Matsuda Michiyuki (松田道之)

Michiyuki MATSUDA (June 22, 1839 - July 6, 1882) was a government official of the Ministry of Home Affairs and a statesman in Japan. He served as the prefectural governor of Otsu and Shiga (the first governor), and the (seventh) Governor of Tokyo Prefecture. He was known for playing a pivotal role in the Ryukyu Annexation in the history of Okinawa Prefecture.

Biography

He was born as the second son of Akira KUBOI, a vassal of the Udono clan, Karo (chief retainer) of Tottori Domain and then became an heir of Ichidayu MATSUDA after he was first raised by Kazue KINOSHITA, a doctor of the Domain. He studied at Kangien. He devoted himself to the movement of "Revere the Emperor and expel the barbarians" in the end of Edo Period and became an official of the Ministry of Home Affairs after the Meiji Restoration. After he held various posts of the Grand Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Daisanji (second to a governor) of Kyoto Prefecture and Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, he became the prefectural governor of Otsu in 1871. He became the prefectural governor of Shiga in 1872. He visited Okinawa as an official for the Ryukyu Annexation in 1875. Since then, he had visited Okinawa as the official for the Ryukyu Annexation three times until 1879, and made efforts to carry out the Ryukyu Annexation in 1879. In the same year, he became the Governor of Tokyo Prefecture. He died young in 1882.

[Original Japanese]