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*''Born: [[1844]]/2/18''
*''Died: 1919/4/18''
*''Japanese'': [[上杉]]茂憲 ''(Uesugi Mochinori)''

Uesugi Mochinori<ref>Smits relates Uesugi's biography under the name Uesugi Shigenori. It is unclear whether this is an alternate name, or a misreading of the name 「茂憲」。</ref> was the second governor of [[Okinawa Prefecture]], serving in that position from [[1881]]-[[1883]].

Mochinori was born into the [[Uesugi clan]], lords of [[Yonezawa han]].

He took over as governor of Okinawa in 1881, and is known for his efforts to improve conditions for ordinary Okinawans. Mochinori personally toured the island and, seeking the ''[[yukatchu]]'' (aristocrats / local lords) as oppressing the peasants too severely, and made efforts to remove them from power. As a result, many ''yukatchu'' and other local officials and landlords fled to China or elsewhere.

In [[1882]], Mochinori proposed a set of reforms which would streamline the prefectural administration, saving over 90,000 yen out of a total budget of just over 158,000. However, he received no reply from [[Meiji government|Tokyo]]. Mochinori then submitted his proposal again, combined with a plea penned by his assistant, which noted that while Tokyo poured over one million yen each year into development efforts in [[Hokkaido|Hokkaidô]], Okinawa paid over 200,000 yen each year in taxes, and received no such development assistance. Ultimately, Tokyo denied the request, claiming that Okinawa was not ready for such reforms.<ref>Smits. p147.</ref>

Uesugi did succeed, however, during his brief term, in organizing the first program, funded by the prefectural government, to send Okinawan students to study in Tokyo.<ref>"[http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-40358-storytopic-121.html Uesugi Mochinori]." ''Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia'' 沖縄コンパクト事典. Ryukyu Shimpo, 1 March 2003.</ref>

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<center>
{| border="3" align="center"
|- align="center"
|width="35%"|Preceded by<br>'''[[Nabeshima Naoyoshi]]'''
|width="25%"|'''Governor of [[Okinawa Prefecture]]<br>[[1881]]-[[1883]]'''
|width="35%"|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Iwamura Michitoshi]]'''
|}
</center>

==References==
*[[Gregory Smits|Smits, Gregory]]. ''Visions of Ryukyu''. University of Hawaii Press, 1999.
<references/>
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