Inoue Kaoru

Inoue served as Home Minister in the early Meiji government. He oversaw the implementation of the land tax reform and the conscription law. He also dealt with the suppression of the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877.

Inoue helped organize the Osaka Conference, which brought together Meiji leaders to resolve political differences. The conference led to the establishment of the Genroin (Senate) and the Daishoin (Supreme Court), laying the groundwork for a constitutional government.

Inoue Kaoru became Japan's first Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Meiji government. He was responsible for negotiating treaties with Western powers. He worked to revise the unequal treaties imposed on Japan, though with limited success initially.

Inoue, as Foreign Minister, negotiated the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Commerce and Navigation. This treaty abolished extraterritoriality for British citizens in Japan and restored tariff autonomy. It was a major step in revising the unequal treaties.