Kuroda Kiyotaka

Count Kuroda Kiyotaka (黑田 清隆, November 9, 1840 – August 23, 1900), also known as Kuroda Ryōsuke (黑田 了介), was a Japanese politician of the Meiji era. He was the second Prime Minister of Japan from April 30, 1888 to October 25, 1889.

Biography

As a Satsuma samurai

Kuroda was born to a samurai-class family serving the Shimazu daimyo of Kagoshima, Satsuma domain in Kyūshū.

In 1862, Kuroda was involved in the Namamugi Incident, in which Satsuma retainers killed a British national who refused to bow down to the daimyo's procession. This led to the Anglo-Satsuma War in 1863, which Kuroda played an active role. Immediately after the war, he went to Edo where he studied gunnery.

Returning to Satsuma, Kuroda became an active member of the Satsuma-Chōshū joint effort to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate. Later, as a military leader in the Boshin War, he became famous for sparing the life of Enomoto Takeaki, who had stood against Kuroda's army at the Battle of Hakodate.

Political and Diplomatic Career