Matsukata Masayoshi

Matsukata Masayoshi
松方 正義
Prime Minister of Japan
In office
18 September 1896  12 January 1898
MonarchMeiji
Preceded byKuroda Kiyotaka (acting)
Succeeded byItō Hirobumi
In office
6 May 1891  8 August 1892
MonarchMeiji
Preceded byYamagata Aritomo
Succeeded byItō Hirobumi
Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal
In office
2 May 1917  18 September 1922
MonarchTaishō
Preceded byŌyama Iwao
Succeeded byHirata Tosuke
Ministerial offices
Minister of Finance
In office
8 November 1898  19 October 1900
Prime MinisterYamagata Aritomo
Preceded byMatsuda Masahisa
Succeeded byWatanabe Kunitake
In office
18 September 1896  12 January 1898
Prime MinisterHimself
Preceded byWatanabe Kunitake
Succeeded byInoue Kaoru
In office
17 March 1895  27 August 1895
Prime MinisterItō Hirobumi
Preceded byWatanabe Kunitake
Succeeded byWatanabe Kunitake
In office
22 December 1885  8 August 1892
Prime MinisterItō Hirobumi
Kuroda Kiyotaka
Yamagata Aritomo
Himself
Preceded byHimself (as Lord Treasurer)
Succeeded byWatanabe Kunitake
Minister of Home Affairs
In office
8 June 1892  14 July 1892
Prime MinisterHimself
Preceded bySoejima Taneomi
Succeeded byKōno Togama
Lord Treasurer
In office
21 October 1881  22 December 1885
MonarchMeiji
Preceded bySano Tsunetami
Succeeded byHimself (as Minister of Finance)
Lord of Home Affairs
In office
28 February 1880  21 October 1881
MonarchMeiji
Preceded byItō Hirobumi
Succeeded byYamada Akiyoshi
Member of the House of Peers
In office
21 September 1907  3 July 1924
In office
10 July 1890  9 July 1897
Governor of Hita Prefecture
In office
1868–1870
MonarchMeiji
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byNomura Morihide
Personal details
Born(1835-02-25)25 February 1835
Kagoshima, Satsuma, Japan
Died2 July 1924(1924-07-02) (aged 89)
Minato, Tokyo, Japan
Political partyIndependent
Spouse
Matsukata Masako
(m. 1860; died 1920)
Japanese name
Kanji松方 正義
Hiraganaまつかた まさよし
Transcriptions
RomanizationMatsukata Masayoshi

Prince Matsukata Masayoshi (松方 正義, 25 February 1835 – 2 July 1924) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1891 to 1892, and from 1896 to 1898. Born in the Satsuma Domain to a samurai family, Matsukata served as finance minister for 15 of the 20 years between 1881 and 1901, led the creation of the Bank of Japan in 1882, and had significant influence in the financial and economic articles of the Meiji Constitution of 1889. He became a genrō, or senior statesman who dictated policy in the later Meiji era, and was given the title of prince in 1922.