The first Japanese students in the United Kingdom arrived in the nineteenth century, sent to study at University College London by the Chōshū and Satsuma domains, then the Bakufu (Shogunate). Many went on to study at Cambridge University and a smaller number at Oxford University until the end of the Meiji period. The primary motive for this was an effort to modernise Japan in the long run. Since the 1980s, Japanese students in the United Kingdom have become common thanks to cheaper air travel.
At University College London supervised by Professor Alexander William Williamson
Ito Shunsuke (later Ito Hirobumi) - Genrō, 1st, 5th, 7th, and 10th Prime Minister of JapanInoue Monta (later Inoue Kaoru) - Genrō, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture and Commerce, Home, and TreasuryNomura Yakichi (later Inoue Masaru) - 1st Director of Railways (Tetsudō-chō)Endō Kinsuke - Head of Japan Mint (Zōheikyoku)Yamao Yōzō - Minister of Industry, Director of Cabinet Legislation Bureau15 Satsuma students, one from Tosa and one from Nagasaki, and 4 supervisors (ometsuke). This group also studied at University College London which was open to students of all religions.
Niiro Hisanobu(Niiro Chuzō) - Leader of Students, Karō of Satsuma-HanMatsuki Kōan (later Terashima Munenori) - Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of EducationGodai Tomoatsu (Godai Saisuke) - Founder of Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Osaka Securities ExchangeMori Arinori - 1st Minister of Education, Founder of Hitotsubashi UniversityMachida Hisanari - Ōmetsuke of Satsuma-Han, 1st Curator of Imperial Museum of Japan (later Tokyo National Museum)Machida Shinsirō - brother of Machida HisanariMachida Seizō (later Takarabe Saneyuki) - brother of Machida HisanariHatakeyaka Hatanosuke (later Hatakeyama Yoshinari) - head of Kaisei Gakkō (開成学校, one of predecessor of University of Tokyo), member of Iwakura MissionMurahashi Hisanari - founderer of brewery of Kaitakushi (Hokkaido Development Commission), later Sapporo BreweryAsakura Moriaki (later Asakura Moriaki) redeveloper of Ikuno Silver MineSameshima Naonobu - Envoy to FranceMatsumura Junzō - Vice Admiral of Imperial Japanese Navy, Director of Imperial Japanese Naval AcademyTakami Yaichi (former Ōishi Danzō) formarly rōnin of Tosa-Han, assassin of Yoshida TōyōYoshida Kiyonari - Envoy to USAIsonaga Hirosuke (later Nagasawa Kanaye) - winemaker of Fountain Grove Winery in CaliforniaNakamura Hironari (or Nakamura Hakuai) - Ministry to Belgium, member of House of PeersHori Takayuki - Interpreter of Dutch language in NagasakiNagoya TokinariTogo Ainoshin - died in Boshin WarSupervisors:
Kawaji TaroNakamura KeisukeStudents: (12)
Naruse JogoroToyama Sutehachi,Mitsukuri KeigoFukuzawa Einosuke (no relation of Fukuzawa Yukichi)Hayashi Tozaburo (later Hayashi Tadasu)Ito ShonosukeOkukawa IchiroYasui ShinpachiroMitsukuri Dairoku (later Kikuchi Dairoku)Ichikawa MorisaburoSugi TokujiroIwasa GenjiKikuchi DairokuSuematsu KenchoInagaki ManjiroOkura KishichiroTanaka GinnosukeHachisuka MochiakiNanjo Bunyu - professor of Sanskrit at Tokyo UniversityTakakusu JunjiroTogo HeihachiroTakamine JokichiKatsuhiko Oku, OxfordHisashi Owada, CambridgeHirotaro Yoshikawa, BirminghamNaruhito, Crown Prince of Japan, Oxford