Yamada Nobumichi

Yamada Nobumichi
山田 信道
Yamada Nobumichi
President of the Board of Audit
In office
22 December 1898 – 11 March 1900
Preceded byNoboru Watanabe
Succeeded byUtsumi Tadakatsu
Minister of Agriculture and Commerce
In office
8 November 1897 – 12 January 1898
Prime MinisterMatsukata Masayoshi
Preceded byŌkuma Shigenobu
Succeeded byItō Miyoji
Gubernatorial offices
Governor of Kyoto Prefecture
In office
October 1895 – November 1897
MonarchMeiji
Preceded byChiaki Watanabe
Succeeded byUtsumi Tadakatsu
Governor of Osaka Prefecture
In office
15 June 1891 – 10 October 1895
MonarchMeiji
Preceded byNishimura Sutezō
Succeeded byUtsumi Tadakatsu
Governor of Fukushima Prefecture
In office
19 October 1888 – 15 June 1891
MonarchMeiji
Preceded byOrita Heinai
Succeeded byKiyoshi Watanabe
Governor of Tottori Prefecture
In office
12 September 1881 – 19 October 1888
MonarchMeiji
Preceded byIjūin Kaneyoshi
Succeeded byMorimasa Takei
Personal details
Born(1833-12-13)13 December 1833
Died11 March 1900(1900-03-11) (aged 66)
Resting placeAoyama Cemetery

Baron Yamada Nobumichi (山田 信道; 13 December 1833 – 11 March 1900) was a statesman in early Meiji period Japan.

Biography

Yamada was born in Kumamoto Domain, Higo Province (present-day Kumamoto Prefecture). He was active in the Sonnō jōi movement, relocated to Satsuma Domain during the Bakumatsu period. Captured by security forces of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1863, he was sentenced to five years in prison.

After the Meiji restoration, Yamada was recruited into the new Meiji government and was assigned as governor of the short-lived Esashi Prefecture (now part of Akita and Iwate Prefectures in 1871.

Although Yamada was sympathetic to the grievances of the ex-samurai class and personally acquainted with many of the leaders of the Shinpūren Rebellion in his native Kumamoto, he remained loyal to the Meiji government throughout the uprising. He was rewarded with the governorships of Tottori Prefecture (1881–1888), Fukushima Prefecture (1888–1891), Osaka Prefecture (1891–1895) and Kyoto Prefecture (1895–1897). On 5 June 1896, he was elevated to the rank of baron (danshaku) in the kazoku peerage system.

Yamada was selected Minister of Agriculture & Commerce in the second Matsukata Masayoshi cabinet from 1897-1898. He subsequently served as chairman of the Board of Audit to his death in 1900. His grave is at the Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo.