Hitoshi Yamakawa (Japanese: 山川 均, Yamakawa Hitoshi; 20 December 1880 – 23 March 1958) was a Japanese socialist…
Hitoshi Yamakawa (Japanese: 山川 均, Yamakawa Hitoshi; 20 December 1880 – 23 March 1958) was a Japanese socialist intellectual, activist, and theorist. He was a central figure in the early Japanese socialist movement and a co-founder of the first Japanese Communist Party in 1922. After breaking with the party a year later, he became the leader of the Rōnō-ha (Labor-Farmer Faction), a dissident group of Marxist thinkers who challenged the Comintern's thesis that Japan required a two-stage revolution. Born in Kurashiki into a family that had lost its wealth and status, Yamakawa developed a strong anti-authoritarian streak and a sense of social alienation during his youth. After dropping out of Dōshisha, a Christian school where he was first exposed to socialist ideas, he was imprisoned for lèse-majesté in 1900. This experience proved transformative, and he emerged a dedicated revolutionary. Yamakawa joined the Japan Socialist Party in 1906 and, under the influence of Kōtoku Shūsui, became a leading advocate of anarcho-syndicalism. Following another prison term after the Red Flag Incident of 1908 and a period of withdrawal, he returned to activism in 1916. The Russian Revolution led him to embrace Leninism, and in 1922 he helped establish the Japanese Communist Party. He developed the doctrine of "Yamakawaism," which called for a mass-based, legal proletarian party rather than a small, secretive vanguard, leading to the dissolution of the first JCP in 1924. In 1927, he led the Rōnō-ha in a definitive split from the JCP, initiating the highly influential "Japanese capitalism debate". Yamakawa and his faction argued that Japan was an advanced capitalist country requiring a direct, one-stage socialist revolution, a position that placed them in direct opposition to both the JCP and the Comintern. After World War II, he helped establish the Socialist Association (Shakai-shugi Kyōkai (社会主義協会)), which became a powerful left-wing force within the new Japan Socialist Party. He remained a major figure in the socialist movement until his death in 1958.
Famous People Born in 1880
1880: 33 people
Mitsusada Umetani (2 December 1880 – 27 September 1936) was a Japanese Home Ministry and Police Bureau government…
Mitsusada Umetani (2 December 1880 – 27 September 1936) was a Japanese Home Ministry and Police Bureau government official. He was born in Hyōgo Prefecture. He was a graduate of the University of Tokyo. He was governor of Yamanashi Prefecture (1923–1924) and Nagano Prefecture (1924–1926).
Kuriyagawa Hakuson (廚川 白村; 19 November 1880 – 2 September 1923) was the pen-name of a Japanese literary critic, active…
Kuriyagawa Hakuson (廚川 白村; 19 November 1880 – 2 September 1923) was the pen-name of a Japanese literary critic, active in Taishō period Japan. His real name was Kuriyagawa Tatsuo.
Tatsuji Fuse (布施 辰治, Fuse Tatsuji; November 13, 1880 – September 13, 1953) was a Japanese lawyer and social activist.…
Tatsuji Fuse (布施 辰治, Fuse Tatsuji; November 13, 1880 – September 13, 1953) was a Japanese lawyer and social activist. Months after the beginning of his career, Fuse became disillusioned with the Japanese government and legal system. He began devoting himself to social causes and the defense of underprivileged groups in Japan. This included farmers, women, sex workers, and ethnic minorities, especially Korean people. Fuse eventually began taking hundreds of cases per year, sometimes free of charge, in defense of these groups. Fuse is remembered fondly in Korea as a Korean independence activist and the foremost defender of the rights of Koreans during and shortly after the Japanese colonial period. He was involved in a significant proportion of historic cases involving Koreans in Japan. This includes trials surrounding the February 8 Declaration of Independence, the trials of Pak Yol and Kaneko Fumiko, and trials in the aftermath of the Kantō Massacre. His activities drew the ire of Japanese authorities; he was arrested on a number of occasions and disbarred in 1939. Soon after Japan surrendered at the end of World War II, Fuse resumed his practice of the law and defended numerous clients until his death in 1953. In 2004, he became the first Japanese person to be awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation by the South Korean government.
Yoshisuke Aikawa (or Gisuke Ayukawa) (鮎川 義介, Aikawa Yoshisuke; 6 November 1880 – 13 February 1967) was a Japanese…
Yoshisuke Aikawa (or Gisuke Ayukawa) (鮎川 義介, Aikawa Yoshisuke; 6 November 1880 – 13 February 1967) was a Japanese entrepreneur, businessman, and politician, noteworthy as the founder and first president of the Nissan zaibatsu, one of Japan's most powerful business conglomerates around the time of the Second World War.
Takeshi Imamura (Japanese: 今村武志; 2 November 1880 – 21 August 1960) was Director of the Karafuto Agency (1932–1938) and…
Takeshi Imamura (Japanese: 今村武志; 2 November 1880 – 21 August 1960) was Director of the Karafuto Agency (1932–1938) and Mayor of Sendai (1942–1946). He was a graduate of the University of Tokyo and Tohoku University. He was a member of the Korean History Compilation Committee.
Hisanori Fujita (藤田 尚徳, Fujita Hisanori; 30 October 1880 – 23 July 1970) was a Japanese admiral in the Imperial…
Hisanori Fujita (藤田 尚徳, Fujita Hisanori; 30 October 1880 – 23 July 1970) was a Japanese admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, court official and Shinto priest. After retiring from active service, he served as Chief Priest of Meiji Shrine and the Grand Chamberlain to Emperor Hirohito during World War II.
Merrell Vories Hitotsuyanagi, also known as Mereru Hitotsuyanagi (一柳 米来留, Hitotsuyanagi Mereru); born William Merrell…
Merrell Vories Hitotsuyanagi, also known as Mereru Hitotsuyanagi (一柳 米来留, Hitotsuyanagi Mereru); born William Merrell Vories (October 28, 1880 – May 7, 1964), was an educator, architect, entrepreneur, Christian lay missionary, and founder of the Omi Mission. Born in the United States, he later became a naturalized Japanese citizen. Merrell lived and worked mainly in Shiga Prefecture in Japan. With only limited formal training as an architect, he founded an architectural office in Shiga which employed over thirty professional staff and was responsible for the design of well over 1000 residential, commercial, and church structures in Japan and occupied Korea, prior to the Second World War.
Hong Yi (23 October 1880 – 13 October 1942; Chinese: 弘一; pinyin: Hóngyī; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Hông-it, also romanized Hong-it)…
Hong Yi (23 October 1880 – 13 October 1942; Chinese: 弘一; pinyin: Hóngyī; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Hông-it, also romanized Hong-it), or Yan Yin (Chinese: 演音; pinyin: Yǎnyīn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ián-im) was a Chinese Buddhist monk of the Nanshan Vinaya school. He was also an artist, and a musician. Born Li Shutong (李叔同 and 李漱筒), he was known by the names Wen Tao, Guang Hou, and Shu Tong, but was most commonly known by his Buddhist name, Hong Yi (Hokkien Hong-it). Master Hongyi was a highly influential figure in both the modern Chinese cultural movement and the Buddhist revival during the Republic of China period. Initially renowned for his diverse artistic talents in poetry, music, painting, and calligraphy, he underwent a significant transformation, ordaining as a Buddhist monk in 1918 at Hupao Temple in Hangzhou. From that point until his death in 1942, he dedicated his life to the study and dissemination of Chinese Buddhism. He is widely recognized as one of the four eminent monks of the Republic of China, alongside Masters Taixu, Yinguang, and Xuyun. Within the Chinese Buddhist tradition, Master Hongyi is primarily known and respected as the eleventh patriarch of the Nanshan Vinaya school, a title reflecting his critical role in revitalizing the Vinaya tradition in modern China.
Yoshitsugu Tatekawa (建川 美次, Tatekawa Yoshitsugu; 3 October 1880 – 9 September 1945) was a lieutenant-general in the…
Yoshitsugu Tatekawa (建川 美次, Tatekawa Yoshitsugu; 3 October 1880 – 9 September 1945) was a lieutenant-general in the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. He played an important role in the Mukden incident in 1931 and as Japanese ambassador to the Soviet Union he negotiated the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact in 1941.
Gosuke Yokota (Japanese: 横田郷助; 23 September 1880 – 11 October 1931) was a Japanese government official who was the…
Gosuke Yokota (Japanese: 横田郷助; 23 September 1880 – 11 October 1931) was a Japanese government official who was the second Governor of the South Seas Mandate from 1923 until his death in 1931. He was from Yamaguchi Prefecture and graduated from Tokyo Imperial University.
Ikuo Oyama (大山 郁夫, Ōyama Ikuo) (20 September 1880 – 30 November 1955) was a Japanese academic, politician, political…
Ikuo Oyama (大山 郁夫, Ōyama Ikuo) (20 September 1880 – 30 November 1955) was a Japanese academic, politician, political scientist and writer.
Yukio Sakurauchi (櫻内 幸雄, Sakurauchi Yukio; 14 October 1888 – 9 October 1947) was an entrepreneur, politician and…
Yukio Sakurauchi (櫻内 幸雄, Sakurauchi Yukio; 14 October 1888 – 9 October 1947) was an entrepreneur, politician and cabinet minister in the pre-war Empire of Japan. He was the father of prominent post-war politician Yoshio Sakurauchi, and grandfather of controversial politician Seiichi Ota.
Masato Sugi (杉 政人, Sugi Masato; August 13, 1880 – November 19, 1951) was an Imperial Japanese Navy officer who held the…
Masato Sugi (杉 政人, Sugi Masato; August 13, 1880 – November 19, 1951) was an Imperial Japanese Navy officer who held the final rank of Vice Admiral. He was born in Takahashi City, Okayama Prefecture. As a graduate of the Imperial Japanese Naval Engineering Academy, he was the first candidate for the rank of Admiral from that institution.
Magosaburō Ōhara (大原 孫三郎, Ōhara Magosaburō; July 28, 1880 - January 18, 1943) was a Japanese businessman and…
Magosaburō Ōhara (大原 孫三郎, Ōhara Magosaburō; July 28, 1880 - January 18, 1943) was a Japanese businessman and philanthropist. He was born in Kurashiki, Okayama. He studied at Waseda University but left Waseda before graduation. Later he became the most influential person in Kansai business community.
Keiichi Aichi (愛知 敬一, Aichi Keiichi; July 25, 1880 – June 23, 1923) was a Japanese physicist. He served as a professor…
Keiichi Aichi (愛知 敬一, Aichi Keiichi; July 25, 1880 – June 23, 1923) was a Japanese physicist. He served as a professor of the physics department at the College of Science, Tohoku Imperial University. Aichi was born in Tokyo in 1880 and studied theoretical physics at University of Tokyo. He graduated in 1903 and in 1905 moved to Kyoto where he became an assistant professor at Kyoto University. Between 1908 and 1911 he studied in Germany and in 1912 defended his PhD at Tohoku Imperial University with recommendations from the chancellor. Soon after, he assumed the post of professor at the university's then newly established College of Science. In 1922, he served as an interpreter during the visit of Albert Einstein in Japan. Aichi died from food poisoning in 1923. His son was the politician Kiichi Aichi, who served consecutively as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister of Finance.
Kuraji Ishigaki (石垣 倉治, Ishigaki Kuraji; 16 July 1880 – 7 April 1942) was a Japanese politician. He was born in…
Kuraji Ishigaki (石垣 倉治, Ishigaki Kuraji; 16 July 1880 – 7 April 1942) was a Japanese politician. He was born in Yamagata Prefecture. He was governor of Nagano Prefecture (1931–1933) and mayor of Nagano, Nagano (October 1941–April 1942). He was a member of the Government-General of Taiwan. He died in office.
Matsuoka Toshizō (松岡俊三; 14 July 1880 – 16 February 1955), was a journalist, a 9 term member of the House of…
Matsuoka Toshizō (松岡俊三; 14 July 1880 – 16 February 1955), was a journalist, a 9 term member of the House of Representatives of Japan, and the Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Colonial Affairs in the Yonai Cabinet.
Nobumasa Suetsugu (末次 信正, Suetsugu Nobumasa; 30 June 1880 – 29 December 1944) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese…
Nobumasa Suetsugu (末次 信正, Suetsugu Nobumasa; 30 June 1880 – 29 December 1944) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and briefly served as Home Minister in the 1940s.
Motokichiro Osaka (逢坂 元吉郎, Ōsaka Motokichirō; June 25, 1880 – June 10, 1945) was a Japanese pastor, theologian, and…
Motokichiro Osaka (逢坂 元吉郎, Ōsaka Motokichirō; June 25, 1880 – June 10, 1945) was a Japanese pastor, theologian, and newspaper columnist. He is notable for his public criticism of efforts by the Japanese government to regulate religious bodies and strengthen a national form of Shinto, which culminated in a government-backed attack that left Osaka close to death. During his recovery, a personal awakening transformed his conceptualization of Christianity from an earthly, altruistic social practice to an ascetic practice rooted in Catholic orthodoxy. Osaka was a student and lifelong friend of philosopher Kitaro Nishida, the founder of the Kyoto School.
Tatsunosuke Yamazaki (山崎 達之輔, Yamazaki Tatsunosuke; 19 June 1880 – 15 March 1948) was a Japanese was a politician and…
Tatsunosuke Yamazaki (山崎 達之輔, Yamazaki Tatsunosuke; 19 June 1880 – 15 March 1948) was a Japanese was a politician and cabinet minister in the Taishō and early Shōwa periods of the Japan. His brother, Iwao Yamazaki was also a politician and cabinet minister, and his nephew Heihachirō Yamazaki was later a prominent member of the post-war Liberal-Democratic Party.
Osami Nagano (永野 修身, Nagano Osami; 15 June 1880 – 5 January 1947) was a Marshal Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy…
Osami Nagano (永野 修身, Nagano Osami; 15 June 1880 – 5 January 1947) was a Marshal Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy and one of the leaders of Japan's military during most of the Second World War. In April 1941, he became Chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff. In this capacity, he emerged as a leading advocate for preventive war against the United States and served as the navy's commander-in-chief in the Asia-Pacific theater of World War II until February 1944. After the war, he was arrested by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East but died of natural causes in prison during the trial.
Tsunetaro Moriyama (守山 恒太郎, Moriyama Tsunetarō; 27 April 1880 – 12 February 1912) was a Japanese baseball player.
Kuniaki Koiso (小磯 國昭, Koiso Kuniaki; 22 March 1880 – 3 November 1950) was a Japanese politician and general who served…
Kuniaki Koiso (小磯 國昭, Koiso Kuniaki; 22 March 1880 – 3 November 1950) was a Japanese politician and general who served as prime minister of Japan from 1944 to 1945, during World War II. He previously served as minister of colonial affairs in 1939 and 1940, and as governor-general of Korea from 1942 to 1944. Koiso resigned as premier after the start of the Battle of Okinawa, and following Japan's surrender he was convicted as a Class A war criminal and sentenced to life imprisonment, dying in prison in 1950.
Mitsutarō Yamaoka (Japanese: 山岡光太郎; 7 March 1880 – 23 September 1959), also known as Umar Yamaoka (Japanese: ウマル・ヤマオカ)…
Mitsutarō Yamaoka (Japanese: 山岡光太郎; 7 March 1880 – 23 September 1959), also known as Umar Yamaoka (Japanese: ウマル・ヤマオカ) was a Japanese Islamic scholar known for being the first known Japanese pilgrim to Mecca.
Yōsuke Matsuoka (松岡 洋右, Matsuoka Yōsuke; March 4, 1880 – June 27, 1946) was a Japanese diplomat and Minister for…
Yōsuke Matsuoka (松岡 洋右, Matsuoka Yōsuke; March 4, 1880 – June 27, 1946) was a Japanese diplomat and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Empire of Japan during the early stages of World War II. He is best known for his defiant speech at the League of Nations in February 1933, ending Japan's participation in the organization. He was also one of the architects of the Tripartite Pact and the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact in the years immediately prior to the outbreak of war.
Tadahiko Mibuchi (三淵 忠彦, Mibuchi Tadahiko; March 3, 1880 – July 14, 1950) was the first Chief Justice of Japan…
Tadahiko Mibuchi (三淵 忠彦, Mibuchi Tadahiko; March 3, 1880 – July 14, 1950) was the first Chief Justice of Japan (1947–1950) and the father of Mibuchi Shinzaburō, a businessman who was in the insurance industry.
Mitsumasa Yonai (米内 光政, Yonai Mitsumasa; 2 March 1880 – 20 April 1948) was a Japanese navy officer and politician. He…
Mitsumasa Yonai (米内 光政, Yonai Mitsumasa; 2 March 1880 – 20 April 1948) was a Japanese navy officer and politician. He served as admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, Minister of the Navy, and Prime Minister of Japan in 1940.
Kono Yasui (保井 コノ, Yasui Kono; 16 February 1880 – 24 March 1971) was a Japanese biologist and cytologist. In 1927, she…
Kono Yasui (保井 コノ, Yasui Kono; 16 February 1880 – 24 March 1971) was a Japanese biologist and cytologist. In 1927, she became the first Japanese woman to receive a doctoral degree in science. She received a Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon and was awarded an Order of the Precious Crown Third Class for her academic accomplishments and leadership in women’s education in Japan.
Gennosuke Fuse (布施 現之助, Fuse Gennosuke; January 24, 1880 in Otaru, Hokkaidō - December 12, 1946) was a Japanese…
Gennosuke Fuse (布施 現之助, Fuse Gennosuke; January 24, 1880 in Otaru, Hokkaidō - December 12, 1946) was a Japanese anatomist of the Meiji period. He graduated from Tokyo Imperial University medical school. Then he studied abroad in Switzerland. He was assistant of the University of Zurich from 1907 to 1911 and from 1914 to 1916 and worked with Constantin von Monakow. His name is lent to the Kölliker-Fuse nucleus.
Hajime Sugiyama (杉山 元, Sugiyama Hajime / Sugiyama Gen; 1 January 1880 – 12 September 1945) was a Japanese field marshal…
Hajime Sugiyama (杉山 元, Sugiyama Hajime / Sugiyama Gen; 1 January 1880 – 12 September 1945) was a Japanese field marshal and one of Japan's military leaders for most of the Second World War. As Army Minister, Sugiyama was a driving force behind Japan's 1937 invasion of China in retaliation for the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. After being named the Japanese Army's Chief of Staff in 1940, he became a leading advocate for expansion into Southeast Asia and preventive war against the United States. Upon the outbreak of hostilities in the Asia-Pacific theater of World War II, Sugiyama served as the army's commander-in-chief until his removal by Prime Minister Hideki Tojo in February 1944. Following Tojo's ouster in July 1944, he once again held the post of Army Minister in Kuniaki Koiso's cabinet until its dissolution in April 1945. Ten days after Japan's surrender on 2 September 1945, he committed suicide.
Suehiko Shiono (塩野季彦, Shiono Suehiko; born Shunpei Yamadera; 1 January 1880 – 7 January 1949) was a Japanese lawyer…
Suehiko Shiono (塩野季彦, Shiono Suehiko; born Shunpei Yamadera; 1 January 1880 – 7 January 1949) was a Japanese lawyer, politician and cabinet minister noted for his prosecution of high-profile cases of political crimes and thought crimes under the Peace Preservation Law of the Empire of Japan.
Shigechiyo Izumi (泉 重千代, Izumi Shigechiyo; died 21 February 1986) was a Japanese man who was titled the oldest living…
Shigechiyo Izumi (泉 重千代, Izumi Shigechiyo; died 21 February 1986) was a Japanese man who was titled the oldest living person after the death of Niwa Kawamoto on 16 November 1976, also from Japan. Izumi's claimed birth date of 29 June 1865 was accepted by Guinness World Records, which recognized him as the oldest verified man ever, but this was eventually withdrawn in 2010; in the 2012 edition of the Guinness World Records book, Christian Mortensen was named the "oldest verified man ever" and Izumi was not mentioned.