1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,960 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello Again. It's Eaves and you're listening to 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:10,640 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class, a podcast that truly believes 4 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: no day is boring. Today is December tween. The day 5 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: was December eight five. Itto Hiro Buomi became the first 6 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: Prime Minister of Japan. Eto's father was the adopted son 7 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: of a minor samurai. Eto, born in eighteen one, grew 8 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 1: up under the feudal military government of the Tokugawa Shogunate. 9 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:48,639 Speaker 1: The Japanese economy feared well during the Tokugawa period. Commerce 10 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 1: and manufacturing grew, and the merchant class profited off of this. 11 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: Agricultural production was important, but as the economy flourished, it 12 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: was not as fruitful as other sectors. The Tokugawa shogun 13 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 1: It made efforts in fiscal reform, but all the socio 14 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: economic unrest weakened it, and though Japan still had conservative 15 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: isolationist policies, it was increasingly influenced by Western powers to 16 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 1: dump its seclusion policy to benefit from global trade and 17 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:22,119 Speaker 1: better technology. The government sent Eto to University College London 18 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: in eighteen sixty three, and when he returned to Japan 19 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: the next year, he began supporting Western influence in the 20 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:33,040 Speaker 1: society and economy. In eighteen sixty eight, the Tokugawa shogun 21 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: it fell and the Emperor was restored to power. After 22 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:41,120 Speaker 1: the Meiji Restoration, Japan opened its borders and began to 23 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 1: go through a period of major political, social and economic change. 24 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 1: Eto had connections with leaders in early Meiji Japan such 25 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 1: as Kito Takayoshi and Okubo Toshimichi, and through those he 26 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: was able to go to the US on government assignments 27 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: and to Europe on the Iwaka Mission to research things 28 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 1: like taxation and treaty revision. Ittai was appointed a junior 29 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: British counselor in the new Department of Foreign Affairs after 30 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:11,399 Speaker 1: the Meiji Restoration, and in eighteen seventy he was sent 31 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:14,959 Speaker 1: to the US to study Western currency. When he got 32 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: back to Japan, he helped change the Japanese taxation system. Soon, 33 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: Itto was made a British counselor at the Ministry of 34 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: Public Works, and he continued to rise in rank. In 35 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: eighteen seventy five, the Emperor appointed him the chairman of 36 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 1: the First Assembly of the Governors of the Japanese Prefectures. 37 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: When Okubo Toshimichi, a powerful Maiji leader and confidant of Itto, 38 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,799 Speaker 1: was assassinated. Itto took his place as Minister for Home 39 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 1: Affairs after forcing rival Okama Shige Nobu out of the government. 40 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: Eto studied European constitutions and convinced the government to adopt 41 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 1: a constitution. He helped draft the Japanese Meiji Constitution, which 42 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: the Emperor proclaimed in eighteen nine. The following year, the 43 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: National Diet, Japan's bi cameral legislature was established, and on 44 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: December two, eighteen eighty five, after he established a cabinet 45 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: system of government, Eta became the first Prime Minister of Japan. 46 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 1: He stayed in the position until he resigned three years later, 47 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: but he served as Prime minister three other times after that. 48 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:22,640 Speaker 1: As Prime Minister, Itto saw Japan's victory in the Sino 49 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:26,239 Speaker 1: Japanese War, helped Japan deal with the Anglo Japanese Treaty 50 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: of Commerce and Navigation, and organized a pro government political 51 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: party called the Rican say Yuki. Eta was also appointed 52 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 1: as the first Resident General of Korea in nineteen o five. 53 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: Itto wanted Japan to control Korea as a protectorate after 54 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: the Russo Japanese War and suppressed Korean nationalism, but he 55 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: did not want to formally annex the country. In October 56 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 1: of nineteen o nine, Eto was assassinated by a Korean 57 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: Independence movement activists at a train station. I'm Eve Jeff Ko, 58 00:03:57,680 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: and hopefully you know a little more about history to 59 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: day than you did yesterday. If you've seen any good 60 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: history memes lately, you can send them to us on 61 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: social media at t D I h C podcast, or 62 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 1: if you want to get a little more fancy, you 63 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: can send us an email at this Day at I 64 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:21,480 Speaker 1: heart media dot com. Thanks for tuning in, and we'll 65 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:35,359 Speaker 1: see you again tomorrow. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, 66 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:38,120 Speaker 1: visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 67 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.