Kawaji Toshiyoshi

, also known as Kawaji Toshikane, was a Japanese military general, politician, and samurai during the Meiji period. A Satsuma Domain samurai initially tasked to study foreign systems for application in the Japanese military, Kawaji fought against forces loyal to the Tokugawa shogunate during the Boshin War. Later, his work on setting up the Japanese police at the aftermath of the Meiji Restoration, first as rasotsu, and then as keisatsu, earned him the recognition as the . ) While serving under Shimazu Hisamitsu, the last Satsuma domain daimyō, he was tasked with studying foreign techniques to apply to the local military. On 20 August 1864, he was involved in the Kinmon incident (Forbidden Gate Incident), wherein he fought against rōnin from Chōshū Domain. Being samurai of Satsuma domain, Toshiyoshi played a significant role in the Boshin War and the Meiji Restoration.

Police reform Before the 1871 abolition of the han system, which effectively removed the daimyōs and bugyōs from their official positions, the new Japanese capital of Tokyo was patrolled by mixed troops of samurai. On 29 August 1871, a special force, modeled after Western-style National Gendarmerie, was organized. The influence of the French system was highlighted by Fukuzawa Yukichi, who visited France in 1869. A total of 2,000 patrolmen initially formed the rasotsu due to Kawaji and Saigo's efforts, and an additional patrolman was recruited for every 3,000 city inhabitants in every prefecture outside Tokyo. As of 1872, the estimated total Japanese population was 34.8 million, around 900,000 of which were in Tokyo. This was followed by the voluntary surrendering of traditional samurai wear and weaponry.

To further study foreign police systems, Kawaji joined the Iwakura Mission, a formal diplomatic trip to the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, Prussia, Denmark, Sweden, Bavaria, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland. While the primary objective of the mission to renegotiate the unequal treaties was not achieved, Kawaji gathered enough information for him to formulate proposals in reforming the Japanese police, primarily focusing on financing and control structure. Kawaji also recruited Gambet-Gross as his formal adviser, who would later assist in numerous court cases, especially those involving foreigners and extraterritoriality. While Kawaji himself did not possess any mastery of the French language, he acquired the services of the interpreter Numa Morikazu, who accompanied him during the Iwakura Mission.

Philosophy While Kawaji was not known as an administrator, despite having a reputation comparable with the Three Great Nobles of the Restoration (維新の三傑, Ishin no Sanketsu), some regard him as the one who "established the Meiji political system" and "the great benefactor of the imperial police."

Contribution to kendo

In 1876, five years after a voluntary surrender of swords, the government banned the use of swords by the surviving samurai and initiated sword hunts. Meanwhile, in an attempt to standardize the sword styles (kenjutsu) used by policemen, Kawaji recruited swordsmen from various schools to come up with a unified swordsmanship style. In 1878, Kawaji wrote a book on swordsmanship, entitled Gekiken Saikō-ron (Revitalizing Swordsmanship), wherein he stressed that sword styles should not disappear with modernization, considering that other countries have been fascinated with them, but should be integrated as necessary skills for the police. He draws a particular example from his experience with the Satsuma Rebellion. The Junsa Kyōshūjo (Patrolman's Training Institute), founded in 1879, provided a curriculum which allowed policemen to study the sword arts during their off-hours (gekiken). In the same year, Kawaji wrote another book on swordsmanship, entitled Kendo Saikō-ron (Revitalizing Kendo), wherein he defended the significance of such sword art training for the police. While the institute remained active only until 1881, the police continued to support such practice. A further confirmation of this intention was the confession of Nakahara Hisao, a sho-keibu (corporal), who was supposedly the assassin assigned to eliminate Saigō. However, the Satsuma Rebellion had already begun in response to the rumored assassination, much to Saigō's dismay, especially since he and Kawaji had been friends.

On 19 February 1877, the Kumamoto Castle was attacked by around 20,000 samurai from the Satsuma Domain. True to his principles of the police working together with the military, Kawaji in his capacity as a major general led the Third Brigade, accompanying Major General Ōyama Iwao of the Imperial Japanese Army, who led the Fifth Brigade. Similar to Kawaji, Ōyama had also visited France to study. By 23 June, Kawaji, this time promoted as lieutenant general, and his division, had already entered Kagoshima, Saigō's headquarters (around 170 kilometers south of Kumamoto), reinforcing the beleaguered Admiral Kawamura Sumiyoshi and breaking the rebel strength. Saigō and his remaining forces, numbering around 500, were ultimately vanquished at the Battle of Shiroyama on 24 September 1877. The assassination of a high-level government official such as Ōkubo, the last of the Three Great Nobles of the Restoration (the other two being Saigō and Kido), raised concerns with the internal security being provided both by the police and the military. Nine days after the assassination, Emperor Meiji announced his intentions to tour the country, particularly the Hokurikudō and the Tōkaidō regions. The Hokurikudō tour would also mean visiting Kanazawa. As a precautionary measure, Kawaji detained 18 Kanazawa samurai who were suspected of holding extremist views, and replaced some of the soldiers stationed in Kanazawa. Considering that Kawaji was also included on the alleged hit list of Ōkubo's assassins, measures were also required to ensure his own safety as the head of Emperor Meiji's security detail. The emperor safely arrived in Kanazawa on 2 October, and departed on 5 October.

Death

In 1879, Kawaji travelled to France once more for a study mission, which was supposed to last until 1880.

The Filipino novel Revolution: 80 Days (2022) featured Kawaji as one of Japan's top officials.

Gaku Hamada portrayed Kawaji Toshiyoshi in 2025 Netflix TV series Last Samurai Standing, streamed in November 2025.