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Created page with "*''Born: 1835'' *''Died: 1915'' *''Japanese'': 井上馨 ''(Inoue Kaoru)'' Inoue Kaoru was a prominent and influential official in the Meiji government, serving a..."
*''Born: [[1835]]''
*''Died: 1915''
*''Japanese'': [[井上]]馨 ''(Inoue Kaoru)''

Inoue Kaoru was a prominent and influential official in the [[Meiji government]], serving as Deputy Finance Minister for a time in the 1870s, and as Foreign Minister for much of the 1880s, before resigning that post in the wake of criticism for his handling of [[Unequal Treaties|treaty revision]] negotiations.

In [[1872]], while serving as Deputy Finance Minister, Inoue suggested more fully incorporating [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Ryûkyû]] into Japan and severing its [[tribute|tributary relations]] with China; he was opposed initially by the [[Minister of the Left]], but many of [[Ryukyu Shobun|the steps]] opposed by the Minister of the Left were undertaken by the end of that year.

He played a key role in commissioning or overseeing the renovation of the [[Enryokan|Enryôkan]] in preparation for the [[1879]] visit of [[Ulysses S. Grant]], and the design and construction of the [[Rokumeikan]] (completed [[1883]]). Inoue was head of the [[Ministry of Public Works]] (''Kôbushô'') in [[1878]], and became [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs|Foreign Minister]] in 1879. After the Ministry of Public Works was abolished in [[1885]] and replaced with the Temporary Architecture Department (''Rinji kenchiku kyoku'', [[1886]]-[[1890]]), he arranged to oversee that department in addition to his responsibilities as foreign minister. It was in that role that he also hired the German firm Ende-Boeckmann to design a number of important government buildings, including the [[National Diet Building]], High Court, and Ministry of Justice.<ref>Dallas Finn, "Reassessing the Rokumeikan," in Ellen Conan (ed.), ''Challenging Past and Present: The Metamorphosis of Nineteenth-Century Japanese Art'', University of Hawaii Press (2006), 233.</ref>

Inoue traveled to Korea in [[1884]], accompanied by [[Durham Stevens]], to address recent attacks on Japanese nationals in Korea, including an attack on Japanese ambassador to Korea [[Takezoe Shinichiro|Takezoe Shinichirô]].

In April [[1887]], he hosted at his home the first ever [[kabuki]] production to be performed before the Emperor. The private performance starred [[Onoe Kikugoro V|Onoe Kikugorô V]], [[Ichikawa Danjuro IX|Ichikawa Danjûrô IX]] and [[Ichikawa Sadanji I]].

In his role as Foreign Minister, Inoue engaged in negotiations with representatives of the Western powers, seeking revisions of the [[Unequal Treaties]]; these negotiations began in [[1882]] and continued until 1887, when they fell through. In the wake of being severely criticized within Japan for offering certain concessions, Inoue resigned his post that September.

Inoue's daughter [[Inoue Sueko]] served as interpreter for the Empress on the occasion of the visit of King [[Kalakaua]] of Hawaii in [[1881]], as well as presumably on other occasions.

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==References==
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[[Category:Meiji Period]]
[[Category:Samurai]]
[[Category:Nobility]]
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