Seven wise men in Saga (佐賀の七賢人)
Seven wise men in Saga was a general name of seven great men of Saga, who made remarkable services in the end of Edo Period (the last days of Tokugawa Shogunate) to Meiji period.
Introduction of each man
Introductions are in Japanese alphabetical order (of surname).
Shinpei ETO
He was born in Hachinohe Village, Saga County (present Hachinohe-cho, Saga City) in 1834. He practiced Haihan-chiken (abolition of feudal domains and establishment of prefectures) in 1871. He took office as the Minister of Justice in 1872 and was appointed to Sangi (councilor) in 1873. In 1874, he lost in Saga War and was executed.
Takato OKI
He was born in present Mizugae, Saga City in 1832. He took offices as the Governor of Tokyo Prefecture in 1868, the first Minister of Education in 1871, Sangi and Shihokyo (administrator of Ministry of Justice) in 1873, and the chairman of Genroin (the Chamber of Elders) (Japan) in 1880. He died in 1899.
Shigenobu OKUMA
He was born in the present Mizugae, Saga City in 1838. He became Sangi (councillor) in 1870 and Sangi cum Minister of Treasury in 1873. He formed the Constitutional Progressive Party in March 1882. In October 1882, he founded Tokyo Senmon Gakko (present Waseda University). In 1888, he took office as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and was appointed the Prime Minister in 1898 (the first Okuma Cabinet). In 1914, he was appointed the Prime Minister for the second time (the second Okuma Cabinet). He died in 1922, and he was given a national funeral.
Tsunetami SANO
He was born in the present Kawasoe-machi, Saga City in 1822. He accomplished the first Japanese steam locomotive model in 1855. He learnt about Red Cross Society in the Paris World Exposition in 1867. In 1877, he founded Hakuaisha (an organization founded during Seinan War and aimed for aids of the wounded, later Japanese Red Cross Society) with Yuzuru OGYU. In 1880, he took office as Okura-kyo (Minister of the Treasury). In 1887, he changed the name of Hakuaisha to Japanese Red Cross Society. He died in 1902.
Yoshitake SHIMA
He was born in the present Saga City in 1822. From 1856 to 1857, he explored and researched in Hokkaido and Sakhalin. In 1869, he was appointed a chief judge of Hokkaido Development Commissioner, and took charge of the boosting local development in Sapporo City. In 1871, he was appointed Akita Kenrei (the present Akita Prefectural Governor). In 1874, he lost in Saga War and was executed.
Taneomi SOEJIMA
He was born in the present Saga City in 1828. He took offices as Sangi in 1869, the Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1871, and Minister of Home Affairs (Japan) in 1892. He died in 1905.
Naomasa NABESHIMA
He was born in Edo in 1814, as a child of Narinao NABESHIMA who was the ninth lord of the Saga Domain. In 1830, he became the tenth lord of the Saga Domain. Influenced by Shigeyoshi NABESHIMA, the feudal lord of Takeo, he adapted kaimei (enlightenment) policy and in 1834, he founded Igakukan (medical school) in the castle town of Saga-jo Castle.
(Later the Igakukan changed its name to Koseikan and became a prototype of the present Saga Prefectural hospital Koseikan.)
In 1850, he built a reverberating furnace in the present Saga City. After Meiji Restoration, he was appointed Gijo (official post) and received a rank of Dainagon (Major Counselor). In 1869, he was appointed a director of Hokkaido Development Commissioner but he died in 1871 without visiting the place of his appointment.
There is a guidebook about the seven wise men in Saga by Hiroshi FUKUOKA "Bakumatsu (the last days of Tokugawa Shogunate) Restoration in Saga: The life of eight wise men" (Shutsumondo Publisher), which also included descriptions of Fukushima's real elder brother Shinyo EDAYOSHI in addition to those of the seven wise men.
Also there is "Literary remains of Shinyo EDAYOSHI sensei (teacher): Publication celebrating 150th Senza-sai Festival (Festival for transfer of a Shinto shrine) of Kusunoki-jinja Shrine", which was a compilation of Ryuzoji Hachiman-gu Shrine and Kusunoki-jinja Shrine, published from the same Shutsumondo Publisher.