Oguri Kozukenosuke


Oguri Kozukenosuke was a statesman of the Tokugawa government in the last stage of the Edo period, and he is often regarded as a rival of Katsu Kaishu. At the time when the power of the Tokugawa government was diminishing, he took the posts of finance magistrate twice, and that of the foreign magistrate once. Also, he decided to construct the first arsenal in Japan, and this decision contributed to the Meiji Restoration.

Early life

He was born in Edo in 1827. Because he was the first son of an honorable hatamoto Oguri, he got promoted smoothly from his youth. When he was 7, he started to learn Sinology from Asaka Gonsai, Kenjutsu from Toranosuke Shimada, Jujutsu from Suketaro Kubota, and gunnery from Kazue Tatuki. At the age of 14, he told the lord of Harima han that Japan should build more ships and advance economically to countries overseas, the idea he was inspired with by Keinosuke Yuuki. The lord liked him and wanted to marry his daughter to him. He was first appointed to a position in the Edo castle at the age of 17. This promotion was due to his gift for the martial arts. He married the daughter of the above-mentioned lord when he was 21. His wife, named Michiko, was dauntless and a good adviser of Oguri. When he was around thirty, Ii Naosuke, took to him, and Oguri became a close follower of Ii since then.

After Matthew C. Perry’s visit to Japan

In 1854, when the black ships arrived at the Uraga port, the Tokugawa Government was compelled to take measures against pressures from the Great Powers. As one of them, the government decided to send missions to the U.S. in 1860, and Oguri accompanied them as a supervisor. The main reason why Oguri, who didn’t have any standing in the Edo government, could join them was that there had been a recommendation from Ii. At that time in the Edo castle, there was a scramble for political power among Ii’s faction and Abe’s faction. Abe Masahiro was a Roju, and while Ii was a conservative person, he was an earnest reformist. At the time when Oguri was appointed to a mission, Abe had already been dead, and Ii became Tairou. He was scheming to punish all his opponents, but simultaneously, he was preparing for retaliation from the opponents. Since Ii didn’t want Oguri to be involved into such complication, he kept Oguri at a distance.
When Oguri reached the US, he visited several places and realized the gigantic power of civilization. In Washington, he visited a dockyard and was convinced that the power of the US came from there. From this experience, he was strongly convinced that the Tokugawa government should own a shipyard. The missions were also greatly welcomed by Americans. The newspaper there reported Oguri as the most chivalrous Japanese person, since he was polite and always wearing traditional Japanese clothes.
In November 1860, soon after his return to Japan, he was appointed as a foreign magistrate. However, he soon resigned from his post in September next year. This decision was triggered by his remorse for the fact that he had no choice other than to rely on the British navy, when Russia invaded Japanese territory, Tsushima.
In June 1862, The Government ordered Oguri to be in the post of financial magistrate, and he used his ability to the full in that capacity. It was at this time that he was granted his name “Kozukenosuke”. As a financial magistrate, he carried out reduction of the expenditure. His way of saving money was quite peculiar; he put priorities on any tasks. He saved a lot from what is trifling, and saved little from what is important. This way of money saving was totally different from the way other politicians did; they tried to save money equally from all tasks. His policy was very effective, but made many opponents.
In December, he was appointed to the warship magistrate. In this period, he tried to materialize his plan to build a shipyard. First, he requested technological aid from the Netherlands, but it was rejected. Then he asked France. Since France was yet to have relations with Japan, she was cooperative. The construction of the shipyard would cost a huge amount of money, and this caused many politicians to oppose Oguri. His opposing argument was as follows: “Since the Tokugawa government own ships, there should be a place to repair them.” At last, his suggestion was accepted in 1865, and the construction was started on September 27. After the acceptance, he resigned his post; he expressed that he wasn’t pursuing his own interest. Rather, it was for the government's sake.
In October, five months after Oguri was again appointed to the financial magistrate, the last shogunate Yoshinobu Tokugawa returned his political right back to the emperor. In 1866, January, a war occurred in the suburb of Kyoto. In the middle of the war, Yoshinobu, returned to Edo castle; he didn’t have a will to fight against them. However, in contrast to his lord, Oguri asserted that they resist the army of the new government, and suggested a surprising tactics. Yoshinobu was irritated with his aggressive attitude, and discharged Oguri from financial magistrate. Faithful Oguri was discouraged, and decided to migrate to Joshu Gonda village on February 28.

After retirement

In April, the army of the new Meiji government reached Gonda village, and claimed that Oguri was hiding in the village, in preparation for a rebellion. Although this claim was incoherent, he presented himself to them, in order to avoid endangering the villagers. He was made a scapegoat, and killed by beheading on April 6, at age 42. It is said that he didn’t protest against them even in the slightest. At Kurabuti, Takasaki city, Gunma prefecture erected Monument in memory of him. The inscription reads: ”The great man Oguri Kozukenosuke, innocent of the charges against him, was executed here.”
Three years after his death, in 1871, the shipyard in Yokosuka was completed, and, still now, it is running in Yokosuka city.

Reputation