SNA (Tokyo) — From 1896-1898, Masayoshi Matsukata returned as prime minister. In an effort to try to stabilize his administration, Matsukata formed an alliance with Shigenobu Okuma and his Progressive Party, but lingering distrust and contradictory interests remained a challenge.

Transcript

On September 18, 1896, Masayoshi Matsukata returned as prime minister of Japan.

It was the Satsuma clan’s turn to hold the highest office, and Matsukata remained the leading figure of that clique.

But domestic political conditions had changed in the five years since Matsukata had formed his first Cabinet. The political parties had gained additional leverage, making inroads against the “transcendentalism” of the Genro governments.

While Ito had eventually invited Taisuke Itagaki, head of the Liberal Party, to become his Home Minister, Matsukata formed his alliance with the other major opposition party, the Progressive Party, by appointing its leader Shigenobu Okuma to return as foreign minister, and added a sprinkling of appointments of other party men to significant political offices.

The so-called “Matsukuma Cabinet” was thus an unstable coalition between the conservative Satsuma men gathered around Prime Minister Matsukata and the party men gathered around Foreign Minister Okuma.

They did score one notable success. When the 10th Imperial Diet session convened in December 1896, the government commanded a substantial majority and was able to pass its budget with relative ease, including hefty military expenses.

But distrust within the Cabinet soon emerged, in part because of efforts by Matsukata’s bureaucratic allies to crack down on freedom of the press, and in part due to Matsukata’s policy proposals such as a hike of the Land Tax.

Shigenobu Okuma and the Progressive Party men resigned from the Cabinet on November 7, 1897.

When the 11th Imperial Diet session opened a month and a half later, Matsukata immediately faced a no confidence bill and he dissolved the Diet.

Seeing that his second administration had reached a dead end, Matsukata resigned as prime minister on January 12, 1898, after a tenure of 1 year, 117 days.

After his two relatively unsuccessful Cabinets, Masayoshi Matsukata never again returned to the top office, but for another 26 years he remained one of the Genro, helping to guide the Japanese nation from behind the scenes through many challenges to come.

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