The person I admire is a historical figure. Who is it? The answer is Saionji Kinmochi, a politician in the Maiji to Showa era. As you might know, he was the 12th and 14th prime minister of Japan and also he was the last elder. Many people may think that politicians are greedy and selfish, but he wasn’t.
Although he was born of a senior aristocrat, he was very open-minded and also he didn’t care about the status of others. For example, despite being an aristocrat, he threw himself into a dangerous battlefield in the battle with the former Shogunate army. In addition, it was difficult for women to learn practical things at school in this era, so he was energetically involved in the establishment of universities and girl’s schools that were not for raising a good wife and good mother but for providing education for women. Japan Women’s University is one of them. Besides, he supported liberalism, so he published Oriental Freedom Newspaper (Touyou-jiyuu-sinbunn) with his friends of different status and origin he met while studying in France.
When you hear these episodes, you might surmise that Saionji was a perfect man. However, in fact, he wasn’t very good at work, and there is also an interesting anecdote that he was confused when a white boy asked him for a kiss to mean goodbye. In short, he was very human-like, so we feel close to him.
Thus, he was never a perfect person, but he continued to fight for his beliefs, with innovative ideas that are still relevant today. He denied extreme nationalism and advocated cosmopolitanism. This was an idea cultivated while studying in France. In the rise of militarism, as the last elder, he continued to oppose the army to defend party politics. I’m attracted to his humanity, flexibility, and straightforward personality. He is the teacher of my life. There is his saying that ‘‘Japan should be a country that is respected by other countries.’’ I think we, who live in the present age, can learn from him and his words. That’s why I admire Saionji Kinmochi.