Konoe Atsumaro
Encyclopedia
Prince
was a Japanese politician and journalist of the Meiji era. He served as the 3rd President of the House of Peers
and 7th President of the Gakushūin
Peer's School in Meiji period
Japan
. He was also the father of Prime Minister
Fumimaro Konoe
.
as the heir to the highly-ranked Konoe family
of Court nobility
, one of the Five regent houses
of the Fujiwara clan. His father Konoe Tadafusa
died when he was young, so he was raised by his grandfather Konoe Tadahiro
. His mother was a daughter of Shimazu Nariakira
. Of fragile health, he had problems staying in university, but managed to teach himself English
on his own.
, the Konoe family were devolved from the ranks of the nobility and given the peerage title of prince
(koshaku) under the new kazoku
peerage system. From 1885 to 1890, Konoe visited Europe
, attending the University of Bonn
and University of Leipzig
in Germany
. After returning to Japan, he became a member of the House of Peers
and in 1895 became president of Gakushuin
Peer's School.
Later Konoe served as the 3rd President of the House of Peers, presiding over its 10th through 18th sessions from October 3, 1896 to December 4, 1903. From 1903 he concurrently served as a Privy Councillor
.
Domestically, Konoe was a strong critic of clan-based politics, which continued to dominate the political scene in Japan. In terms of foreign policy, Konoe was a central figure in the Pan-Asian Movement
. He established a Pan-Asian political movement called the which promoted mutual understanding and improvement in relations between Japan and China
after the First Sino-Japanese War
. The society opened a college in Nanjing
called the in 1900, which was relocated to Shanghai
in 1901. The college recruited students from Japan wishing to learn the Chinese language
and Chinese culture, and sponsored a school in Tokyo
for Chinese students seeking higher education in Japan. The society published a scholarly journal and also an 11,000-page, "A Comprehensive Book on the Economics Conditions in China". Graduates of both schools were highly sought after by the Japanese military, Japanese secret intelligence services and ultranationalist organizations for their language skills and in-depth knowledge of China. Many of its graduates later worked for the government of Manchukuo
in the 1930s.
In August 1903, Konoe established the which pushed for a hard-line foreign policy towards the Russian Empire
, which it perceived as a threat to the independence of China, Korea
, and Japan. Konoe personally urged that Japan declare war on Russia, but died before the start of the Russo-Japanese War
in late 1904.
His grave is at the Konoe family cemetery at Daitoku-ji
in Kyoto
.
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
was a Japanese politician and journalist of the Meiji era. He served as the 3rd President of the House of Peers
House of Peers (Japan)
The ' was the upper house of the Imperial Diet as mandated under the Constitution of the Empire of Japan ....
and 7th President of the Gakushūin
Gakushuin
The or Peers School is an educational institution founded in Tokyo in 1877, during the Meiji period, for the education of the children of the Japanese aristocracy, though it eventually also opened its doors to the offspring of extremely wealthy commoners...
Peer's School in Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He was also the father of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
Fumimaro Konoe
Fumimaro Konoe
Prince was a politician in the Empire of Japan who served as the 34th, 38th and 39th Prime Minister of Japan and founder/leader of the Taisei Yokusankai.- Early life :...
.
Early life
Konoe was born in KyotoKyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
as the heir to the highly-ranked Konoe family
Konoe family
The Konoe family is a branch of the Fujiwara clan, a powerful noble family in Japan. As one of the five regent houses, the Konoe family monopolized the offices of Sessho and Kampaku along with Takatsukasa, Kujō, Ichijō and Nijō families. They are collectively known as the Five regent houses.With...
of Court nobility
Kuge
The was a Japanese aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto until the rise of the Shogunate in the 12th century at which point it was eclipsed by the daimyo...
, one of the Five regent houses
Five regent houses
The Five regent houses is a collective term for those five families of Fujiwara clan, who were regarded entitled to the position of Sekkan in the Imperial Court of Kyoto, Japan, and monopolized the position between 12th and 19th century...
of the Fujiwara clan. His father Konoe Tadafusa
Konoe Tadafusa
, son of regent Tadahiro, was a kugyō or Japanese court noble of the late Edo period . He did not hold any regent position kampaku or sesshō. His consort was an adopted daughter of Shimazu Nariakira, eleventh head of Satsuma Domain. The couple adopted a son of Konoe Tadahiro as their son Atsumaro....
died when he was young, so he was raised by his grandfather Konoe Tadahiro
Konoe Tadahiro
Prince , son of Motosaki, was a kugyō or Japanese court noble of the late Edo period . He held a regent position kampaku from 1862 to 1863. His consort was an adopted daughter of Shimazu Narioki, tenth head of Satsuma Domain. With her he had sons Tadafusa and Atsumaro who was later adopted by...
. His mother was a daughter of Shimazu Nariakira
Shimazu Nariakira
was a Japanese feudal lord of the Edo period, the 28th in the line of Shimazu clan lords of Satsuma Domain. He was renowned as an intelligent and wise lord, and was greatly interested in Western learning and technology...
. Of fragile health, he had problems staying in university, but managed to teach himself English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
on his own.
Political career
After the Meiji RestorationMeiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
, the Konoe family were devolved from the ranks of the nobility and given the peerage title of prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
(koshaku) under the new kazoku
Kazoku
The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan that existed between 1869 and 1947.-Origins:Following the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the ancient court nobility of Kyoto regained some of its lost status...
peerage system. From 1885 to 1890, Konoe visited Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, attending the University of Bonn
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
and University of Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. After returning to Japan, he became a member of the House of Peers
House of Peers (Japan)
The ' was the upper house of the Imperial Diet as mandated under the Constitution of the Empire of Japan ....
and in 1895 became president of Gakushuin
Gakushuin
The or Peers School is an educational institution founded in Tokyo in 1877, during the Meiji period, for the education of the children of the Japanese aristocracy, though it eventually also opened its doors to the offspring of extremely wealthy commoners...
Peer's School.
Later Konoe served as the 3rd President of the House of Peers, presiding over its 10th through 18th sessions from October 3, 1896 to December 4, 1903. From 1903 he concurrently served as a Privy Councillor
Privy Council (Japan)
was an advisory council to the Emperor of Japan that operated from 1888 to 1947.-Functions:Modeled in part upon the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, this body advised the throne on matters of grave importance including:...
.
Domestically, Konoe was a strong critic of clan-based politics, which continued to dominate the political scene in Japan. In terms of foreign policy, Konoe was a central figure in the Pan-Asian Movement
Pan-Asianism
Pan-Asianism is an ideology or a movement that Asian nations unite and solidify and create a continental identity to defeat the designs of the Western nations to perpetuate hegemony.-Japanese Asianism:...
. He established a Pan-Asian political movement called the which promoted mutual understanding and improvement in relations between Japan and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
after the First Sino-Japanese War
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
. The society opened a college in Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
called the in 1900, which was relocated to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
in 1901. The college recruited students from Japan wishing to learn the Chinese language
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
and Chinese culture, and sponsored a school in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
for Chinese students seeking higher education in Japan. The society published a scholarly journal and also an 11,000-page, "A Comprehensive Book on the Economics Conditions in China". Graduates of both schools were highly sought after by the Japanese military, Japanese secret intelligence services and ultranationalist organizations for their language skills and in-depth knowledge of China. Many of its graduates later worked for the government of Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
in the 1930s.
In August 1903, Konoe established the which pushed for a hard-line foreign policy towards the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, which it perceived as a threat to the independence of China, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, and Japan. Konoe personally urged that Japan declare war on Russia, but died before the start of the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
in late 1904.
His grave is at the Konoe family cemetery at Daitoku-ji
Daitoku-ji
is a Buddhist temple, one of fourteen autonomous branches of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen. It is located in Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The "mountain name" , who is known by the title Daitō Kokushi, or "National Teacher of the Great Lamp," that he was given by Emperor Go-Daigo...
in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
.