Iwakura Tomomi

Iwakura Tomomi, born on October twenty-sixth, eighteen twenty-five, was a prominent Japanese statesman during the tumultuous Bakumatsu and Meiji periods. He emerged as a key figure in the Meiji Restoration, a pivotal movement that led to the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate, the restoration of the Japanese monarchy, and the dismantling of feudalism, the domain system, and the samurai class.

Born into a lesser noble family, Iwakura was adopted by the influential court noble Tomoyasu Iwakura in eighteen thirty-eight. His political career began to take shape when he became the Imperial Chamberlain in eighteen fifty-four. Iwakura sought to bridge the gap between the shogunate and the imperial court, advocating for a marriage between Tokugawa Iemochi and Princess Kazunomiya, the younger sister of Emperor Komei. This stance, however, led to his exile in eighteen sixty-two, as he faced criticism for being perceived as a supporter of the shogunate.

After returning to the court in eighteen sixty-seven, Iwakura became a vital link between the imperial court and the anti-Tokugawa movement, playing a central role in the formation of the new Meiji government. He notably opposed aggressive policies towards Korea during the crisis of eighteen seventy-three, an act that nearly cost him his life due to assassination attempts by his adversaries.

From eighteen seventy-one to eighteen seventy-three, Iwakura led the Iwakura Mission, a delegation of fifty members that traveled for eighteen months across Europe and America. This mission was instrumental in studying modern institutions, technology, and diplomacy, promoting key reforms that rapidly modernized Japan. Iwakura championed a robust imperial system modeled on Western principles and was pivotal in establishing financial institutions for the nation.

His legacy is commemorated in part by the discontinued five hundred Yen banknote issued by the Bank of Japan, which featured his portrait. This note was first circulated in nineteen fifty-one and remained in use until nineteen ninety-four.