Liberal Party of Japan (1881)
Encyclopedia
The is the name of several liberal
political parties
in the history of Japan, two of which existed in the Empire of Japan
prior to 1945.
and other members of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement
to agitate for the establishment of a national assembly
, with a membership based on the ideals of liberal democracy
under a constitutional monarchy
. It attracted a wide following of former samurai
who were discontent because they were no longer an elite class and no longer received stipends from the government. The Jiyūtō also aimed for suffrage for samurai and an elected assembly in each prefecture. Itagaki was party president, with Nakajima Nobuyuki as vice-president. Other notable members included Gotō Shōjirō
. Baba Tatsui, Suehiro Tetcho, Ueki Emori
, and Nakae Chōmin
.
The Meiji government viewed the growth of the Jiyūtō with misgivings, suspecting it of harboring tendencies towards republicanism
. The party was also made vulnerable due to peasant uprisings in rural areas led or inspired by local Jiyūtō members. The Jiyūtō voted to dissolve itself on October 29, 1884, on the eve of the Chichibu Incident
.
for the new lower house
of the Diet of Japan
. The party emerged as the majority party after the Japanese general election, 1890
with 130 out of 300 seats. It renamed itself back to Jiyūtō in 1891.
In the Diet, the Jiyūtō allied itself with Ōkuma Shigenobu
’s Rikken Kaishintō
(38 seats) and a number of independents to obtain an absolute majority. Itagaki and Ōkuma spoke out against clan-based politics and the arbitrary rule by the genrō
and House of Peers, and used the only weapon allowed to them under the provisions of the Meiji Constitution
to block legislation: withholding approval of the national budget. When the Diet became gridlocked in 1891, Prime Minister
Yamagata Aritomo
was forced to call for new elections.
During this period, a rift developed in the movement between the lower class members and the aristocratic leadership of the party. Itagaki became embroiled in controversy when he took a trip to Europe believed by many to have been funded by the government. The trip turned out to have been provided by the Mitsui
zaibatsu
, but suspicions that Itagaki was being won over to the government side persisted. Consequently, splinter groups proliferated, undermining party unity.
The 1892 General Elections
was marred by violence and intimidation by the government against Jiyūtō candidates and supporters; however, Jiyūtō managed to retain its position as majority party in the Diet by securing 94 seats, with 41 seats to their Rikken Kenseitō allies.
In April 1896, Itagaki joined the second Itō administration
as Home Minister
. In 1898, Itagaki joined with Ōkuma Shigenobu of the Shimpotō
(the former Rikken Kenseitō) to form the Kenseitō
, and Japan's first party government. Ōkuma became Prime Minister
, and Itagaki continued serving as Home Minister. The Cabinet collapsed after four months of squabbling between the factions.
After the Kenseitō dissolved, many former Jiyūtō members joined with former Prime Minister Itō Hirobumi
to form the Rikken Seiyukai
in 1900.
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,...
political parties
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 the history of Japan, two of which existed in the 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...
prior to 1945.
Liberal Party of 1881
The first Liberal Party of Japan was formed on October 18, 1881, by Itagaki TaisukeItagaki 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,...
and other members 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....
to agitate for the establishment of 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...
, with a membership based on the ideals of 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...
under a constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
. It attracted a wide following of former samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
who were discontent because they were no longer an elite class and no longer received stipends from the government. The Jiyūtō also aimed for suffrage for samurai and an elected assembly in each prefecture. Itagaki was party president, with Nakajima Nobuyuki as vice-president. Other notable members included 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 :...
. Baba Tatsui, Suehiro Tetcho, Ueki Emori
Ueki Emori
was a Japanese revolutionary democrat active in the Freedom and People's Rights Movement.Ueki was the son of a middle ranking samurai from Tosa. Inspired by Itagaki Taisuke, he became involved in the Jiyūtō. In 1875 he was thrown in jail under the Newspaper Act for writing an article critical of...
, and Nakae Chōmin
Nakae Chomin
was the pen-name of a journalist, political theorist and statesman in Meiji period Japan. His real name was . His major contribution was the popularization of the egalitarian doctrines of the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau in Japan...
.
The Meiji government viewed the growth of the Jiyūtō with misgivings, suspecting it of harboring tendencies towards republicanism
Republicanism
Republicanism is the ideology of governing a nation as a republic, where the head of state is appointed by means other than heredity, often elections. The exact meaning of republicanism varies depending on the cultural and historical context...
. The party was also made vulnerable due to peasant uprisings in rural areas led or inspired by local Jiyūtō members. The Jiyūtō voted to dissolve itself on October 29, 1884, on the eve of the Chichibu Incident
Chichibu Incident
The was a large scale peasant revolt that occurred in November 1884 in Chichibu, Saitama, a short distance from Japan's capital, and lasted approximately two weeks....
.
Rikken Jiyūtō
In 1887, Gotō Shojirō regrouped some members of the former Jiyūtō into a proto-party called the Daidō Danketsu Movement. This group was merged with two smaller groups led by Nakae Chōmin and Ōi Kentarō by Itagaki Taisuke to form the on August 25, 1890 to contest the upcoming first general electionGeneral election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
for the new lower house
House of Representatives of Japan
The is the lower house of the Diet of Japan. The House of Councillors of Japan is the upper house.The House of Representatives has 480 members, elected for a four-year term. Of these, 180 members are elected from 11 multi-member constituencies by a party-list system of proportional representation,...
of the Diet of Japan
Diet of Japan
The is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...
. The party emerged as the majority party after the Japanese general election, 1890
Japanese general election, 1890
was the Empire of Japan’s first general election for members of the House of Representatives of the Diet of Japan. It was the first example of a popularly elected national assembly in Asia -History and background:...
with 130 out of 300 seats. It renamed itself back to Jiyūtō in 1891.
In the Diet, the Jiyūtō allied itself with Ōkuma Shigenobu
Okuma Shigenobu
Marquis ; was a statesman in the Empire of Japan and the 8th and 17th Prime Minister of Japan...
’s Rikken Kaishintō
Rikken Kaishinto
The was a political party in Empire of Japan. It was also known as simply the ‘Kaishintō’.The Kaishintō was founded by Ōkuma Shigenobu on 16 April 1882, with the assistance of Yano Ryūsuke, Inukai Tsuyoshi and Ozaki Yukio. It received financial backing by the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, and had strong...
(38 seats) and a number of independents to obtain an absolute majority. Itagaki and Ōkuma spoke out against clan-based politics and the arbitrary rule by the genrō
Genro
was an unofficial designation given to certain retired elder Japanese statesmen, considered the "founding fathers" of modern Japan, who served as informal extraconstitutional advisors to the emperor, during the Meiji, Taishō and early Shōwa periods in Japanese history.The institution of genrō...
and House of Peers, and used the only weapon allowed to them under the provisions of the Meiji Constitution
Meiji Constitution
The ', known informally as the ', was the organic law of the Japanese empire, in force from November 29, 1890 until May 2, 1947.-Outline:...
to block legislation: withholding approval of the national budget. When the Diet became gridlocked in 1891, Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
Yamagata Aritomo
Yamagata Aritomo
Field Marshal Prince , also known as Yamagata Kyōsuke, was a field marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and twice Prime Minister of Japan. He is considered one of the architects of the military and political foundations of early modern Japan. Yamagata Aritomo can be seen as the father of Japanese...
was forced to call for new elections.
During this period, a rift developed in the movement between the lower class members and the aristocratic leadership of the party. Itagaki became embroiled in controversy when he took a trip to Europe believed by many to have been funded by the government. The trip turned out to have been provided by the Mitsui
Mitsui
is one of the largest corporate conglomerates in Japan and one of the largest publicly traded companies in the world.-History:Founded by Mitsui Takatoshi , who was the fourth son of a shopkeeper in Matsusaka, in what is now today's Mie prefecture...
zaibatsu
Zaibatsu
is a Japanese term referring to industrial and financial business conglomerates in the Empire of Japan, whose influence and size allowed for control over significant parts of the Japanese economy from the Meiji period until the end of World War II.-Terminology:...
, but suspicions that Itagaki was being won over to the government side persisted. Consequently, splinter groups proliferated, undermining party unity.
The 1892 General Elections
Japanese general election, 1892
The was the Empire of Japan’s second general election for members of the House of Representatives of the Diet of Japan, held on February 15, 1892.-History and background:...
was marred by violence and intimidation by the government against Jiyūtō candidates and supporters; however, Jiyūtō managed to retain its position as majority party in the Diet by securing 94 seats, with 41 seats to their Rikken Kenseitō allies.
In April 1896, Itagaki joined the second Itō administration
Ito Hirobumi
Prince was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan , genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist who was against the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire...
as Home Minister
Home Ministry (Japan)
The ' was a Cabinet-level ministry established under the Meiji Constitution that managed the internal affairs of Empire of Japan from 1873-1947...
. In 1898, Itagaki joined with Ōkuma Shigenobu of the Shimpotō
Shimpoto
' was a short-lived political party in Meiji period Japan.The Shimpotō was founded by Ōkuma Shigenobu in March 1896, as a merger of the Rikken Kaishintō and minor political parties to offset a temporary alliance between Ōkuma's rival, Itō Hirobumi and the Jiyuto.In June 1898, the Shimpotō merged...
(the former Rikken Kenseitō) to form the Kenseitō
Kenseito
The was a political party in the Meiji period Empire of Japan.The Kenseitō was founded in June 1898, as a merger of the Shimpotō headed by Ōkuma Shigenobu and the Jiyūtō led by Itagaki Taisuke, with Ōkuma as party president. The merger gave the new party an overwhelming majority in the Lower House...
, and Japan's first party government. Ōkuma became Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
, and Itagaki continued serving as Home Minister. The Cabinet collapsed after four months of squabbling between the factions.
After the Kenseitō dissolved, many former Jiyūtō members joined with former Prime Minister Itō Hirobumi
Ito Hirobumi
Prince was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan , genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist who was against the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire...
to form the Rikken Seiyukai
Rikken Seiyukai
The was one of the main political parties in the pre-war Empire of Japan. It was also known simply as the ‘Seiyūkai'Founded on September 15, 1900 by Itō Hirobumi , the Seiyūkai was a pro-government alliance of bureaucrats and former members of the Kenseitō. The Seiyūkai was the most powerful...
in 1900.