Home Ministry (Japan)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Home Ministry (内務省 Naimushō?) was the Cabinet-level ministry established under the Meiji Constitution that managed the internal affairs of Empire of Japan from 1873-1947. Its duties included local administration, police, public works and elections.
After the Meiji Restoration, the Home Ministry was established as government department in November 1873, initially as a security agency to deal with possible threats to the government from disgruntled ex-samurai. Under the organization of the Meiji government, prefectural governors were appointed by the central government, and came under the jurisdiction of the Home Ministry.
Okubo Toshimichi was the first Home Minister. Okubo was succeeded by Yamagata Aritomo, who organized the Ministry into sections responsible for general administration, local administration, police, public works, public health, postal administration, topographic surveys, religious institutions and the national census. The administration of Hokkaido and Karafuto Prefectures also fell under the jurisdiction of the Home Ministry.
The Home Ministry also initially had the responsibility for promoting local industry, but this duty was taken over by the Department of Agriculture and Commerce in 1881. In 1890, the Railroad Ministry and in 1892, the Communications Ministry were created, removing these functions from the Home Ministry. The public health functions were separated into the Ministry of Health in 1938.
On the other hand, with the establishment of State Shinto, a Department of Religious Affairs was added to the Home Ministry in 1900. Following the High Treason Incident, the Tokko special police force was also created in 1911.
Through the passage of the Peace Preservation Laws, the Home Ministry was able to use its security apparatus to suppress political dissent and the curtail the activities of the socialists, communists and the labor movement.
After World War II, in October 1945, the scope of activities of the Home Ministry were severely limited by the American Occupation authorities. The American authorities felt that the concentration of power into a single ministry was both a cause and a symptom of Japan's pre-war totalitarian mentality, and also felt that the centralization of police authority into a massive centrally controlled ministry was dangerous for the democratic development of post-war Japan.
The Home Ministry was formally abolished on 31 December 1947, and its functions dispersed to the Ministry of Home Affairs (自治省 jijishō),now the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications,Ministry of Health and Welfare (厚生省 Kōseishō),now the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, National Public Safety Commission(国家公安委員会 Kokka Kōan Iinkai), Ministry of Construction (建設省 Kensetsushō), now Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.de:Innenministerium ja:内務省
