Ōkuma Shigenobu

Ōkuma Shigenobu (1838–1922) was a Japanese statesman who founded the Rikken Kaishintō party and served as prime minister in 1898 and 1914–1916.

Itō Hirobumi: A Japanese statesman who helped design the Meiji constitution and served four times as prime minister. Itō’s governments competed with Ōkuma’s party and political coalition.
Saga Domain: A Japanese domain in Hizen Province, governed by the Nabeshima family during the Edo period. Ōkuma was born in Saga and began his political life within its domain administration.
Rikken Kaishintō: A Japanese political party founded by Ōkuma Shigenobu in 1882 to advocate constitutional government and parliamentary politics. This party was Ōkuma’s principal vehicle for organizing opposition to oligarchic rule.
Twenty-One Demands: A set of demands Japan presented to China in 1915, seeking expanded Japanese rights and influence. The demands were made under Ōkuma’s second cabinet and strained Japan–China relations.
Yamagata Aritomo: A Japanese statesman and army leader who helped establish the modern Japanese military and political system. His oligarchic influence often stood against Ōkuma’s push for party-based government.
Meiji Restoration: The political transformation beginning in 1868 that ended Tokugawa rule and established imperial government in Japan. The new regime gave Ōkuma a path from domain official to national policymaker.
Meiji Constitution: Japan’s 1889 constitution, which established an imperial state with a parliament called the Imperial Diet. Its institutions created the legislature through which Ōkuma’s party sought influence.
Taishō democracy: A period of expanded party politics and popular participation in Japan, especially from the 1910s to the 1920s. Ōkuma’s party advocacy helped prepare the political climate associated with this movement.
Katsu Kaishū: A Japanese naval officer and statesman who helped negotiate the peaceful surrender of Edo in 1868. Katsu recommended Ōkuma for government service during the early Meiji period.
Boshin War: The 1868–1869 civil war that ended the Tokugawa shogunate and secured the Meiji government. Saga’s support for the victorious imperial forces helped shape Ōkuma’s early political opportunities.

Linked from 5 pages