Prince Hirobumo Ito, The First Prime Minister
oif Japan, Reminisces about the modernization of Japan.
[Excerpted from "Some Reminiscences on the Grant
of the New Constitution," in Fifty Years of New Japan, vol. 1 S. Okuma,
ed. London, 1909]
I was one of the first Japanese to visit foreign lands, and was able
to do so only by stealth, escaping to Shanghai in 1863. The country was
only just opened to foreign intercourse, and Japanese subjects were not
yet allowed to leave the country.
I have always been very much in favor of the adoption of the principles
of Western civilization by Japan, and I have been enabled to use my services
in the direction of assisting the present progress and transformation in
Japan's estate. In the thirty-four years during which I have held office
I have always tried to help, and sometimes even to force upon antagonistic
spirits measures necessary for the growth of modern Japan. From the beginning
we realized fully how necessary it was that the Japanese people should
not only adopt Western methods, but should also speedily become competent
to do without the aid of foreign instruction and supervision. In the early
days we brought many foreigners to Japan to help introduce modern methods,
but we always did it in such a way as to enable the Japanese students to
take their rightful place in the nation after they had been educated. I
must say that sometimes the foreigners, and even the foreign nations themselves,
endeavored to take advantage of Japanese inexperience by passing men off
as experts when they really knew next to nothing of the subjects for which
they were engaged. We were, however, able to secure the services of many
excellent men whose names are still honored in Japan, although they have
long since left her shores.
On the occasion of my second visit to London, as one of the ambassadors
of our country, a suggestion was made to me that it would be beneficial
to establish a special engineering college in Japan, where every branch
of engineering should be taught. Such a college would be quite unique,
no other nation having one. The idea seemed very good, and on my return
to Japan I took the necessary steps, and, with the assistance of foreign
professors, we founded a college of engineering, now incorporated in the
Tokio University. From this institution have come the majority of engineers
who are now working the resources and industries of Japan. The establishment
of this college was one of the most important factors in the development
of Japan.
It was necessary that Japan should be not only educated, but also provided
with suitable codes of laws, before there could be any question of a revision
of the treaties with foreign nations, and for a considerable time all our
efforts were concentrated in this direction.
Two events in Japanese history have been all-important in its recent
development. The first was the change in the regime of its government and
the promulgation of the constitution, and the other was the Chino-Japanese
War. I spent much time away from Japan studying the constitutions of various
countries, the Emperor having ordered me to undertake the arduous task
of framing a draft of the new Japanese Constitution. The work was very
difficult and required much thought. Never before had there been a constitution,
in the modern sense of the word, in Japan, to help me to know what were
the most vital points to be provided for in the new code. The country had
been so essentially non-constitutional and feudal that it was difficult
to sit down on the debris of its history and prepare for it off-hand a
constitution; and even when I had decided what was most necessary, very
great care was required to insure the proper working and execution of the
various provisions. I had always to remember that my work was intended
as a permanent measure, and therefore I had to consider all possible effects
likely to arise from it in the distant future. Above all, there was the
preeminent importance to be attached to the necessity of safeguarding the
sacred and traditional rights of the sovereign. With the assistance of
my secretaries and collaborators, all of them as devoted to the work as
myself, I accomplished my task as well as I could, and it is not without
satisfaction that I see it has not been necessary to amend the constitution
since its promulgation.
As the old election law, however, has been found unsatisfactory, we
have introduced an improved law, one of the principal changes in which
is that the voting is by secret ballot, instead of by signed ballot, another
important change being the insertion of provisions for more ample representation
of the commercial and industrial elements of the country, and the business-tax.
According to the new law, if any candidate should resort to corrupt means
to secure his election, the proceedings would become, owing to the secrecy
of the ballot, much more uncertain and costly than formerly. This new law
was experimented with at the election of 1902.
I have always recognized the vital importance of a supremely efficient
navy and army. The former is made the more important by our insular position.
Our programme of naval expansion laid down after the Chinese War, in 1895,
is practically completed, and Japan possesses now a homogeneous and powerful
modern fleet. In its numbers are included several of the largest and best-armed
battleships and cruisers, and we have the satisfaction of knowing that
the Japanese sailors and officers are as efficient in every respect as
the ships they man. Our navy is largely of British construction, and we
have made that country our model in this department, though, following
the principles that have enabled us to make progress in the past, we are
always ready to take advantage of improvements from any source.
Although it has been necessary first of all to develop our fleet, the
army has not been neglected. It has been more than doubled of late, and
has now a war footing of more than five hundred thousand men. The bold
experiment of conscription, tried at the beginning of the New Era, has
proved itself on many occasions, notably the Satsuma Rebellion, the Chinese
War, and the Boxer outbreak. On the last occasion the Japanese army was
enabled to play a very great part in the relief of Peking, and showed to
the other allies a striking illustration of organization, morale, personnel,
and equipment; and this efficiency and thoroughness are to be found throughout
our army system. First based on French models and later on German, with
foreign instructors, the Japanese army has since developed a model of its
own, and has proved its capability of training and further developing itself.
Although so much has already been done in respect to the army, I believe
we shall not remain idle, and even if no great increase in numbers should
be made in the near future, great efforts will continue toward the further
improvement of the training and efficiency of the soldiers. In Japan we
have the advantage that, although the soldiers are raised by conscription,
every conscript is animated by the highest sense of patriotism and pride
in his country.
In commercial and industrial matters Japan is becoming well established,
and is making secure her hold upon the markets of the Far East. The resources
of the country are very good, the coal-supply especially being abundant.
Although many of the beds are not of the best quality, still, the fact
that there is an abundance of coal is a very important factor in the national
economy and strength. Besides coal, there are considerable oil-deposits
in the northern provinces of Japan, and these are now beginning to be systematically
worked in connection with the Standard Oil Company. The iron deposits are
also considerable, but are undeveloped as yet, Japan relying on foreign
countries for the greater portion of her present supply of iron. Copper,
a metal of which the importance becomes yearly greater, is found and worked
in very considerable quantities.
Japan's financial condition is by no means so bad as is often depicted,
thanks to the growing material prosperity of the empire. When the effects
of the economic depression of 1900 and 1901 shall have passed away, Japan
will advance still more rapidly than at present.
But whatever causes may have helped Japan in her progress, and however
much we may have been instrumental in the achievements of the past years,
they are insignificant when compared with what the country owes to his
Majesty the Emperor. The Imperial will has ever been the guiding star of
the nation. Whatever may have been the work done by those who, like myself,
tried to assist him in his enlightened government, it could not have achieved
such wonderful results had it not been for the great, progressive, and
wise influence of the Emperor, ever behind each new measure of reform.
From the Emperor Japan has learned that lesson which has made her what
she is at present. In connection with the growth of Japan, I will quote
some extracts from a speech which I made in 1899, just before the coming
into force of the revised treaties.
It is true that the readjustment of the State finance and the completion
of the military preparations are very important questions of the day; but
there is another question hardly less important than those above referred
to, namely, the enforcement of the revised treaties, for the concluding
of which both the Government and the people have made steady efforts in
every way since the Restoration, and which have at last been crowned with
brilliant success. Now, the time of the enforcement of the revised treaties
coming near, what we have to consider is how the revised treaties can be
effectively put into force. Is there any country in the Orient, except
Japan, which preserves the full right of an independent state? A country
cannot be said to have preserved the full right of independence unless
it is able to exercise its own jurisdiction freely, and conduct its own
administration without restriction in the interior. Then, what is the case
with Japan? Preserving the full right of independence, she has now brought
all the foreigners residing within her empire under her own jurisdiction
and administration, and is protecting them as well as the subjects of the
empire. Such being the case, it is not exaggeration to say that Japan far
surpasses all the rest of the Orient. To enforce the revised treaties freely
and smoothly is to prove the fact that Japan is the most civilized country
in the Far East, and, consequently, not only the Government, but also the
local authorities, municipal corporations, courts of justice, police-stations,
as well as the general public, must be very careful in the enforcement
of the treaties in question; otherwise various affairs which may be made
international questions and cause much trouble to the State will take place.
As for the State finance, I firmly believe that the Government has
proper schemes for administering the State affairs and undertaking various
public enterprises in a satisfactory manner with the present resources
of the country, and that the readjustment of finance will be perfectly
effected in future by means of the increase or reduction of tax, according
to circumstances.
Another important question of the day is that of our military armaments.
It is easy to speak of the completion of armaments, but when we undertake
this great task practically, we shall meet with many difficulties on account
of the fact that it extends over a number of years.
Besides the complete victory in the war with China, and the success
of treaty revision, Japan may be proud of the speediness of her material
progress, because she has made a progress seldom paralleled in modern history.
For instance, the system of conscription having been introduced into our
country shortly after the abolition of a long-rooted feudal system, foreigners
doubted that it would be successfully carried out; but it was introduced
easily and perfectly, and may serve as a demonstration of how Japan surpasses
her neighboring countries, China and Korea.
Next we come to the marked development of the national resources. According
to the statistics of our foreign trade for 1872 and 1873, the total amount
of our annual exports and imports stood at about thirty million yen only,
while it rose to more than four hundred forty million yen in 1898, the
rapid increase being unexampled anywhere else in the world. And, furthermore,
our commerce and industry have made a marked progress since the year 1885
or thereabouts. Last year [1898], when I was still holding the office of
Premier, I made a full investigation of the general features of our commercial
and industrial progress, and found that the total amount of capital invested
in various enterprises of the country stood then at about nine hundred
million yen. Of course, this figure represents the aggregate sum of the
authorized capital, and I cannot now calculate the exact amount of the
capital actually paid up, but the latter may be safely estimated at about
five hundred million yen. True, in this figure are included those funds
that were needed for the undertaking of Government works, such as the construction
of railways and the extension of telegraphic service. But it is certain
that such a large amount of capital has been invested in various enterprises
of the country. Thus, commercial and industrial enterprises of various
kinds have sprung up in Japan in recent years with such rapid strides as
are seldom seen in the newly developed countries of the world; and in this
respect she does not stand behind the European States, with the exception
of the richer countries - Great Britain, France, Germany, and Russia.
The population of Japan has increased more than ten million since the
Restoration. I made full investigation of old official records concerning
the population, and found, strange to say, that the increase of our population
was very slow in the time of the Tokugawa Shogunate. According to the official
estimates made in the Genroku era, our total population numbered only twenty-six
million or twenty-seven million, notwithstanding the fact that it made
an unprecedented increase in the said era, while its numbers have increased
by more than ten million during the past thirty years only. It is evident
that such an increase of population would not be made unless it was accompanied
by a corresponding increase of the national wealth, for a man can find
employment only when there is a place to use his labor, and thereby secure
a means of livelihood. Thus, the great increase of population may be taken
as another good evidence of the marked development of our national wealth.
The future of China is a matter of importance not only to the Far East,
but to the whole world. The following questions may be asked: What will
be the future state of affairs in China? What position in China will be
held by Japan, which has a much greater interest there than any other nation,
on account of her being situated in such close neighborhood? In answer,
I can only say that it is at present too difficult to express any definite
opinion. Since the war with Japan, China has been exposed to an increasing
danger day by day, and, for various reasons, almost all the Powers of the
world have had close relations with her. This state of things suggests
that it is very necessary for China to maintain her own independence at
this juncture, and to take steps to place her country on a firm foundation;
while, on the other hand, this line of action on the part of Japan lays
her open to the thought held by some, that Japan has a great interest indirectly
in the independence of China. This was the reason of my making a tour of
China and having interviews with notable Chinese statesmen - who, having
the great respect and esteem of the people, hold the administrative power
of the State - and expressing to them my views on the most important subjects
that should have their careful consideration. On my inspection of the actual
condition of China, I found that, although she is running a danger day
by day which might plead for prompt action, it would be difficult to reform
at once the prevailing customs and usages, as well as the present system
of administration, which has been handed down from ancient times, and thereby
improve the state of things in the country. It must be admitted that many
favorable opportunities to carry out these reforms have already been missed.
Thus, in the interviews which I often had with the notable Chinese statesmen
during my stay there, I expressed my views above referred to, and they
all agreed with my theory, but said that it would be very hard to carry
out such reforms.