Takahashi Korekiyo
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Takahashi Korekiyo (高橋是清 Takahashi Korekiyo) (July 27 1854–February 26 1936) was a Japanese politician and the 20th Prime Minister of Japan from November 13 1921 to June 12 1922. He was known as an expert of finance during his political career.
He was born in Tokyo and adopted by Takahashi, a samurai serving to the Date clan in Sendai. He studied English and American culture in a private school of Hepburn. He went abroad with a son of Katsu Kaishu and studied in London. After he went back to Japan, he became the first master of a high school named Kyoritsu gakko in Tokyo, today Kaisei Highschool and at the same time worked a governmental bureaucrat. He worked in the Ministry of Education, later the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce. He was appointed as the first chief of Bureau of Patent which was founded as a external part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, and organized the patent system in Japan. Once he resigned the governmental office and went to Peru for enterprise but failed. After he returned to Japan, he was appointed as the vice president of the Bank of Japan and later the president. On the Russo-Japanese war, his acquaintance in London helped him to sell war bond in abroad.
In 1913 he was appointed as the minister of finance by the prime minister Yamamoto Gonnohyoe and then join the party Rikkenseiyukai. He was appointed to the same office by Hara Takashi in 1918. After Hara was assassinated in 1921 at the office of the prime minister and the president of Rikkenseiyukai, Takahashi was appointed to those two offices. But members of the party were very upset and Takahasi didn't prepare to do those offices. He couldn't manage the confusable situation well and resigned the prime minister after a half year.
After resigning, Takahashi was still the president of the party. Later he did coalition with Seiyukai. When Kato Takaaki became the prime minister and made a coalition cabinet, Takahashi became the minister of agriculture and commerce.
In 1934 Takahashi was appointed as the prime minister six times by his former student Okada Keisuke. Takahashi tried to reduce the military cost and his financial policy made opponents in the military offices. He was killed by rebelling military officers in the February 26 Incident.
| Preceded by: Hara Takashi | Prime Minister of Japan 1921–1922 | Succeeded by: Kato Tomosaburo |