Yoshikawa Akimasa

Who is Yoshikawa Akimasa?

Count Yoshikawa Akimasa was a bureaucrat, statesman and cabinet minister, active in the Meiji and Taishō period Empire of Japan.

Yoshikawa was born in Yamakawa, Awa Province as the son of a local samurai. After the Meiji restoration, he went to Tokyo and entered into service of the new Meiji government, rising to become head of the National Printing Bureau under the Ministry of Finance in 1872.

He was a close protégé of Yamagata Aritomo and at Yamagata’s urging, served as Governor of Tokyo from July 1882 to June 1885. As Governor, Yoshikawa submitted a plan for the complete redevelopment of Tokyo based on the redevelopment of Paris under Napoleon III. Yoshikawa’s plan called for a system of wide boulevards and canals radiating out from the Tokyo Imperial Palace. He also called for the an expansion of the train system to a termius in an expanded Tokyo Station. Although some elements of the “Yoshikawa Plan” were eventually implemented, most remained on paper due to completing plans raised by other politicians, notably Inoue Kaoru.

Yoshikawa then worked as Deputy Director of the Home Ministry from March 1886 to May 1890. When Yamagata became Prime Minister, Yoshikawa was appointed to his cabinet as Minister of Education, a post which he held from May 1890 to June 1891. Emperor Meiji expressed reservations over the appointment, but was convinced by Yamagata that the choice of the conservative Yoshikawa was suitable. During this period, he played an important role in writing the Imperial Rescript on Education, which articulated government policy on the guiding principles of education in the Empire of Japan, and which had to be memorized by all students.