Kuga Katsunan
Encyclopedia
was the pen-name of a journalist in the Meiji period
Empire of Japan
. His real name was Nakata Minoru.
, Mutsu Province
(present day Aomori prefecture
) to the official doctor of the Nambu daimyō of Hirosaki Domain
. He attended Miyagi Normal School in Miyagi prefecture
, but was forced to quit due to abusive behavior by its principal, a native of Satsuma Province
. This marked the start of Kuga’s lifelong opposition to the hanbatsu system and domination of the Meiji government by natives of the former Satsuma and Chōshū domains. After leaving Miyagi, he enrolled in the Law School of the Ministry of Justice
. However, he again failed to graduate, having been expelled together with Hara Takashi
for a student protest against the school’s room and board policy.
After a short period in Hokkaidō
, Kuga returned to Tokyo
to study the French language
. In 1883, he started working at the Documentation Bureau of the Grand Council (Dajōkan) and there became acquainted with Inoue Kaoru
. After the foundation of the cabinet system in 1885, he became an editing section chief at the Cabinet Gazette Bureau. In 1885, Kuga translated into Japanese some of the works of French
conservative political philosopher Joseph de Maistre
. During this period, Kuga’s own political philosophy tended towards opposition to the government’s Europeanization program as epitomized by the Rokumeikan
, rejecting the current trend toward blind adulation of all things western, and rejection of Japanese history and Japanese moral values. He resigned from his government post in 1888.
In April 1888, Kuga decided to publish a newspaper called , but due to reader confusion with the similarly named commercial newspaper , he changed the name in 1889 to simply . The newspaper was a platform for Kuga’s blend of idealistic Japanese nationalism
and liberalism
, which has been labelled Nihon-shugi. Kuga wrote:
Kuga used his newspaper to attack both political conservatives and entrenched bureaucracy in the government. As a result, it was a lightning rod drawing the wrath of government censors, but it also gained a wide readership. Between 1889 and 1896, government censors shut down Kuga's newspaper thirty times for a total of 260 days. Kuga's editorials on political morals influenced Tokyo Imperial University law professor Tatsukichi Minobe in the development of his controversial political theory, wherein he postulated that Emperor of Japan
was an "organ" of government, existing for the welfare of the people and not with absolute arbitrary political power.
Kuga continued to serve as the president and main writer of the newspaper until he fell ill in 1906 of tuberculosis
.
Kuga relocated from Tokyo to Kamakura
, but his health failed to recover, and he died in 1907.
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 :...
Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
. His real name was Nakata Minoru.
Biography
Kuga was born in HirosakiHirosaki, Aomori
is a city located in southwest Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It is a castle town and was the Tsugaru clan ruled the 100,000 koku tozama han Hirosaki Domain from Hirosaki Castle during the Edo period. The city is currently a regional commercial center and the largest producer of apples in Japan...
, Mutsu Province
Mutsu Province
was an old province of Japan in the area of Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori prefecture and the municipalities of Kazuno and Kosaka in Akita Prefecture...
(present day Aomori prefecture
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
) to the official doctor of the Nambu daimyō of Hirosaki Domain
Hirosaki Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in northern Mutsu Province . It was ruled by the Tsugaru clan...
. He attended Miyagi Normal School in Miyagi prefecture
Miyagi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island. The capital is Sendai.- History :Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Mutsu Province, on northern Honshu, was one of the last provinces to be formed as land was taken from the indigenous Emishi, and became the...
, but was forced to quit due to abusive behavior by its principal, a native of Satsuma Province
Satsuma Province
was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Its abbreviation is Sasshū .During the Sengoku Period, Satsuma was a fief of the Shimazu daimyo, who ruled much of southern Kyūshū from their castle at Kagoshima city.In 1871, with the...
. This marked the start of Kuga’s lifelong opposition to the hanbatsu system and domination of the Meiji government by natives of the former Satsuma and Chōshū domains. After leaving Miyagi, he enrolled in the Law School of the Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Justice (Japan)
The is one of Ministries of the Japanese government.-Meiji Constitution:The Ministry of Justice was established under the Constitution of the Empire of Japan in 1871 as the .-Constitution of Japan:...
. However, he again failed to graduate, having been expelled together with Hara Takashi
Hara Takashi
was a Japanese politician and the 19th Prime Minister of Japan from 29 September 1918 to 4 November 1921. He was also called Hara Kei informally. He was the first commoner appointed to the office of prime minister of Japan...
for a student protest against the school’s room and board policy.
After a short period in Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, Kuga returned to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
to study the French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. In 1883, he started working at the Documentation Bureau of the Grand Council (Dajōkan) and there became acquainted with Inoue Kaoru
Inoue Kaoru
Count , GCMG was a member of the Meiji oligarchy during the Meiji period Empire of Japan. As one of the senior statesman in Japan during that period, he had a tremendous influence on the selection of the nation's leaders and formation of its policies.-Early years:...
. After the foundation of the cabinet system in 1885, he became an editing section chief at the Cabinet Gazette Bureau. In 1885, Kuga translated into Japanese some of the works of French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
conservative political philosopher Joseph de Maistre
Joseph de Maistre
Joseph-Marie, comte de Maistre was a French-speaking Savoyard philosopher, writer, lawyer, and diplomat. He defended hierarchical societies and a monarchical State in the period immediately following the French Revolution...
. During this period, Kuga’s own political philosophy tended towards opposition to the government’s Europeanization program as epitomized by the Rokumeikan
Rokumeikan
The was a large two-story building in Tokyo, completed in 1883, which was to become a controversial symbol of Westernisation in the Meiji period. Commissioned for the housing of foreign guests by the Foreign Minister Inoue Kaoru, it was designed by Josiah Conder, a prominent Western architect...
, rejecting the current trend toward blind adulation of all things western, and rejection of Japanese history and Japanese moral values. He resigned from his government post in 1888.
In April 1888, Kuga decided to publish a newspaper called , but due to reader confusion with the similarly named commercial newspaper , he changed the name in 1889 to simply . The newspaper was a platform for Kuga’s blend of idealistic Japanese nationalism
Japanese nationalism
encompasses a broad range of ideas and sentiments harbored by the Japanese people over the last two centuries regarding their native country, its cultural nature, political form and historical destiny...
and 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,...
, which has been labelled Nihon-shugi. Kuga wrote:
If a nation wishes to stand among the great powers and preserve its national independence, it must strive always to foster nationalism ("kokuminshugi")...If the culture of one country is so influenced by another that its completely loses its own unique character, that country will surely lose its independent footing.
Kuga used his newspaper to attack both political conservatives and entrenched bureaucracy in the government. As a result, it was a lightning rod drawing the wrath of government censors, but it also gained a wide readership. Between 1889 and 1896, government censors shut down Kuga's newspaper thirty times for a total of 260 days. Kuga's editorials on political morals influenced Tokyo Imperial University law professor Tatsukichi Minobe in the development of his controversial political theory, wherein he postulated that Emperor of Japan
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
was an "organ" of government, existing for the welfare of the people and not with absolute arbitrary political power.
Kuga continued to serve as the president and main writer of the newspaper until he fell ill in 1906 of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
.
Kuga relocated from Tokyo to Kamakura
Kamakura, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
, but his health failed to recover, and he died in 1907.