VISCOUNT BUYO

See also:

• VISCOUNT BUYO ENOMOTO (1839-1909)

ENOMOTO (1839-1909)  , Japanese vice-admiral, was born in Tokyo . He was the first officer sent by the Tokugawa government to study naval science in Europe, andafter going through a course of instruction in Holland he returned in command of the frigate " Kaiyo Maru," built at Amsterdam to order of the Yedo administration . The salient episode of his career was an attempt to establish a republic at Hakodate . Finding himself in command of a squadron which represented practically the whole of Japan's naval forces, he refused to acquiesce in the deposition of the Shogun, his liege lord, and, steaming off to Yezo (1867), proclaimed a republic and fortified Hakodate . But he was soon compelled to surrender . The newly organized government of the empire, however, instead of inflicting the death penalty on him and his principal followers, as would have been the inevitable sequel of such a drama in previous times, punished them with imprisonment only, and four years after the Hakodate episode, Enomoto received an important post in Hokkaido, the very scene of his wild attempt . Subsequently (1874), as his country's representative in St Petersburg, he concluded the treaty by which Japan exchanged the southern half of Saghalien for the Kuriles . He received the title of viscount in 1885, and afterwards held the portfolios of communications, education and foreign affairs . He died at Tokyo in 1909 .