15 Facts About Kuroda Kiyotaka

Kuroda Kiyotaka was one of the genro, or senior statesman of the Meiji era.

Kuroda Kiyotaka was born to a samurai-class family serving the Shimazu daimyo of Kagoshima, Satsuma Domain, in Kyushu.

In 1862, Kuroda Kiyotaka was involved in the Namamugi incident, in which Satsuma retainers killed a British national who refused to bow down to the daimyo's procession.

Terrified of Russia's push eastward, Kuroda Kiyotaka returned to Tokyo and advocated quick development and settlement of Japan's northern frontier.

In 1874, Kuroda Kiyotaka was named director of the Hokkaido Colonization Office, and organized a colonist-militia scheme to settle the island with unemployed ex-samurai and retired soldiers who would serve as both farmers and as a local militia.

Kuroda Kiyotaka was promoted to lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army.

Kuroda Kiyotaka invited agricultural experts from overseas countries with a similar climate to visit Hokkaido, and to provide advice on what crops and production methods might be successful.

Shortly before he left office in Hokkaido, Kuroda Kiyotaka became the central figure in the Hokkaido Colonization Office Scandal of 1881.

Kuroda Kiyotaka was cleared of charges, but rumors of his problems with alcohol abuse persisted.

In 1887, Kuroda Kiyotaka was appointed to the cabinet post of Minister of Agriculture and Commerce.

Kuroda Kiyotaka became the 2nd Prime Minister of Japan, after Ito Hirobumi in 1888.

Kuroda Kiyotaka was succeeded by Sanjo Sanetomi as acting prime minister.

Kuroda Kiyotaka served as Minister of Communications in 1892 under the 2nd Ito Cabinet.

Kuroda Kiyotaka died of a brain hemorrhage in 1900 and Enomoto Takeaki presided over his funeral ceremonies.

Kuroda Kiyotaka's grave is at the Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo.