordingly at the risk of imperial displeasure.

SWORD BETTER THAN GARDENING
Prince Ito is famous for his rich collection
of old swords and whenever he is not reading
he would take out his collection and spend
/?word. He gave them his personal attention
^|many hours simply looking at the art of thej
to keep them from rusting and prized them
only next to his books. One day just before
his departure for the Manchurian trip, Mar
quis Inouye visited him at the Memorial Hall
of Constitution at Omori and reminding the
Prince of the bareness of the Garden, sug
gested him to have some plants and other
things for landscaping.
Prince Ito laughed at the idea and said,

102 PRINCE ITO

"It costs money. I would rather pay for an
old sword than pay for gardening."
One of his sword collection was recently
purchased. When shown this sword made
by the famous Hirotsuna, many centuries
ago, Prince Ito is said to have been so fasci
nated by its beauty that presently he said,
"This is fine — fine; I will pay you one thou
sand yen," and took it away in his possession.

SUBORDINATES OVERTAXED
From his youth he was a very simple liver
and it was often the case that he only took
rice and salt for his meals when they were
not ready. Even the time when he was ap
pointed Minister of public works, he lived a
simpler and more frugal life than his subor
dinates. For sometime during his Minister
ship of public works, he did not return to his
residence, but slept continuously in one of
the Department rooms, in the capacity of
Minister as well as the night watchman. His
subordinates therefore were greatly embar-

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 103
rassed by the hard work of their superior and
remained late in the office.

WEALTH NO ACCOUNT
Prince Ito paid little attention to money
matters and he never cared whether he or
others had money or not. To him money or
wealth was not to be taken into account for
consideration. This is another trait which makes him
very popular among the Japanese. While he
was really the originator of the Japanese fi
nancial system, his ability as a financier or
economist is much questioned therefore.
When he was organizing the Constitutional
party, a wealthy man from Yamanashi was
introduced to him by one of his followers.
The wealthy man volunteered his services to
do his utmost in his own Prefecture for the
cause of Prince Ito, who only nodded his
acknowledgment without a word of thanks,
or request of assistance. Whereupon his fol
lower, after the withdrawal of the guest from
the place, called attention for his non-

104 PRINCE ITO

acknowledgment of the valuable services he
will soon receive from the gentleman. To
this, however, Prince Ito simply answered,
"Why, it isn't necessary for me to thank or
plead to him if he has a few million yen.
Wealth is no account in my consideration."

VISCOUNT KATO SILENCED
When Prince Ito was sent as Japanese
Envoy to the Diamond Jubilee of Queen
Victoria in 1897, one day Viscount Kato, then
Minister, now Ambassador to England, and
a few others gathered in the parlor of Prince
Ito's suite and a lively conversation was
entered upon. In the course of the conversa
tion, Minister Kato, criticising the govern
ment's foreign policy, pleaded some adjust
ment to Prince Ito. He listened to the appeal
for a few minutes, but soon in a mild smile
so characteristic, said, "Yes, so how do you
think, if you are made Prime Minister and I
be foreign Minister under you?"
The criticism and pleading were instantly
dropped by the Minister, who diplomatically,

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 105
but embarrassingly changed the subject of
conversation. Thus, Prince Ito was a born diplomat of
rare talent.

A WONDERFUL CONTRAST
Baron M. Maejima, one of Prince Ito's old
friends, in an interview said of Prince Ito,
as follows:
"I now remember that it was nearly forty
years ago when I first met Prince Ito in
Kobe. In those days due to the fact that I
was an advocate for the open-door policy, I
was commissioned to the Customs Office at
Kobe. One day a Japanese youth in foreign
dress landed from an English warship
Askold, accompanied by an English officer.
The most curious thing I have ever seen was
the foreign clothes worn by this Japanese lad.
His coat was a shabby frock coat, but his
trousers were a tight blue pair, much like
our Momohiki, or drawers. He hung his long
iron sabre over the coat down his waist fas
tened round with a coarse and wide leather

106 PRINCE ITO

belt. He had on a sailor's cap, making him
look much more like a circus clown. In this
attire he came near to me accompanied by the
English officer who asked me where to get
Wild boar, which I mistook for wild bird.
This mistake, however, had been corrected
by the funnily attired Japanese.
"I can never forget this scene! Soon I
learned that he was Shunsuke Ito, the late
Prince Ito. What a wonderful contrast of
him of today and of forty years ago ! Indeed
he worked miracles !"

MISSED RARE ART
While he was sojourning in Peking a few
years ago, Prince Ito was invited by one of
the wealthy merchants of Peking, who
showed him an old writing ' by the famous
"Sotoba." This writing fascinated him so
much that the Prince finally asked the mer
chant to let him see it another day.
The merchant promised to send it next
morning, but nothing was heard from him
whom the Prince began to suspect for his

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 107
apparent deceit. But when he afterward
found that the Chinese authorities arrested
the merchant and his family, seizing all the
properties on some suspicion right after
Prince Ito left the house, he sincerely sor
rowed for the unfortunate family and for
the unstable and unreliable government of
China. He felt a personal loss as well for his
failure to take another look at the art.

A GOOD CITIZEN
As a citizen of Oiso, Prince Ito was one of
the most democratic natures there, and he
was beloved by every one of the townspeople.
He would occasionally take a walk in his
usual cotton clothes and wooden clogs, even
without stockings on his feet. He often spent
his leisure time in the little candy or dry
goods stores of the town, talking and gos
siping with the shop keepers for many hours.
Once in a while he treated fishermen of the
town with sake, gathering them to the shore
of Oiso. He enjoyed the simple and artless
talks of fisher folks and nearby farmers,

108 PRINCE ITO

and he would not feel quite pleased should
any of them attempt to talk in the manner
his official subordinate would. To him all
other townfolks were equally citizens of Oiso.
The school children of Oiso were partic
ularly fond of this statesman and most of
them never neglected to write to the Prince
while he was away in his Korean service.
Nothing pleased him more than these affec
tionate letters from his little fellow-citizens.
When the news of his tragic death was an
nounced by the principal of the Oiso public
school, all of them are said to have sadly
wept and mourned.

ROPE CONTEST WITH MARQUIS SAIONJI
Another example of his simplicity and
joviality is shown in his rope contest with
his old friend Marquis Saionji, whose villa
is near the "Sorokaku." On July 27th last,
when the cool sea breeze was blowing from
the Pacific Ocean, Prince Ito accompanied
the Korean Crown Prince to the shore. They
were also accompanied by Marquis Saionji,

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 109
Prince Ito and all the members of his family
and secretaries to the number of more than
twenty. While rambling the shore on the
sand, Prince Ito took a few stones and threw
them toward the ocean, which example was
followed by the delighted Korean Prince.
The simple and jovial manner in which he
laughed at the game, his mouth widely open,
is now spoken of as an illustrious occasion.
After this game was through the group was
divided into two, one led by Prince Ito, the
other by Marquis Saionji for a contest of
rope pulling. The Korean Crown Prince as
an umpire, would start the game waving his
silk handkerchief while the old child of sixty-
nine would begin the loud chorus amidst the
laughters and yells.
Onlookers of this jovial amusement be
lieved that Prince Ito's vigorous strength
and robust health would keep him in splendid
condition for many years yet. Alas ! however,
he is now gone, gone forever, and in this
most unique characteristic of his private life
can he be seen in the stereopticon.

110 PRINCE ITO

PRINCE ITO S FAITHFUL SERVANT
Unlike the Western World, the relation
between the employer and employee or ser
vant in Japan is more like the relation be
tween family members. Due to this fact it is
not seldom that a servant serves his employer
for a lifetime in Japan, nor is it seldom that
a servant has died in the protection of his
employer. This is the reason why the Japan
ese people are so loyal to their Emperor,
whom they look upon as their National father
and protector.
Prince Ito did not lack in such patriotic
servants. In fact all of his servants would
have died for him should such an occasion
have been offered, but out of all his servants,
there is a certain Yasuhei Kameda of nearly
seventy years. He now lives in Seoul where
he was given a minor office by the Prince. Day
and night he never forgot the safety of the
Prince's person and he always accompanied
him as a body guard until recent years.
Last Spring when Prince Ito was address
ing several hundred Korean students in

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 111
Seoul, Kameda, disguising himself as an old
Korean, was alert on the watch throughout
the address.
When he heard of the contemplated trip
of Prince Ito to Manchuria, Kameda feeling
it dangerous, secretly journeyed out to Dalny,
where he met Prince Ito at the wharf and
told the reasons.
Prince Ito thanked him for his thoughtful-
ness, accepting the service, permitted him to
accompany him as far as Mukden, where he
was relieved from the duty in spite of an
earnest appeal of the aged patriot. The old
man returned disappointed to Seoul, and
when he first heard of the tragic death of his
august master, he is said to have staggered
and cried hard, complaining of himself, and
of the Prince, who did not take him as far
as he went.
Never did he loosen his tightened fist for
the grievance, nor did he stop his gnashing of
teeth for many hours in a half-crazed condi
tion. Such is the pathetic story of a servant

112 PRINCE ITO

who devoted the whole of his life for the
deceased statesman!

ANGRY AT YAMAZA
According to the narrative of Mr. Yamaza,
to the writer, Mr. Yamaza, who was then
Chief of the Political Bureau of the foreign
office, once thoughtlessly and jokingly criti
cised and said that "the elder statesmen are
responsible for the Nation's weak policy to
ward Russian aggression and therefore they
should be done away with." Learning this,
Prince Ito became exceedingly indignant and
summoning the youthful diplomat, admon
ished him as follows:
"You seem to have said to kill us; now,
though I am aged, I am not entirely without
confidence in my swordsmanship. So I shall
be ready to answer you should you challenge
me. At this Mr. Yamaza was greatly embar
rassed and he was compelled to apologize for
what he humorously said. Yet for some time
he was in the displeasure of this veteran

THE MAN AND STATESMAN 113
statesman and it was only just before Mr.
Yamaza left for the Portsmouth Peace Con
ference, that the old relation between the
veteran statesman and the rising diplomat was
restored. During the Portsmouth Peace Conference
Mr. Yamaza was the right hand lieutenant to
Baron Komura, the senior peace envoy. He
is now at London as the Counselor for the
Japanese Embassy and is looked upon as one
of the future foreign ministers.

100 YEN FOR TIP
As has already been said, Prince Ito was
very careless with money and he never
counted it whenever he had to pay, but
simply took it out of his pocket and paid.
While he was sojourning in Europe on the
occasion of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubi
lee, he visited a cafe in one of the Boulevards
of Paris. Having been known as the Japan
ese statesman, he was charged an exorbitant
price of thirty yen, eighty francs, for two
cups of coffee and a few pieces of cake.

114 PRINCE ITO

Finding no smaller paper, he paid five hun
dred francs and never asked for the change.
This became known to the Parisians, among
whom he became very prominent and popular
as well. But his popularity was not only
dearly bought, but highly taxed thereafter.

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