Ijūin Hikokichi | |
---|---|
伊集院 彦吉 | |
Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
In office 19 September 1923 – 7 January 1924 | |
Prime Minister | Yamamoto Gombee |
Preceded by | Yamamoto Gombee |
Succeeded by | Keishirō Matsui |
Personal details | |
Born | 22 July 1864 |
Died | 26 April 1924 Tokyo, Empire of Japan | (aged 59)
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 the Qing dynasty.
Ijūin was born on 22 July 1864, [1] [2] in Kōrai, Kagoshima, Satsuma Domain, the eldest son of samurai Ijūin Kichitsugu. [3]
Ijūin was appointed consul at Yantai in China in 1893. [4] He served again in China as consul general at Tianjin from 1901 to 1907. [4] He was appointed ambassador to Beijing in 1908. [5] On 4 September 1909, he signed the Japan-China Agreement concerning Kando as the Japanese ambassador to the Qing dynasty in Beijing. [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 Qing 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]
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]
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]