Saionji Kinmochi西園寺公望alternative words: Kinmochi Saionji keywords: famous person , meiji revolution , statesman related topics: Meiji revolution , Boshin war , Edo shogunate , Genro related web sites: http://ww1.m78.com/hito/saionji.html , http://www.bun.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~knagai/works/saionji.htm explanation: Born in 1849 as son of an aristocrat, Tokudaiji Kinito and adopted by Saionji family. Unhappy with the conservatism of Kyoto's nobility, he engaged in Boshin war against Edo shogunate. In 1871, he went to study the law in France and founded Meiji university in his return. Recognized by Ito Hirobumi during his trip in Europe, he became his education minister. In 1903, the president of a political party, Seiyukai. Japanese chief delegate at Versailles conference in 1919. He died in 1940 as the last Genro. | |