(born Sept. 26, 1830, Kagoshima, Japan—died May 14, 1878, Tokyo) Japanese samurai leader from the domain of Satsuma who, with Saigō Takamori, arranged an alliance with the domain of Chōshū to work for the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate (&see; Tokugawa period) and the restoration of the emperor as head of government. After the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Ōkubo became a dominant figure in the new government.
He traveled to the West and returned convinced that Japan needed rapid economic development and modernization to survive. He supported the establishment of technical schools, loans to private businesses, and government-sponsored factory development. In 1873 he argued against those who favoured invading Korea and prevailed. He was assassinated in 1878 by discontented samurai. &Seealso; Kido Takayoshi; Meiji period.
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