Kōsai Uchida

Kōsai Uchida, also known as Yasuya Uchida, was born in Kumamoto in 1865. After studying law at Tokyo Imperial University, he entered the Foreign Ministry in 1887. Appointments in China and Austria preceded his arrival as ambassador in Washington in 1909. ¹

Uchida signed the new commercial treaty with Secretary of State Philander Knox on February 21, 1911. It provided reciprocal rights involving residence, travel, commerce, and property. Immigration remained a separate and sensitive issue: the American ratification understanding preserved existing immigration legislation, while Uchida declared that Japan would continue its voluntary restrictions on labor migration. ²

He returned to Japan to become foreign minister and later served as ambassador to Russia. Further terms at the Foreign Ministry followed, and in 1928 he represented Japan in signing the pact renouncing war as an instrument of national policy. ¹

Uchida became president of the South Manchuria Railway in 1931 and supported the Kwantung Army after the Mukden Incident. As foreign minister again in 1932, he defended recognition of Manchukuo even at the cost of international isolation. A Japanese historical research report records his declaration that the policy should continue even if Japan were reduced to ashes. He died in 1936. ^{3, 1}