Kido Takayoshi

Kido Takayoshi was a Japanese statesman, samurai and shishi who played a key role in the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate and the establishment of the Meiji government. He was born as Wada Kogorō in 1833, and was adopted by the Katsura family at age seven. He studied under Yoshida Shōin, a prominent scholar and activist who advocated for the restoration of imperial rule and the modernization of Japan. Kido became a leader of the radical faction in his domain of Chōshū, which opposed the Tokugawa regime and its policy of opening Japan to foreign powers. He was involved in several plots and rebellions against the shogunate, such as the Kinmon incident and the Ikedaya incident. He also formed an alliance with the domain of Satsuma, another powerful anti-Tokugawa force. Along with Ōkubo Toshimichi and Saigō Takamori of Satsuma, he became known as one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration. In 1868, he participated in the coup d'état that toppled the shogun and restored the emperor to power. He then became one of the most influential officials in the new government, and was involved in various reforms and policies, such as the transfer of the capital from Kyoto to Tokyo, the abolition of the feudal domains and the establishment of prefectures, the promotion of westernization and industrialization, the drafting of the Five Charter Oath, and the negotiation of the Iwakura Mission. He also advocated for the establishment of a constitutional monarchy and a representative assembly, but his views were often opposed by the conservative faction. He retired from the government in 1874, after his proposal to invade Korea was rejected. He returned to office in 1876, but his health deteriorated due to tuberculosis. He died in 1877, at the age of 43. He left behind a diary that recorded his observations and opinions on the events and issues of his time, which is regarded as a valuable historical source. He was posthumously awarded the Junior First Rank and the Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum. He is also honored as one of the Meiji Sixteen Patriots and one of the Twenty-Four Heroes of the Meiji Restoration.