Taneomi Soejima (1828-1905) was a samurai and politician of the late Edo and Meiji periods. He was a samurai of the Saga clan. His childhood name was Ryutane, and his nickname was Jiro. He was also known as “Sokai” or “Ichiru Gakuto. He was a first-class count of the second rank of the Order of the First Class. Born as the son of Taneaki Edayoshi, a scholar of Japanese studies, he was adopted by the Soejima family. His elder brother Shinyo also became a scholar and taught Shigenobu Okuma, Takatoshi Oki, Shinpei Eto, Yoshiyuki Shima, and others at Kodokan. After the Meiji Restoration, he became a counselor of the new government and drafted the “Sho (Book of Government),” and later served as the 4th Minister of Home Affairs, the 2nd Vice President of the Privy Council, and the 3rd Minister of Foreign Affairs. He is also known as a Chinese poet and calligrapher.
