The First Okuma Cabinet (第1次大隈内閣)
Among the Constitutional Party in power, the cabinet was organized with OKUMA from the former Progressive Party (Japan) as the Prime Minister and Taisuke ITAGAKI from the former Liberal Party (Japan) as Minister of Home Affairs. Therefore, the cabinet is also called the Waihan Cabinet derived from Okuma and Itagaki's names.
Summary
The third Ito Cabinet resigned en masse to prepare for party organization for Hirobumi ITO. As a result of compromise of Genro (elder statesman) to force of the Diet, OKUMA, who was the head seat of the Constitutional Party, the leading party in the House of Representatives at that time, and ITAGAKI formed the cabinet, receiving an Imperial mandate. Although the cabinet lacked the condition in the sense that the head seat did not have position in the diet (the House of Representatives), it was Japan's first party cabinet in terms of the fact that the cabinet members were not from the military but from political parties.
However, inside the Constitutional Party, which was congeries of parties, conflict between the former Progressive Party (Japan) side and the former Liberal Party (Japan) side was serious. The Liberal Party side requested Toru HOSHI to be appointed as the Foreign Minister, but OKUMA refused it and doubled as Foreign Minister.
In addition, dismissal of Yukio OZAKI, the Minister of Education, triggered by the Kyowa enzetsu affair brought an entanglement of replacement that escalated into division of the Constitutional Party by HOSHI
The cabinet was forced to resign en masse four month after the cabinetmaking.
Incumbency
Incumbent from June 30, 1898 to November 8, 1898.
Minister of State
Prime Minister
Shigenobu OKUMA, a count (Saga clique; the Constitutional Party, the former Progressive Party faction)
June 30, 1898 - November 8, 1898
Minister of Foreign Affairs (Japan)
Shigenobu OKUMA (holding two posts concurrently)
June 30, 1898 - November 8, 1898
Minister of Home Affairs (Japan)
Taisuke ITAGAKI, a count (Tosa clique; the Constitutional Party, the former Liberal Party faction)
June 30, 1898 - November 8, 1898
Minister of Finance
Masahisa MATSUDA (the Constitutional Party, the former Liberal Party faction)
June 30, 1898 - November 8, 1898
Minister of Army
Taro KATSURA, a viscount (Choshu clique; Army man)
June 30, 1898 - November 8, 1898
Minister of Navy
Tsugumichi SAIGO, a marquis (Satsuma clique; military man of Army and Navy)
June 30, 1898 - November 8, 1898
Minister of Justice
Gitetsu OHIGASHI (the Constitutional Party, the former Progressive Party faction)
June 30, 1898 - November 8, 1898
Minister of Education
Yukio OZAKI (House of Representatives, the Constitutional Party, the former Progressive Party faction)
June 30, 1898 - October 27, 1898
Tsuyoshi INUKAI (House of Representatives, the Constitutional Party, the former Progressive Party)
October 27, 1898 - November 8, 1898
Minister of Agriculture and Commerce
Masami OISHI (the Constitutional Party, the former Liberal Party faction)
June 30, 1898 - November 8, 1898
Minister of Communications (the House of Representatives, the Constitutional Party, the former Liberal Party faction)
Yuzo HAYASHI
June 30, 1898 - November 8, 1898
Chief secretary of the Cabinet
Takenosuke SAMEJIMA (the House of Peers [Japan])
June 30, 1898 - July 7, 1898
Tokitoshi TAKETOMI (the Constitutional Party, the former Progressive Party faction)
July 7, 1898 - November 8, 1898
Director of Cabinet Legislation Bureau
Kenjiro UME (Professor of Faculty of Law, Imperial University)
June 30, 1898 - October 27, 1898
Tomotsune KOMUCHI (the House of Representatives, the Constitutional Party, the former Progressive Party faction)
October 27, 1898 - November 8, 1898