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Statesman, nation's financial leader, genro (elder statesman). Born in Kagoshima, the son of a samurai of the Kagoshima Clan. After serving as governor of Hita Prefecture, sozei gashira (Ministry of Finance official), taifu (senior vice minister) of Finance, and other posts, he became home minister in 1880. In the following year, when Shigenobu Okuma was expelled in a political upheaval, he became sangi (councillor) and finance minister. He adopted a policy of financial austerity called "Matsukata Deflation." He served as finance minister in the first Ito, Kuroda, first Yamagata, second Ito, and second Yamagata cabinets. During that period, he organized his own cabinet twice as prime minister, during which time he concurrently held office as finance minister. Later, he successively held offices as president of the Japanese Red Cross Society, privy councillor, gijokan, marquis member of the House of Peers, and Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. His great achievements as the nation's financial leader included the foundation of the Bank of Japan and the establishment of the gold standard. He was also highly esteemed as a genro.
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Matsukata, Masayoshi 
