Toshinaka Ōkubo

Toshinaka Okubo (August 5, 1859 – January 20, 1945) was a Japanese businessman, politician, and noble. His noble title was Marquis, his court rank was Shō-nii, and his order of merit was the Third Class of the Order of the Rising Sun. His common names were Hikoguma and Hikonoshin.

**Life and Family Background**

He was born in Kagoshima Castle town, Satsuma Province, as the eldest son of Masusuke Okubo (later Tosuke Okubo) and Masuko. Due to his father's importance in the Meiji Restoration, he belonged to the kazoku peerage family. His mother was Masuko. His younger brother was Nobuaki Makino (Count).

**Educational Background**

In 1871 (Meiji 4), he accompanied the Iwakura Mission to the United States. He attended middle school in Philadelphia and received an ordinary education. After returning to Japan in 1874 (Meiji 7), he entered Kaisei School.

**Political, Economic, and Industrial Activities**

In 1878 (Meiji 11), at age 19, his father Tosuke was assassinated in the Kioisaka Incident. That same year, he was ennobled as a kazoku in recognition of his father's achievements. He was granted the title of Marquis on July 7, 1884 (Meiji 17).

**Financial and Administrative Roles**

In 1885 (Meiji 18), he became a junior clerk of the Ministry of Finance and later served as an accounting officer.

Following the establishment of the Imperial Diet, he was elected as a Marquis member of the House of Peers in February 1890 (Meiji 23).

**Railroad Business and Industrial Promotion**

In October 1878 (Meiji 11), he participated in the plan to build a railway between Tokyo and Aomori.

In November 1881 (Meiji 14), he co-founded Nippon Tetsudō, Japan's first private railway company, together with notable figures such as Viscount Iwakura Tomosada. He served as vice-president and president of the company.

In 1894 (Meiji 27), he filed for an Okinawa rail but it was not realized due to a lack of funds.

**Later Years and Death**

He retired on June 5, 1928 (Showa 3) and lost his status as a member of the House of Peers. Since he had no children, the headship of the Okubo Marquis family was inherited by his younger brother, Toshikatsu, on June 15 of the same year.

He died on January 20, 1945 (Showa 20) at Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo.

**Honors and Decorations**

On December 26, 1887 (Meiji 20), he was awarded 5th Class of the Order of the Rising Sun.

He was promoted through various ranks: to Junior Fourth Rank on June 18, 1890; to Fourth Rank on June 16, 1893; to Junior Third Rank on June 20, 1898; to Third Rank on June 30, 1903; to Junior Second Rank on July 10, 1911; and finally to Second Rank on July 20, 1920.

**Noble Titles**

He was ennobled as Marquis on July 7, 1884.

**Family Relations**

Father: Tosuke Okubo

Mother: Masuko Okubo

Adopted son: Toshikatsu Okubo (his younger brother)

Wife: Hisako Okubo (daughter of Yasutsune Shigeno, adopted daughter of Yasui Shigeno)

**Publications**

He co-edited and published the "Okubo Tosuke Documents Volumes 1-10" in 1927.

**Reference Materials**

Sources include Toshitane Okubo's supervision of "Okubo Family Secret Photographs: Tosuke Okubo and Family" (2013), the Railway History Society's "Dictionary of Railway Historians" (2013), Masato Miyaji, Nōmaru Sato, and Yoshiaki Sakurai's "Meiji Era History Dictionary Vol. 1" (2011), among many other references.