13 Facts About Yamada Akiyoshi

Yamada Akiyoshi served as Minister of Justice from 1885 to 1891.

Yamada Akiyoshi was born in Abu District, Nagato Province, and was the son of a samurai official of the Choshu Navy with a 102 koku territory.

Yamada Akiyoshi was in the retinue of Choshu daimyo Mori Motonori in Kyoto in the autumn of 1862.

Yamada Akiyoshi soon had the opportunity to put his training to practical use during the Kinmon incident, Shimonoseki Campaign, and Second Choshu expedition.

In June 1869, Yamada Akiyoshi was received in an audience and appointed Hyobu no dai-jo.

Yamada Akiyoshi then returned to Japan via Paris, Berlin, the Netherlands, Belgium, Lausanne, Bulgaria and Russia.

Yamada Akiyoshi visited the 1873 Vienna World Exposition, returning to Japan 2 June 1873.

On his return, he was named Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Qing China to negotiate the opening of diplomatic relations Kido Takayoshi went in his place, as Yamada Akiyoshi was called upon to use military force to suppress the Saga Rebellion and subsequently the Satsuma Rebellion by disgruntled ex-samurai.

Yamada Akiyoshi was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd class in 1875, and was promoted to lieutenant general in November 1878.

Yamada Akiyoshi was elevated to count in the kazoku peerage on July 7,1884, and served as a member of the House of Peers from its establishment in 1890.

Yamada Akiyoshi was posthumously awarded the Order of the Paulownia Flowers.

Yamada Akiyoshi's grave is at the Buddhist temple of Gokoku-ji in Tokyo.

Yamada Akiyoshi was posthumously promoted to the honorific title of Senior Second Court Rank.