MATSUDAIRA SHUNGAKU, digh-rah shoon'gah-ku, champion, during Jajan's hermit days, of Western civilization and of friendship with the United States: b. Yedo, 11 Oct. 1828; d. Tokio, 1880. Adopted at 10 years of age by Matsudaira, baron of Echizen, at 21 he began sweeping and con structive reforms, introducing modern military, economic and hygienic methods, abolishing archery in favor of fire arms, establishing can non and rifle factories, sending young men as students to the Dutch at Nagasaki, establish ing lectures on the Oyomei (q.v.) philosophy and writing manifestoes. He combatted popu lar prejudices, showed the superiority of Western civilization and the reasonableness of Christianity, compelled the use by doctors of the Western methods of medical practice, opened a dispensary and organized a foreign literature department in the excellent clan school in Fukui. Opposed to opening the coun try prematurely, on unequal terms, as was done by Ii Naosulce, he suffered domiciliary confine ment but was later called to be virtual premier of the empire. With the assistance of Yokoi
Heishiro he abolished the century-old custom of compelling the feudal barons to live half the year in Yedo, leaving their families as hostages when away. This made Kioto the centre of affairs. He later brought the first of the yatio in his domain, and here the first public schools beyond the treaty ports were organized, and one of the very first of the new regiments of the peasant national army was raised. Out of this region, chiefly, was raised the famous Ninth Division that took Port Arthur. High posthum ous honors were awarded this pioneer of Western civilization. His biography and writ ings have been compiled by his son the marquis. Consult Griffis, 'The Mikado: Institution and Person' (1915), and The Mikado's Empire' (1912).