The Second Katsura Cabinet (第2次桂内閣)
Summary
The Second Katsura Cabinet assumed office on July 12, 1908 by the Prime Minister Katsura serving concurrently as Minister of Finance under the imperial command. The cabinet not only enforced discipline by Boshin Shosho (imperial edict, decree issued in 1908) but also cracked down on socialism, conducted the prosecution of Kotoku Incident (The High Treason Incident), intervened the legitimacy of the Northern and Southern Dynasties and strictly regulated publishing. In addition, it tried to put the local communities back on their feet by carrying out drastic fiscal retrenchment as well as starting the Movement for Local Community Improvement. On the diplomatic front, it realized the annexation of Korea and completed treaty realizing the recovery of the tariff autonomy, which greatly contributed to the improvement in Japan's status in the international community. When its responsibility for Daigyaku Incident (also called Kotoku Incident, The High Treason Incident) was pursued, it declared 'Joi Togo' (which means 'coincidence of mutual sentiment') with Rikken Seiyukai (a political party organized by Hirobumi ITO) and secretly promised to hand over the reins of government to Kinmochi SAIONJI again.
Taking the opportunity of the completion of treaty revision, the cabinet decided to hand over the reigns of government to Saionji and resigned en masse.
Ministers of State
Taro KATSURA (Duke, Army General), Prime Minister
Masatake TERAUCHI (Count, Army General), Minister of Foreign Affairs (temporarily concurrent assumption of ministership)
Aug 27, 1908 - Aug 30, 1911 Jutaro KOMURA (Marquis)
Tosuke HIRATA (Viscount), Minister of Home Affairs
Taro KATSURA, Minister of Finance (concurrent assumption of ministership)
Masatake TERAUCHI, Minister of Army
Makoto SAITO (Baron, Vice Admiral), Minister of the Navy
Nagamoto OKABE (Viscount), Minister of Justice
Eitaro KOMATSUBARA, Minister of Education
Kanetake OURA (Viscount), Minister of Agriculture and Commerce
Shinpei GOTO (Baron), Minister of Communications
Kamon SHIBATA, Secretary of the Cabinet
Banichiro YASUHIRO, Director General of Cabinet Legislation Bureau