Gotō Shinpei

Gotō Shinpei
後藤 新平
Minister of Home Affairs
In office
2 September 1923  7 January 1924
Prime MinisterYamamoto Gonnohyōe
Preceded byMizuno Rentarō
Succeeded byMizuno Rentarō
In office
9 October 1916  23 April 1918
Prime MinisterTerauchi Masatake
Preceded byIchiki Kitokurō
Succeeded byMizuno Rentarō
Mayor of Tokyo
In office
17 December 1920  27 April 1923
Preceded byTajiri Inajirō
Succeeded byHidejirō Nagata
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office
23 April 1918  29 September 1918
Prime MinisterTerauchi Masatake
Preceded byMotono Ichirō
Succeeded byUchida Kōsai
Minister of Communications
In office
21 December 1912  20 February 1913
Prime MinisterKatsura Tarō
Preceded byHayashi Tadasu
Succeeded byMotoda Hajime
In office
14 July 1908  30 August 1911
Prime MinisterKatsura Tarō
Preceded byHotta Masayasu
Succeeded byHayashi Tadasu
President of the Railway Bureau
In office
5 December 1908  30 August 1911
Preceded byHirai Seijirō
Succeeded byTokonami Takejirō
Personal details
Born(1857-07-24)24 July 1857
Isawa, Iwate, Japan
Died13 April 1929(1929-04-13) (aged 71)
Kyoto, Japan
Resting placeAoyama Cemetery
Political partyRikken Dōshikai (1913–1916)
SpouseGotō Kazuko
RelativesEtsusaburo Shiina (nephew)
Alma materFukushima Medical University

Count Gotō Shinpei (後藤 新平, 24 July 1857 – 13 April 1929) was a Japanese politician, physician and cabinet minister of the Taishō and early Shōwa period Empire of Japan. He served as the head of civilian affairs of Japanese Taiwan, the first director of the South Manchuria Railway, the seventh mayor of Tokyo City, the first Chief Scout of Japan, the first Director-General of NHK, the third principal of Takushoku University, and in a number of cabinet posts. Gotō was one of the most important politicians and administrators in Japanese national government during a time of modernization and reform in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He was also a significant advocate for Japanese colonialism, and defended Japan's violent incursions in China and Korea.