ITO, HIROBUMI, PRINCE (1841-1909), Japanese states man, was born in 1841, being the son of Ito Jiizo, and (like his father) began life as a retainer of the lord of Choshu, one of the most powerful nobles of Japan. Choshu, in common with many of his fellow Daimyos, was bitterly opposed to the rule of the shogun or tycoon, and when this rule resulted in the con clusion of the treaty with Commodore M. C. Perry in 1854, the smouldering discontent broke out into open hostility against both parties to the compact. In these views Ito cordially agreed with his chieftain, and was sent on a secret mission to Yedo to report to his lord on the doings of the government. This visit caused Ito to turn his attention seriously to the study of the British and of other military systems. As a result he persuaded Choshu to remodel his army, and to exchange the bows and arrows of his men for guns and rifles.
But Ito felt that real knowledge of foreigners must be sought in Europe, and with the connivance of Choshu he and Inouye with three other young nobles, determined to risk their lives by com mitting the then capital offence of visiting a foreign country and went to London for a year to study English methods, but then events in Japan recalled them to their country. The treaties lately concluded by the shogun with foreign powers conceded the right to navigate the strait of Shimonoseki, leading to the Inland Sea. On the northern shores of this strait lay the feudal state ruled over by Prince Choshu, who refused to recognize the clause opening the strait, and erected batteries on the shore, from which he opened fire on all ships which attempted to force the passage. The shogun having declared himself unable to enforce the provision, the treaty powers determined to take the matter into their own hands.
Ito, who knew better than Prince Choshu the disproportion be tween the fighting powers of Europe and Japan, memorialized the cabinets, begging that hostilities should be suspended until he had used his influence with Choshu in the interests of peace.
With this object Ito hurried back to Japan. But Choshu refused to give way, and suffered the consequences of his obstinacy in the destruction of his batteries and in the infliction of a heavy fine. Ito's part in these negotiations aroused the animosity of the more reactionary of his fellow-clansmen, who made repeated attempts to assassinate him. In 1868 Ito was made governor of Hiogo, and in 1869 vice-minister of finance. In 1871 he accom panied Iwakura on a mission to Europe, which, though diplomati cally a failure, resulted in the enlistment of European advisers on military, naval and educational systems.
After his return to Japan Ito served in several cabinets as head of the bureau of engineering and mines, and in 1886 he became prime minister, a post which, when he resigned in 1901, he had held four times. In 1882 he was sent on a mission to Europe to study the various forms of constitutional government on this occasion he attended the coronation of the tsar Alex ander III. On his return to Japan he was entrusted with the drafting of a constitution. In 1890 he reaped the fruits of his labours, and nine years later he witnessed the abrogation of the old treaties, and the conclusion of conventions which placed Japan on terms of equality with the European states. In the work of reform in Japan Ito played a leading part. He was able to meet Li Hung-chang at the end of the Chinese and Japanese War (1895) as the representative of Japan, and the conclusion of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance in 1902 testified to his triumphant success in raising Japan to the first rank among civilized powers.
After the Russo-Japanese War (1905) Ito was appointed resi dent general in Korea, and increased Japanese influence in that country. He retired from this post in July 1909, and became presi dent of the privy council in Japan. But on Oct. 26, when on a visit to Harbin, he was shot dead by a Korean assassin.