SNA (Tokyo) — From 1906-1908, aristocrat Kinmochi Saionji established the first stable government based on political party rule. Its leading achievement was to nationalize the country’s railroads and create the Japan National Railways system.

Transcript

On January 7, 1906, Kinmochi Saionji became prime minister of Japan.

Saionji was a unique figure. He was considered a Genro, but was an aristocrat who didn’t come from Choshu or Satsuma. He was an adviser to the Emperor, but also liberal-minded and was Hirobumi Ito’s successor as head of the Constitutional Association of Political Friends.

His ascent to the post of prime minister thus meant that political party government had returned, and this time it would form its first stable administration.

However, Saionji and his talented political party colleague, Home Minister Takashi Hara, also wanted to limit conflict with the conservative Genro as much as possible, so they agreed to appoint bureaucrats to most of the Cabinet positions, and they always sought the opinions of the elders.

The Genro themselves would never have accepted such a government in earlier years, but their energies were fading as they entered old age, and even their numbers were declining.

Kiyotaka Kuroda had been the first to pass away in August 1900. That was followed by Tsugumichi Saigo in July 1902. Only Aritomo Yamagata and Hirobumi Ito kept an active hand in the political world.

One of the early acts of the Saionji government was to nationalize the railway system, which was carried out in March 1906. More than 7,000 kilometers of railway came under national authority, and private companies were limited to operating only local transportation.

The following year, 1907, was remarkable mainly for its diplomatic achievements. In the so-called “Gentlemen’s Agreement” in February, the Saionji government agreed to block Japanese emigration to the United States. Racism and exaggerated fears of Japan after its defeat of Russia was causing riots and leading to segregation in California, and the agreement helped defuse these tensions.

In June, the Franco-Japanese Treaty was signed, in which the two powers recognized one another’s imperial spheres of influence in Asia.

Most importantly, in July, an agreement was signed with Russia which eased fears that St. Petersburg was planning a war of revenge. The sense of any military threat from that direction was fading.

In May 1908, Saionji led his party to a crushing victory in House of Representatives elections, which suggested that he would be in power for years.

But it wasn’t to be. A serious rift had opened up behind the scenes with Genro Aritomo Yamagata and his conservative faction.

Part of the issue was financial. Government expenditures after the Russo-Japanese War were much higher than revenues, and when it became clear that higher taxes and budget cuts were needed, the enemies of the Saionji Cabinet had an opportunity to go on the attack.

Additionally, Yamagata had become outraged by the appearance of the first Japanese socialist parties. In the so-called Red Flag Incident of June 1908, a small group of leftists held a demonstration with banners calling for revolution and “anarcho-communism.” Police violently attacked and arrested them.

But Yamagata blamed the political party government, which he saw as being too soft on anti-imperial traitors.

Kinmochi Saionji resigned as prime minister on July 14, 1908, surprising his party colleagues. The administration was still strong and popular, but Saionji was apparently persuaded by the Yamagata faction conservatives that it was his duty to step down.

His administration had lasted two years, 190 days.

Kinmochi Saionji will return.

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