The was a political party

Political party

A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...

 in Meiji period

Meiji period

The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...

 Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

.

The Aikoku Kōtō was formed in January 1874 by Itagaki Taisuke

Itagaki Taisuke

Count was a Japanese politician and leader of the , which evolved into Japan's first political party.- Early life :Itagaki Taisuke was born into a middle-ranking samurai family in Tosa Domain, , After studies in Kōchi and in Edo, he was appointed as sobayonin to Tosa daimyo Yamauchi Toyoshige,...

, Etō Shimpei

Eto Shimpei

, was a Japanese statesman during the early Meiji period, remembered chiefly for his role in the unsuccessful Saga Rebellion.- Early Life & Meiji Bureaucrat :...

, Gotō Shōjirō

Goto Shojiro

Count was a Japanese samurai and politician during the Bakumatch and early Meiji period of Japanese history. He was a leader of which would evolve into a political party.- Early life :...

 and others as part of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement

Freedom and People's Rights Movement

The was a Japanese political and social movement for democracy in 1880s....

. Its purpose was to petition the Meiji government to establish a national assembly

National Assembly

National Assembly is either a legislature, or the lower house of a bicameral legislature in some countries. The best known National Assembly, and the first legislature to be known by this title, was that established during the French Revolution in 1789, known as the Assemblée nationale...

. Fearing arrest after the failed Saga Rebellion

Saga Rebellion

The was an 1874 uprisings in Kyūshū against the new Meiji government of Japan. It was led by Etō Shimpei and Shima Yoshitake in their native domain of Hizen.-Background:...

, Itagaki disbanded it soon after its foundation.

However, Itagaki revived the party in the 1890s, and it later merged with into the Jiyutō.

The Aikoku Kōtō can be regarded as the first political party in Japan. It should not be confused with the Aikokusha

Aikokusha

The ' was a political party in Meiji period Japan.The Aikokusha was formed in February 1875 by Itagaki Taisuke, as part a liberal political federation to associate his Risshisha with the Freedom and People's Rights Movement...

movement, or with various later ultranationalist

Uyoku dantai

Uyoku dantai are Japanese nationalist right-wing groups.In 1996, the National Police Agency estimated that there are over 1000 right wing groups in Japan with about 100,000 members in total.-Tennō period:...

 movements with similar names.

See also

• Liberalism
  Liberalism
  Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
  
  
• Liberalism worldwide
  Liberalism worldwide
  This article gives information on liberalism in diverse countries around the world. It is an overview of parties that adhere more or less to the ideas of political liberalism and is therefore a list of liberal parties around the world....
  
  
• List of liberal parties
• Liberal democracy
  Liberal democracy
  Liberal democracy, also known as constitutional democracy, is a common form of representative democracy. According to the principles of liberal democracy, elections should be free and fair, and the political process should be competitive...
  
  
• Liberalism in Japan
  Liberalism in Japan
  This article gives an overview of liberalism in Japan. It is limited to liberal parties with substantial support, proved by having had representation in parliament. The sign ⇒ means a reference to another party in that scheme...