Ministry of Communications (Japan)

The Ministry of Communications (逓信省, Teishin-shō) was a Cabinet-level ministry in the Empire of Japan. Its modern successors include the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan Post and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone

Ministry of Communications
逓信省
Teishin-shō
Agency overview
FormedDecember 22, 1885 (1885-12-22)
DissolvedApril 1, 1949 (1949-04-01)
Superseding agencies
Jurisdiction Japan
HeadquartersChiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Parent agencyGovernment of Japan
Communications Ministry (Teishin-shō) offices, Tokyo, pre-1923

History

Meiji period

On December 22, 1885 the Ministry of Communications was established, combining the Bureau of Posts and Post Station Maintenance and Shipping Bureau formerly under the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce with the Telegraph Bureau and Lighthouse Management Bureau formerly under the Ministry of Industry. On August 16, 1891, the ministry was also placed in charge of the nascent Japanese electric power industry. On July 21, 1892, the Railway Bureau was transferred to the Ministry of Communications from the Home Ministry and from November 10, 1893, the ministry was charged with the supervision of all land and water transportation businesses.

However, on December 5, 1908, the Railway Bureau was separated to become an independent bureau reporting directly to the Cabinet.

Showa period

In April 1923, responsibility for civil aviation supervision was transferred to the Ministry of Communications from the Army Ministry. With the creation of the Railway Ministry in May 1928, supervision of all land transportation was removed from the Ministry of Communications. With the establishment in January 1938 of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, all matters pertaining to the postal insurance program were transferred to the new ministry, with the Ministry of Communications retaining control of the post offices and managing the postal system (including the Postal savings system. In December 1941, an external Maritime Affairs Council was established and took over the Lighthouse Bureau.

On November 1, 1943 the Ministry of Communications was merged with Railway Ministry to become the Ministry of Communications and Transport. Electrical production and aircraft manufacturing regulation was transferred to the Ministry of Munitions. Posts, telephone and telegraph, post office bank and insurance came under the Communications Institute, where issues relating the transportation came under the Directorate General of Shipping.

In May 1945, the Communications Institute became the Communications Council, reporting directly to the Cabinet, and the Ministry of Communications and Transport was renamed the Ministry of Transport.

Post-war dissolution

After the surrender of Japan, the American occupation authorities briefly reestablished the Ministry of Communications on April 1, 1946; however it was in charge of only posts and telecommunications. The Ministry was formally abolished on April 1, 1949 and its responsibilities divided between the new Ministry of Posts and Ministry of Telecommunications.

Ministers of Communications

NameCabinetDate in officecomments
1Enomoto Takeaki1st Itō, Kuroda22 December 1885concurrently Agriculture & Commerce
2Gotō ShōjirōKuroda, 1st Yamagata, 1st Matsukata30 April 1888 
3Kuroda Kiyotaka2nd Itō8 August 1892
4Watanabe Kunitake2nd Itō17 March 1895concurrently Finance Minister
5Shirane Senichi2nd Itō, 2nd Matsukata9 October 1895 
6Nomura Yasushi2nd Matsukata26 September 1898 
7Suematsu Kenchō3rd Itō12 January 1898 
8Hayashi YūzōŌkuma30 June 1898 
9Yoshikawa Akimasa2nd Yamagata8 November 1898 
10Hoshi Tōru4th Itō19 October 1900 
11Hara Takashi4th Itō22 December 1900 
12Yoshikawa Akimasa1st Katsura2 June 1901 
13Sone Arasuke1st Katsura17 July 1903concurrently Finance Minister
14Ōura Kanetake1st Katsura12 September 1903 
15Yamagata Isaburō1st Saionji7 July 1906 
16Hara Takashi1st Saionji14 January 1908concurrently Home Minister
17Hotta Masayasu1st Saionji25 March 1908 
18Gotō Shinpei2nd Katsura14 July 1908 
19Hayashi Tadasu2nd Katsura30 August 1911concurrently Home Minister
20Gotō Shinpei3rd Katsura21 December 1912 
21Motoda Hajime1st Yamamoto20 February 1913 
22Taketomi Tokitoshi2nd Ōkuma16 April 1914 
23Minoura Katsundo2nd Ōkuma10 August 1915 
24Den KenjirōTerauchi9 October 1916 
25Noda UtarōHara, Takahashi29 September 1918 
26Maeda ToshisadaKatō Tomosaburō12 June 1922 
27Inukai Tsuyoshi2nd Yamamoto2 September 1923concurrently Education Minister
28Yoshirō FujimuraKiyoura7 January 1924 
29Inukai TsuyoshiKatō Takaaki11 June 1924 
30Adachi KenzōKatō Takaaki, 1st Wakatsuki30 May 1925 
31Mochizuki KeisukeTanaka20 April 1927 
32Fusanosuke KuharaTanaka23 May 1928 
33Matajirō KoizumiHamaguchi, 2nd Wakatsuki2 July 1929 
34Chūzō MitsujiInukai13 December 1931 
35Hiroshi MinamiSaitō26 May 1932 
36Tokonami TakejirōOkada8 July 1934 
37Keisuke OkadaOkada9 September 1935concurrently Prime Minister
38Mochizuki KeisukeOkada12 September 1935 
39Tanomogi KeikichiHirota9 March 1936 
40Tatsunosuke YamazakiHayashi2 February 1937concurrently Agriculture & Forestry Minister
41Hideo KodamaHayashi10 February 1937 
42Ryūtarō Nagai1st Konoe4 June 1937 
43Suehiko ShionoHiranuma5 January 1939concurrently Justice Minister
44Harumichi TanabeHiranuma7 April 1939 
45Ryūtarō NagaiAbe30 August 1939concurrently Railway Minister
46Masanori KatsuYonai16 January 1940 
47Shōzō Murata2nd Konoe, 3rd Konoe22 July 1940 
48Ken TerajimaTōjō18 October 1941 
49Yoshiaki HattaTōjō8 October 1943concurrently Railway Minister

References

  • Beasley, W.G. (2000). The Rise of Modern Japan: Political, Economic, and Social Change since 1850. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 0-312-23373-6.
  • Samuels, Richard J (1996). Rich Nation, Strong Army:National Security and the Technological Transformation of Japan. ornell University Press. ISBN 0-312-23373-6.
  • Sims, Richard (2001). Japanese Political History Since the Meiji Renovation 1868-2000. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 0-312-23915-7.
  • Howe, Christopher (1996). The Origins of Japanese Trade Supremacy: Development and Technology in Asia. C Hurst Publishing. ISBN 185065221X.
  • Low, Morris (1999). Science, Technology and Society in Contemporary Japan. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521654254.


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