From 1898-1900, conservative Aritomo Yamagata returned as prime minister, largely reestablishing the dominance of Meiji oligarchs over the rising power of the elected political parties. Even then, however, he did have to make some compromises.
In 1898, Shigenobu Okuma became prime minister of Japan, leading the first and only government of the Meiji Era formed by the opposition to the Genro oligarchs.
Japan construction companies have a long tradition of exploiting government budgets for public works in order to construct structures which citizens do not want and cannot afford. This tradition has found new expression in tunnels for underground highways being excavated in the Tokyo region with little public knowledge or input, and in spite of demonstrable safety concerns.
Appearing on Face the Nation on CBS Sunday, US Senator Bernie Sanders discussed a number of issues he covers in his upcoming book, It’s OK to Be Angry About Capitalism, including his proposal to ensure that the news media acts in the interest of the general public and not wealthy corporations and powerful interest groups.
In 1898 Hirobumi Ito returned for a third term as prime minister of Japan, but this time his political magic proved insufficient. The Genro and the elected political parties were heading for a confrontation, and Ito proved unable to reconcile them.
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.
From 1892-1896, Hirobumi Ito returned as prime minister and had one of the most successful administrations in Japanese history. He presided over Japan’s first modern war in which it decisively defeated Qing China, overturned the traditional East Asia political order, and created its own colonial empire.
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.
Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon declared that her government will challenge the United Kingdom in court after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government acted to veto a recently-passed LGBT rights bill—a move that critics say will harm sexual minorities, imperil national unity, and represents fuel on the fire for a culture war.
From 1889-1891, conservative Prime Minister Aritomo Yamagata became prime minister and oversaw Japan’s first parliamentary elections and the first session of the elected Diet, but he soon became tired of battling the elected representatives of the people.
