Kiryū Yūyū (Japanese: 桐生悠々; May 20, 1873 – September 10, 1941), born as Kiryū Masaji (桐生 政次), was a Japanese journalist and activist. He worked as the editor-in-chief for The Shinano Mainichi Shimbun (1910–1914; 1928–1933) and Shin Aichi (now the Chunichi Shimbun; 1914–1924.) He is known for being a "rebellious journalist" for his criticism of the Japanese military and totalitarianism in Japan during the late Taishō and early Shōwa period. Born in Kanazawa, he attended the Fourth Higher School alongside his friend Shūsei Tokuda. During his younger years, he was an aspiring novelist. Shortly before graduating from Tokyo Imperial University, Faculty of Law, he gave up being a novelist following advice from Roan Uchida. He became the editor-in-chief of Shimotsuke Shimbun in 1902 and worked as a journalist for Osaka Mainichi Shimbun and Osaka Asahi Shimbun. He is known for his editorials such as the "Rōshū Daha-ron: Nogi Shōgun no Junshi" and "Kantō Bōkū Dai-enshū o Warau". Shortly after he resigned from The Shinano Mainichi Shimbun in 1933, he launched the bi-monthly magazine Tazan no Ishi, where he published anti-military and anti-fascist articles until his death in 1941. The magazine was heavily censored by the military.
Source: “Kiryū Yūyū”, English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), excerpt