Nishi Tokujiro (西徳二郎)
Tokujiro NISHI (September 4, 1847-March 13, 1912) was a Japanese diplomat. He worked as the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was from the Satsuma Clan.
Career
He was born in 1847, the second son of Saemon SAITO and Hiro KANO. His childhood name was Tsunejiro.
In 1870, he studied at Saint Petersburg State University in Russia.
From 1873 to 1880, he travelled throughout Central Asia for his research. He visited Bukhara, Samarkand, West Turkestan, Tashkent, Uighur and Xinjian for his research.
In 1874, he became a secretary for the French legation and then worked as the great secretary of the Grand Council of State after he returned to Japan.
In June 1886, he was designated as the Japanese minister in Russia (that also doubled as the minister to Sweden and Norway). In August 1896, he left the position of the Japanese minister in Russia. In March 1897, he was designated privy councilor. From November 6, 1897 to January 12, 1898, he worked as the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Japan) in the second Matsukata cabinet. From January 12, 1898 to June 30, 1898, he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Japan) of the third Ito cabinet.
On April 25, 1898, Japan-Russia Agreement (Nishi-Rosen Agreement)
In October, 1899, he was named the Japanese minister in Qing. During the Giwadan War (The Boxer Rebellion) in 1900, he was besieged in Beijing.
On December 27, 1899, he was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun. In January 1901, he left the position of the Japanese minister in Qing.
In November 1901 he was the privy councilor.
The privy councilor, the Baron. In 1886, he wrote "Chuajiakiji" (The History of Asia). His son, Takeichi NISHI, a colonel in the Japanese army, died on the battle of Iwo-jima Island.