Oguri Kozukenosuke

Long ago, a leader named Oguri lived in Japan. He was a very smart man. He learned many things when he was young.

Oguri traveled to a far land. He saw large ships and big docks. He knew Japan needed its own docks. This helped him make a big plan.

He worked to save money for his land. He spent money on things that were important. He saved money on things that were small.

Oguri helped build a place for ships. This place is still there today. It is in a city called Yokosuka.

Later, some very sad things happened to Oguri. He died when he was forty-two. He worked hard to help his people.

Oguri Kozukenosuke was a leader in Japan. He lived during the Edo period. He was born in Edo in 1827. As a boy, he studied many things. He learned about books and martial arts. He even learned how to use guns.

When Oguri was fourteen, he had a big idea. He told a lord that Japan needed more ships. He wanted Japan to trade with other lands. Later, Oguri traveled to the United States. He saw large docks where ships were built. He knew Japan needed its own shipyard. He asked France for help to build one. In 1865, work began on the Yokosuka arsenal. This shipyard is still used today.

Oguri also worked with money. He was a finance magistrate. He saved money in a special way. He saved a lot on small things. He spent money on things that were important. This helped the government.

At the end of his life, things became hard. A war broke out in Japan. Oguri was accused of planning a fight. This was not true. He was killed in 1868 at age forty-two. Many people later said his ideas helped Japan grow.

Oguri Kozukenosuke was a very important leader in Japan. He lived during the end of the Edo period. This was a time when the old government was losing its power. Oguri worked in many high jobs for the Tokugawa government. He served as a finance magistrate two different times. He also worked as a foreign magistrate. His big ideas helped Japan change into a new era.

Oguri learned many skills when he was a young boy. He was born in Edo in 1827. He studied books and also learned martial arts. He even practiced how to use guns. When he was only fourteen, he had a big plan. He told a lord that Japan needed more ships. He wanted Japan to trade with other lands. At age seventeen, he got a job in Edo castle. This happened because he was very good at martial arts.

In 1854, large black ships arrived at the Uraga port. This changed how Japan looked at the world. Oguri traveled to the United States in 1860 as a supervisor. He visited many places during this trip. In Washington, he saw a large dockyard. He realized that the power of the U.S. came from these docks. He decided that Japan must build its own shipyard. Americans thought he was very polite. They even called him a chivalrous person in their newspapers.

Oguri was also very good at managing money. As a finance magistrate, he had a special way to save. He did not save money equally from everything. Instead, he put priorities on every task. He saved a lot of money on small, unimportant things. He spent money on the things that were most important. This helped the government stay strong. In 1865, he finally got permission to build a shipyard. Construction started on September 27 of that year.

Life became very difficult for Oguri during a war in 1866. He wanted his side to fight against the new government. Because of this, he lost his job. He moved to a village called Gonda in February 1868. Some people wrongly accused him of planning a rebellion. To keep the villagers safe, he showed himself to the army. Sadly, he was killed on April 6 at age forty-two. The Yokosuka shipyard was finished in 1871. It is still running in Yokosuka city today.

Oguri Kozukenosuke was a high-ranking statesman for the Tokugawa government. He lived during the final years of the Edo period. This was a time of great change in Japan. The power of the old government was steadily diminishing. Oguri held several important roles during this era. He served as the finance magistrate twice. He also served as the foreign magistrate once. His work helped lead Japan toward the Meiji Restoration.

Oguri was born in Edo in 1827. He was the first son of an honorable hatamoto named Oguri. This status allowed him to be promoted quickly in his youth. He studied many different subjects to prepare for leadership. He learned Sinology from Asaka Gonsai. He also practiced Kenjutsu from Toranosuke Shimada. He studied Jujutsu with Suketaro Kubota. Finally, he learned gunnery from Kazue Tatsuki. By age 14, he suggested that Japan needed more ships. He believed Japan must advance economically to compete with overseas nations. This idea came from Keinosuke Yuuki.

At age 17, Oguri received a position in Edo castle. This promotion happened because of his skill in martial arts. At age 21, he married the daughter of the lord of Harima han. Her name was Michiko. She was a brave woman and a helpful adviser to him. Later, Oguri became a close follower of a leader named Ii Naosuke. This connection helped Oguri rise in political influence. In 1854, Matthew C. Perry arrived with black ships at Uraga port. This event forced the Tokugawa government to react to foreign powers.

In 1860, Oguri traveled to the United States as a supervisor for a mission. He joined this mission because Ii Naosuke recommended him. During his travels, Oguri saw the immense power of Western civilization. In Washington, he visited a large dockyard. He became convinced that a shipyard was the key to national power. He believed the Tokugawa government must own its own shipyard. Americans were impressed by him during this trip. They described him as a chivalrous person in their newspapers. This was because he was very polite and wore traditional Japanese clothes.

Oguri returned to Japan and became the foreign magistrate in November 1860. He resigned a year later due to feelings of remorse. He felt he had relied too much on the British navy when Russia invaded Tsushima. In June 1862, he was appointed as the finance magistrate. During this time, he was given the name "Kozukenosuke." He used a unique method to manage the government's money. Instead of saving equally from all tasks, he set strict priorities. He saved a lot of money on trifling matters. He spent more on things that were truly important. This method was effective but created many political enemies.

In December 1862, Oguri became the warship magistrate. He worked hard to build the shipyard he had envisioned. He first asked the Netherlands for technological help, but they refused. He then asked France for assistance. Because France did not have relations with Japan yet, they were cooperative. Many politicians opposed the high cost of this project. Oguri argued that the government needed a place to repair its ships. His plan was finally accepted in 1865. Construction began on September 27 of that year. He resigned his post shortly after to show he was not seeking personal interest.

Political tension increased as the old government began to fall. In October 1865, the shogun Yoshinobu Tokugawa returned political power to the emperor. In 1866, a war broke out near Kyoto. Oguri believed the Tokugawa side should resist the new government army. However, Yoshinobu did not want to fight. This disagreement led to Oguri being discharged from his position. He moved to Gonda village on February 28, 1868. In April, the new Meiji government arrived in the village. They wrongly claimed Oguri was preparing for a rebellion. To protect the local villagers, Oguri presented himself to the army. He was executed by beheading on April 6 at age 42.

Even after his death, Oguri's work continued to shape Japan. The Yokosuka shipyard was completed in 1871. It remains in operation in Yokosuka city today. Many leaders later praised his contributions. Togo Heihachiro said the dockyard helped Japan win the Japan-Russia war. Okuma Shigenobu believed Meiji reforms were based on Oguri's ideas. Other thinkers called him a "father of Meiji." He is remembered as a man who worked to build a future for the next generations.