SNA (Tokyo) — From 1891-1892, the financial specialist among the Meiji Genro, Masayoshi Matsukata, served as prime minister of Japan. After weathering a potential crisis with Russia, he called a general election and unleashed violence against the elected representatives of the people.

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On May 6, 1891, Masayoshi Matsukata became prime minister of Japan.

His ascension continued the pattern of rotating the premiership between the Choshu and Satsuma clans. Ito of Choshu, then Kuroda of Satsuma, then Yamagata of Choshu, and now Matsukata of Satsuma.

Matsukata was also the financial specialist of the Meiji oligarchy, dominating the position of Minister of Finance in the late 19th century. Indeed, he remained Finance Minister even when he became Prime Minister, filling a double role.

The first Matsukata Cabinet was also noted for the fact that the Genro were now beginning to take a more behind-the-scenes role. The Cabinet ministers were mostly younger proteges of one or another of the oligarchs, who were beginning to step back from direct office holding.

Matsukata was in office for less than a week when he faced his first major crisis. The Russian Crown Prince—the future Tsar Nicholas II—was wounded and nearly assassinated by a saber-wielding Japanese policeman while on a tour in Otsu, near Kyoto.

Two Cabinet ministers resigned and both the Meiji Emperor and the Matsukata government apologized profusely, fearful that the event might start a war with Russia that Japan wasn’t prepared for. The Russian government accepted the apologies.

Matsukata would prove less successful dealing with the National Diet.

When the second Diet opened in November 1891, the oligarchs were done with compromise and decided that it was time to put the uppity elected politicians back in their place.

After only 35 days—as soon as it became apparent that the Diet was again going to demand government budget cuts and lower taxes—Matsukata struck back by dissolving the Diet and calling new elections.

This time, however, Home Minister Yajiro Shinagawa (who was Aritomo Yamagata’s protege in the Cabinet) led a campaign of terror against the opposition, ordering policemen and private thugs to use violence, bribery, and basically whatever it took to return a pro-government majority in the elections.

In the end, 25 people were killed and hundreds injured in the violence of the general election.

Moreover, the regime was stunned when the opposition once again outperformed the pro-government representatives in the election.

When the third Diet met, it both demanded budget cuts and castigated the government for the violence it had unleashed.

Matsukata was facing stern criticism even from the other Genro, and after stumbling on for a few more months, he threw in the towel and resigned on August 8, 1892.

Matsukata had served for 1 year, 95 days, which was the shortest premiership to date.

Masayoshi Matsukata will return.

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