Ijūin Hikokichi

Ijūin Hikokichi (伊集院 彦吉, Ijūin Hikokichi; 22 July 1864  – 26 April 1924) was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as minister of foreign affairs and Japanese ambassador to Peking.

Ijūin Hikokichi
伊集院 彦吉
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
19 September 1923 – 7 January 1924
Prime MinisterYamamoto Gombee
Preceded byYamamoto Gombee
Succeeded byKeishirō Matsui
Personal details
Born(1864-07-22)22 July 1864
Died26 April 1924(1924-04-26) (aged 59)
Tokyo, Empire of Japan

Early life

Ijūin was born on 22 July 1864,[1][2] in Kōrai, Kagoshima, Satsuma Domain, the eldest son of samurai Ijūin Kichitsugu.[3]

Career

Ijūin was appointed consul at Chefoo in China in 1893.[4] He served again in China as consul general at Tientsin from 1901 to 1907.[4] He was appointed ambassador to Peking in 1908.[5] On 4 September 1909, he signed the Japan-China Agreement concerning Kando as the Japanese ambassador to the Ching Empire in Peking.[6] During the Chinese Revolution broke out in October 1911, together with then Foreign Minister Uchida Yasuya, he argued for the provision of support to the Ching government.[7] His term as ambassador to China lasted until 1913.[4]

Then, Ijūin was appointed the Japanese ambassador to Italy in 1916 and was in office until 1920.[1] During his tenure, he was one of the leading members of Japanese delegation at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.[6] Ijūin is described as a conservative ambassador.[8]

Japanese delegates to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. Standing (l to r) - Ijūin Hikokichi, Japanese Ambassador to Italy; and Keishirō Matsui, Japanese Ambassador to France; Seated (l to r) - Baron Makino Nobuaki, former Foreign Minister; Marquis Saionji Kinmochi, former Prime Minister; and Viscount Chinda Sutemi, Japanese Ambassador to Great Britain.

Prime Minister Hara Takashi wanted Ijūin to search for European institutions of public information when the latter was ambassador and a Versailles delegate.[9] Ijūin reported that the best way to create an influential information bureau was to coordinate all information sources, including army, navy and finance ministry.[9] Eventually, a public information office, Gaimu-shō Jōhō-bu, in the ministry of foreign affairs was established on 13 August 1921, and Ijūin was appointed its head.[9][10] Then he served as governor-general of Kwantung Leased Territory in northeastern China for one year.[11] He was appointed to the post on 8 September 1922, replacing Isaburō Yamagata.[12] Ijūin was in office until 19 September 1923.[13][14]

Ijūin was appointed minister of foreign affairs on 19 September 1923 to the second cabinet of Yamamoto Gombee,[15][16] replacing him who also assumed the role of foreign minister briefly from 2 to 19 September.[15] Ijūin was replaced by Keishirō Matsui on 7 January 1924 when a new cabinet was formed by Kiyoura Keigo.[16]

Personal life and death

Ijūin was married to Ōkubo Toshimichi's daughter, Yoshiko.[1] Thus, he was the brother-in-law of Makino Nobuaki.[1]

Shortly after his removal from the office, Ijūin died of neuralgia in Tokyo in April 1924.[6][17]

References
  1. Hui-Min Lo (1978). The Correspondence of G. E. Morrison 1912–1920. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 873. ISBN 978-0-521-21561-9.
  2. Wendy Palace (2012). The British Empire and Tibet 1900–1922. New York: Routledge. p. 176. ISBN 9780415646253.
  3. Ueda Masaaki (2009). Konsaisu nihon jinmei jiten (in Japanese). Sanseidō. p. 107. ISBN 978-4-385-15801-3. OCLC 290447626.
  4. Albert Feuerwerker (1983). "The foreign presence in China". In John K. Fairbank (ed.). The Cambridge History of China; Republican China, 1912-1949 Part 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 156. ISBN 9781139054799.
  5. "The Diplomatic Corps in Peking". Moss Valley. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  6. "1909 China-Japan agreement concerning Koreans in Chientao". Yosha Research. Archived from the original on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  7. Shinkichi Etō (1986). "China's international relations, 1911–1931". In John K. Fairbank; Albert Feuerwerker (eds.). The Cambridge History of China: Republican China 1912–1949. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-521-24338-4.
  8. Paul Hyer (2003). "Japanese Expansion and Tibetan Independence". In Li Narangoa; R. B. Cribb (eds.). Imperial Japan and National Identities in Asia: 1895–1945. London; New York: Routledge Curzon. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-7007-1482-7.
  9. Masayoshi Matsumura (19 November 2001). "Japan Calling: The Origins of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Information Department in the Early 1920s". The Asiatic Society of Japan. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  10. Ian Hill Nish (2002). Japanese Foreign Policy in the Interwar Period. Westport, CT; London: Praeger. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-275-94791-0.
  11. "Foreign Concessions and Colonies". World Statesmen. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  12. "1922 events". World War II Database. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  13. "Japan's Colonial Administration 1895-1931". Japanese History. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  14. "1923 events". World War II Database. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  15. "Second Yamamoto Cabinet" (PDF). Japanese History. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  16. "Japan Ministers". Indiana University. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  17. "News from Japan". The Straits Times. Tokyo. 28 April 1924. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
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