Ozaki Yukio

(1858 - 1954)

Often called the father of parliamentary politics in Japan, Ozaki Yukio was born in Kanagawa the same year the Treaty of Amity and Commerce was signed, opening Japanese ports to American trade. In addition to serving as minister of education, minister of justice, and mayor of Tokyo, Ozaki was elected to the House of Representatives in 1890, a position he held for over sixty years. He played a significant role in the passage of a 1925 universal male suffrage bill and, as an outspoken antimilitarist, was imprisoned during both world wars.