Shinagawa Yajirō

Viscount Shinagawa Yajirō (品川 弥二郎, November 20, 1843 – February 26, 1900) was a Chōshū Domain samurai, who became Home Minister in early Meiji period Japan.

During the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration, he served as a staff officer in the Imperial armies in various battles against the remnants of Tokugawa shogunate forces in the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei in northern Honshū.

[2] After the establishment of the Meiji government, Shinagawa was sent to France for studies, arriving in Paris in 1870, where he was thus able to experience modern western military technologies and strategy during the Franco-Prussian War firsthand.

During the tumultuous Japanese General Election of 1892, Shinagawa responded to indirect criticism from Emperor Meiji of the failure of the Diet of Japan to reach an agreement on the national budget by accusing opposition political parties of sedition, and using his authority as Home Minister to take police action to suppress opposition political party activities during the election, and to intimidate candidates and voters.

[5] After his resignation, together with fellow former Home Minister Saigō Tsugumichi, Shinagawa founded the conservative Kokumin Kyōkai political party, serving as its vice-president.

Bronze statue of Shinagawa at Yasukuni Shrine