Kuroda, Kiyotaka, 1840–1900, Japanese political leader. Born into a samurai family in Satsuma, he was active in overthrowing the Tokugawa shogunate and promoting the Meiji restoration. In 1874, as fears of Russia's eastward expansion grew, Kuroda was put in charge of the colonization of Hokkaido; he populated the island with former samurai and soldiers and brought in Western agricultural advisers to implement modern farming methods. Kuroda served as minister of agriculture and commerce (1887) and prime minister (1888–89). In the latter post he oversaw the promulgation of the Meiji Constitution, but his inability to revise various treaties that had been imposed on Japan by foreign powers forced his resignation. He later served as minister of communication (1892) and president of the privy council (1894–1900).
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