Kohei Saito (斎藤 幸平, Saitō Kōhei) (born January 31, 1987) is a Japanese philosopher. He is an associate professor at the…Kohei Saito (斎藤 幸平, Saitō Kōhei) (born January 31, 1987) is a Japanese philosopher. He is an associate professor at the University of Tokyo. Saito works on ecology and political economy from a Marxist perspective. His 2020 book Capital in the Anthropocene has been credited for inspiring a resurgence of interest in Marxist thought in Japan.
Ryuho Okawa (大川 隆法; Ōkawa Ryūhō; born Takashi Nakagawa (中川 隆; Nakagawa Takashi), 7 July 1956 – 2 March 2023) was a…Ryuho Okawa (大川 隆法; Ōkawa Ryūhō; born Takashi Nakagawa (中川 隆; Nakagawa Takashi), 7 July 1956 – 2 March 2023) was a Japanese religious and political leader who was the CEO and founder of the Happy Science and the Happiness Realization Party. He was also an author and chairman of two companies affiliated with the organization, New Star Production and ARI Production. His organization has been widely criticised as a cult. Adherents of the religion worship Okawa, who claimed to be the current incarnation of a god called "El Cantare" and a number of other beings, including Hermes and Gautama Buddha.
Kang Sang-jung (Korean: 강상중; Hanja: 姜尙中; born 1950), also known by his Japanese name Nagano Tetsuo (永野鉄男), is a…Kang Sang-jung (Korean: 강상중; Hanja: 姜尙中; born 1950), also known by his Japanese name Nagano Tetsuo (永野鉄男), is a Japanese-born South Korean political scientist, writer and public commentator. He has been an academic at several Japanese universities including the University of Tokyo (1996–2013), and President of Seigakuin University (2013–2015). He is currently Chairman of the Board of Kumamoto Prefectural Theatre.
Susumu Nishibe (西部 邁; 15 March 1939 – 21 January 2018) was a Japanese critic, conservative and economist. He was a…Susumu Nishibe (西部 邁; 15 March 1939 – 21 January 2018) was a Japanese critic, conservative and economist. He was a professor of Socioeconomics at University of Tokyo. He criticized modern economics, progressivism, and rationalism, and advocated theories on mass society, conservatism, and the independence of Japan from the United States.
Kisho Kurokawa (黒川 紀章, Kurokawa Kishō) (April 8, 1934 – October 12, 2007) was a leading Japanese architect and a…Kisho Kurokawa (黒川 紀章, Kurokawa Kishō) (April 8, 1934 – October 12, 2007) was a leading Japanese architect and a founder of the Metabolist Movement.
Von Jour Caux (梵寿綱, Bon Jukō) is the pseudonym of Toshiro Tanaka (田中 俊郎, Tanaka Toshirō) (born 27 January 1934 in…Von Jour Caux (梵寿綱, Bon Jukō) is the pseudonym of Toshiro Tanaka (田中 俊郎, Tanaka Toshirō) (born 27 January 1934 in Asakusa, Tokyo), a Japanese architect, artist, and thinker. He has been referred to as the Japanese Gaudi.
Ryu Ota (Japanese: 太田 龍 / 太田 竜, Hepburn: Ōta Ryū; also Ryu Ohta; 16 August 1930 – 19 May 2009) was a Japanese political…Ryu Ota (Japanese: 太田 龍 / 太田 竜, Hepburn: Ōta Ryū; also Ryu Ohta; 16 August 1930 – 19 May 2009) was a Japanese political activist and writer. Initially a supporter of the Japanese New Left, he later turned to green politics before becoming an antisemitic conspiracy theorist.
Rō Takenaka (竹中労, Takenaka Rō; born Tsutomu, May 30, 1930 – May 19, 1991) was a Japanese author, journalist and…Rō Takenaka (竹中労, Takenaka Rō; born Tsutomu, May 30, 1930 – May 19, 1991) was a Japanese author, journalist and cultural critic.
Kenzō Okuzaki (Japanese: 奥崎 謙三, Hepburn: Okuzaki Kenzō; 1 February 1920 – 16 June 2005) was a former Imperial Japanese…Kenzō Okuzaki (Japanese: 奥崎 謙三, Hepburn: Okuzaki Kenzō; 1 February 1920 – 16 June 2005) was a former Imperial Japanese Army soldier, writer, actor, anti-monarchist and anarchist. He was known for an attempted assault on Emperor Shōwa, and his starring role in the documentary The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On (1987).
Tsutomu Miura (三浦 つとむ, Miura Tsutomu; 1911 - October 27, 1989) was a Japanese linguist born in Tokyo. He studied…Tsutomu Miura (三浦 つとむ, Miura Tsutomu; 1911 - October 27, 1989) was a Japanese linguist born in Tokyo. He studied language as expression from contentism and criticized formism and functionism, like structural linguistics or the theory of generative grammar. He regarded Tokieda's theory, also known as "Gengo Katei Setsu"(Language-as-a-Process Theory), as "the world highest standard theory" and created his original language theory based on Tokieda's theory.
Masaaki Tanaka (田中 正明, Tanaka Masaaki) (February 11, 1911 – January 8, 2006) was a Japanese author notable for his book…Masaaki Tanaka (田中 正明, Tanaka Masaaki) (February 11, 1911 – January 8, 2006) was a Japanese author notable for his book What Really Happened in Nanking: The Refutation of a Common Myth, which denies that the Nanjing Massacre as traditionally understood took place. Originally written in Japanese in 1987, an English version was published in 2000 in response to Iris Chang's book, The Rape of Nanking.
Doshin So (宗道臣, Sō Dōshin) (born Michiomi Nakano (中野道臣, Nakano Michiomi)), (1911–1980) was a Japanese soldier and…Doshin So (宗道臣, Sō Dōshin) (born Michiomi Nakano (中野道臣, Nakano Michiomi)), (1911–1980) was a Japanese soldier and martial artist. He is most known as the creator and founder of Shorinji Kempo and the doctrine Kongo Zen (金剛禅, Kongō Zen). Practitioners of Shorinji Kempo refer to him as Kaiso, Japanese for "the founder".
Kurihara Yasuhide (栗原 安秀; November 17, 1908 – July 12, 1936) was an Imperial Japanese Army officer and lieutenant of…Kurihara Yasuhide (栗原 安秀; November 17, 1908 – July 12, 1936) was an Imperial Japanese Army officer and lieutenant of infantry. He participated in the February 26 incident.
Kenji Miyamoto (宮本 顕治, Miyamoto Kenji; 17 October 1908 – 18 July 2007) was a Japanese communist politician. He was the…Kenji Miyamoto (宮本 顕治, Miyamoto Kenji; 17 October 1908 – 18 July 2007) was a Japanese communist politician. He was the leader of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) from 1958 to 1977.
Mikami Taku or Mikami Takashi (三上 卓; 22 March 1905 – 25 October 1971) was a lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Navy…Mikami Taku or Mikami Takashi (三上 卓; 22 March 1905 – 25 October 1971) was a lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Navy, who participated in the May 15 Incident in which Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi was assassinated. He composed the "Ode of Showa Restoration" as an anthem for the Young Officers Movement.
Shigeo Kamiyama (神山 茂夫, Kamiyama Shigeo) (1 February 1905 – 8 July 1974) was a Japanese communist. He was born in 1905…Shigeo Kamiyama (神山 茂夫, Kamiyama Shigeo) (1 February 1905 – 8 July 1974) was a Japanese communist. He was born in 1905 in Shimonoseki. In 1928, he joined the Japanese Communist Party. On 1 May 1941, he was arrested as the leader of the Communist Party Rebuilding Committee. He was imprisoned in Sugamo prison where he met Hotsumi Ozaki. Kamiyama remained in jail until 1945. After the war, he was active in the Japanese Communist Party.
Takaji Muranaka (村中 孝次, Muranaka Takaji; 3 October 1903 – 19 August 1937) was an Imperial Japanese Army officer who was…Takaji Muranaka (村中 孝次, Muranaka Takaji; 3 October 1903 – 19 August 1937) was an Imperial Japanese Army officer who was a conspirator in the February 26 Incident in 1936 and was subsequently arrested and executed by the Japanese authorities for the attempted coup.
Daisuke Nanba (難波 大助, Nanba Daisuke, November 7, 1899 – November 15, 1924) was a Japanese student and member of the…Daisuke Nanba (難波 大助, Nanba Daisuke, November 7, 1899 – November 15, 1924) was a Japanese student and member of the Japanese Communist Party who tried to assassinate the Crown Prince Regent Hirohito in the Toranomon incident on December 27, 1923.
Masahiro Yasuoka (安岡正篤, Yasuoka Masahiro; February 13, 1898 – December 13, 1983) was a Japanese scholar of yangmingism…Masahiro Yasuoka (安岡正篤, Yasuoka Masahiro; February 13, 1898 – December 13, 1983) was a Japanese scholar of yangmingism who, through his philosophy, reportedly exerted considerable influence on many Japanese politicians, including postwar prime ministers of Japan. He has been considered a backroom power broker or eminence grise.
Itsurō Sakisaka (向坂 逸郎, Sakisaka Itsurō) (6 February 1897 – 22 January 1985) was a Japanese Marxian economist and…Itsurō Sakisaka (向坂 逸郎, Sakisaka Itsurō) (6 February 1897 – 22 January 1985) was a Japanese Marxian economist and socialist thinker. A professor of economics at Kyushu University, he was a leading theoretician of the left wing of the Japan Socialist Party (JSP) and co-founder and long-time leader of the Socialist Association (Shakaishugi Kyōkai).
Ch'oe Ch'angik (Korean: 최창익; Hanja: 崔昌益, 1896–1960) was a Korean politician in the Japanese colonial era. He was a…Ch'oe Ch'angik (Korean: 최창익; Hanja: 崔昌益, 1896–1960) was a Korean politician in the Japanese colonial era. He was a member of the Korean independence movement. He was also known by the names Ch'oe Ch'angsŏk (최창석; 崔昌錫), Ch'oe Ch'angsun (최창순; 崔昌淳), Ch'oe Tongu (최동우; 崔東宇), and Ri Kŏnu.
Kyuichi Tokuda (徳田 球一, Tokuda Kyūichi; September 12, 1894 – October 14, 1953) was a Japanese politician and first…Kyuichi Tokuda (徳田 球一, Tokuda Kyūichi; September 12, 1894 – October 14, 1953) was a Japanese politician and first chairman of the Japanese Communist Party from 1945 until his death in 1953.
Kōzaburō Tachibana (橘 孝三郎, Tachibana Kōzaburō; 18 March 1893 – 30 March 1974) was a Japanese political activist and…Kōzaburō Tachibana (橘 孝三郎, Tachibana Kōzaburō; 18 March 1893 – 30 March 1974) was a Japanese political activist and ultra-nationalist.
Sanzō Nosaka (野坂 参三, Nosaka Sanzō; March 30, 1892 – November 14, 1993) was a Japanese writer, editor, labor organizer…Sanzō Nosaka (野坂 参三, Nosaka Sanzō; March 30, 1892 – November 14, 1993) was a Japanese writer, editor, labor organizer, communist agent, politician, and university professor and a founder of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP). He was the son of a wealthy Japanese merchant, and attended Keio University. While in university, Nosaka became interested in social movements, and joined a moderate labor organization after graduation, working as a research staff member, and as a writer and editor of the organization's magazine. He traveled to Britain in 1919 to study political economy, where he deepened his studies of Marxism and became a confirmed communist. Nosaka was a founding member of the Communist Party of Great Britain, but his activity within British communist circles led to him being deported from Britain in 1921. After leaving Britain, Nosaka traveled through the Soviet Union (USSR). He returned to Japan in 1922, where he co-founded the Japanese Communist Party (JCP). Nosaka became a labor organizer, but was arrested twice by the Japanese government for his activities. After being released from prison a second time, Nosaka secretly returned to the USSR in 1931, where he became an agent of the Comintern. He traveled to the West Coast of the United States, where he worked as a spy from 1934 to 1938. After leaving the United States, Nosaka worked in China from 1940 to 1945, supporting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) by encouraging and recruiting captured Japanese soldiers to support and fight for the Chinese communists against the Imperial Japanese Army, and coordinating a spy network that operated throughout Japanese-occupied China. After the end of the Second World War in 1945, Nosaka returned to Japan with hundreds of other Japanese communists, where he led the JCP during the occupation by the Allies. Nosaka attempted to brand the JCP as a "lovable" populist party supporting Japan's peaceful transition to socialism, but his strategy was criticized within the party and within the Soviet Union. During the Korean War the JCP temporarily endorsed violence, and Nosaka disappeared from public life and went underground. He re-emerged to lead the JCP again in 1955, after which he attempted to disrupt the US-Japan Security Treaty by organizing public demonstrations, but he generally supported the JCP's role as a peaceful party. In 1958 Nosaka became Chairman of the JCP, a position he held until retirement at the age of 90, after which he was declared Honorary Chairman. Nosaka joined the faculty of Keio University, and he was widely idolized among left-wing intellectuals until shortly before his death, when the fall of the Soviet Union exposed controversial aspects of his relationship with Joseph Stalin's Communist regime.
Yi Kwangsu (Korean: 이광수; Hanja: 李光洙; February 1, 1892 – October 25, 1950) was a Korean writer, Korean independence…Yi Kwangsu (Korean: 이광수; Hanja: 李光洙; February 1, 1892 – October 25, 1950) was a Korean writer, Korean independence activist, and later collaborator with Imperial Japan. Yi is best known for his novel Mujŏng (The Heartless), which is often described as the first modern Korean novel. His art names were Ch'unwŏn and Koju. He adopted a Japanese name, Kayama Mitsurō (香山光郞).
Yamakawa Kikue (山川菊栄; November 3, 1890 – November 2, 1980) was a Japanese essayist, activist, and socialist feminist…Yamakawa Kikue (山川菊栄; November 3, 1890 – November 2, 1980) was a Japanese essayist, activist, and socialist feminist who contributed to the development of feminism in modern Japan. Born into a highly-educated family of the former samurai class, Yamakawa graduated from the private women's college Joshi Eigaku Juku (renamed Tsuda College in 1948) in 1912. In 1916, she married the communist activist and theoretician Yamakawa Hitoshi, who, in 1922, founded the short-lived pre-war Japanese Communist Party and was a leader of the Labor-Farmer faction. In pre-war times, Yamakawa contributed to the development of feminism as a founding member of the Red Wave Society (Sekirankai), Japan's first socialist women's organization, and she was one of the most visible socialist women. She is famous for "her position in debates on prostitution and motherhood, in which she consistently challenged liberal feminists (who she termed 'bourgeois feminists') on the possibility of women achieving full rights within a capitalist system". While Yamakawa is perhaps better known for these debates, "her participation in male-dominant socialist organizations and her interventionist writings on behalf of women within those organizations, directed toward her male socialist peers, were equally substantial". After the end of World War II, Yamakawa became the first head of the Women's and Minors' Bureau of the Ministry of Labor from 1947 to 1951. In addition, she engaged in activism for women's and workers' rights.
Yanagi Sōetsu (Japanese: 柳 宗悦; March 21, 1889 – May 3, 1961), also known as Yanagi Muneyoshi, was a Japanese art…Yanagi Sōetsu (Japanese: 柳 宗悦; March 21, 1889 – May 3, 1961), also known as Yanagi Muneyoshi, was a Japanese art critic, philosopher, and founder of the mingei (folk craft) movement in Japan in the late 1920s and 1930s.
Tetsurō Watsuji (和辻 哲郎, Watsuji Tetsurō; March 1, 1889 – December 26, 1960) was a Japanese historian and moral…Tetsurō Watsuji (和辻 哲郎, Watsuji Tetsurō; March 1, 1889 – December 26, 1960) was a Japanese historian and moral philosopher.
Dr. Reirin Yamada (山田 霊林, Yamada Reirin; 1889–1979) was a Sōtō Zen master who held many positions in his lifetime…Dr. Reirin Yamada (山田 霊林, Yamada Reirin; 1889–1979) was a Sōtō Zen master who held many positions in his lifetime, including 75th Abbot of Eiheiji in Japan, Abbot of Zenshuji in Los Angeles, California, and President of Komazawa University. He was also a strong supporter of the Japanese Imperial Army.
Kanji Ishiwara (石原 莞爾, Ishiwara Kanji; 18 January 1889 – 15 August 1949) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army in…Kanji Ishiwara (石原 莞爾, Ishiwara Kanji; 18 January 1889 – 15 August 1949) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. He and Seishirō Itagaki were the men primarily responsible for the Mukden Incident that took place in Manchuria in 1931.
Morito Tatsuo (森戸 辰男, Morito Tatsuo; 23 December 1888 – 28 May 1984) was a Japanese economist. He served as the…Morito Tatsuo (森戸 辰男, Morito Tatsuo; 23 December 1888 – 28 May 1984) was a Japanese economist. He served as the Minister of Education under Prime Minister Tetsu Katayama, and was the first president of Hiroshima University.
Kanson Arahata (荒畑 寒村, Arahata Kanson; August 14, 1887 – March 6, 1981), real name Katsuzō Arahata (荒畑 勝三, Arahata…Kanson Arahata (荒畑 寒村, Arahata Kanson; August 14, 1887 – March 6, 1981), real name Katsuzō Arahata (荒畑 勝三, Arahata Katsuzō), was a Japanese politician and writer active in the socialist and labor movements. Born in Kanagawa Prefecture, he converted to socialism in 1904 while working at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, where he read anti-war pamphlets by Kōtoku Shūsui, Sakai Toshihiko, and other socialists. After the Russo-Japanese War, Arahata wrote for numerous socialist publications; his account of the Ashio Copper Mine incident is considered a classic of Japanese journalism. In 1922, Arahata helped found the Japanese Communist Party. In 1937, he was arrested as part of the Japanese government's crackdown on socialists and communists and spent the following years in prison. After World War II, he served on numerous labor committees, and was elected the first chairman of the National Trade Union of Metal and Engineering Workers. He also helped found the Japan Socialist Party in 1945, joining its Central Committee in 1947 and winning elections to the National Diet on its slate in 1946 and 1947. In 1948, Arahata's opposition to the party's approval of postal, tobacco tax, and train fare increases led him to leave its ranks. After a failed attempt to create a new socialist party, he lost his seat in the Diet in the 1949 election. In 1951, Arahata withdrew from active involvement in the socialist and labor movements, but continued to write and exercise influence. He died in 1981.
Jo So-ang (Korean: 조소앙; Hanja: 趙素昻; 30 April 1887 – 10 September 1958) was a Korean politician, educator, and Korean…Jo So-ang (Korean: 조소앙; Hanja: 趙素昻; 30 April 1887 – 10 September 1958) was a Korean politician, educator, and Korean independence activist. He spent much of his career in exile in China, working in the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. After Korea gained its independence in 1945, he returned to Korea. He was a right-leaning politician who supported the Provisional Government over the various competing left-leaning organizations. He participated in drawing up a draft of the proclamation of the independence of Korea in 1918 while he was studying in Japan, and after 1919, left for Shanghai to join the Provisional Government. He served various roles in the Government until 1945, including as Minister of Foreign Affairs and head of the Korean Independence Party. He also organized the society of policies on current affairs with Kim Ku and Yeo Unhyeong, contributing to establish the theories on diplomacy of the provisional government. In 1948, Jo and other politicians including Kim Ku, Kim Gyusik, and Kim Il Sung visited Pyongyang to attend a joint conference between left and right leaning politicians in an effort to keep the Korean peninsula unified. He ran for a representative of the national assembly and was elected in 1950. In the same year when the Korean War broke out, he was abducted and taken to North Korea.
Shūmei Ōkawa (大川 周明, Ōkawa Shūmei; 6 December 1886 – 24 December 1957) was a Japanese nationalist and writer, known for…Shūmei Ōkawa (大川 周明, Ōkawa Shūmei; 6 December 1886 – 24 December 1957) was a Japanese nationalist and writer, known for his publications on Japanese history, philosophy of religion, Indian philosophy, and colonialism. Ōkawa advocated a form of Pan-Asianism which promoted Asian solidarity as a cover for Japanese imperialism and beliefs in Japanese racial supremacy. He co-founded the Japanese radical nationalist group Yūzonsha, and in 1926 he published his most influential work: Japan and the Way of the Japanese (Nihon oyobi Nihonjin no michi), which was so popular that it would be reprinted 46 times by the end of World War II. Ōkawa was also involved in a number of attempted coups d'état by the Japanese military, including the March Incident. After his arrest following the March incident, Ōkawa was protected by the intervention of General Kazushige Ugaki, and received a sentence of five years in prison, of which he served two years. He continued to publish numerous books and articles, helping popularize the idea that a "clash of civilizations" between the East and West was inevitable, and that Japan was destined to be the liberator and protector of Asia against the United States and other Western nations. In the Tokyo tribunal after the end of World War II, Ōkawa was prosecuted as a class-A war criminal based on his role as an ideologue. The Allies described him as the "Japanese Goebbels", and of the twenty-eight people indicted with this charge, he was the only one not a military officer or government official. The case against him was dropped when he was found mentally unfit to stand trial. Ōkawa's writings were used in the final verdict as part of the evidence for the crime of conspiracy to commit aggression.
Hiratsuka Raichō (平塚 らいちょう, transliterated らいてう according to the historical kana orthography; born Hiratsuka Haru, 平塚…Hiratsuka Raichō (平塚 らいちょう, transliterated らいてう according to the historical kana orthography; born Hiratsuka Haru, 平塚 明; February 10, 1886 – May 24, 1971) was a Japanese writer, journalist, political activist, anarchist, and pioneering feminist in Japan.
Motoyuki Takabatake (Japanese: 高畠素之, Hepburn: Takabatake Motoyuki; 1886 – 1928) was a Japanese journalist and political…Motoyuki Takabatake (Japanese: 高畠素之, Hepburn: Takabatake Motoyuki; 1886 – 1928) was a Japanese journalist and political activist who completed the first full Japanese translation of Karl Marx's Das Kapital. In his youth he became a member of the small Japanese anarchist movement. During the Russian Revolution however, he began to lean in support of state socialism. Where prominent Marxists saw the state in Soviet Russia as a temporary and necessary evil needed to construct communist society, Takabatake welcomed the revolution precisely because it would lead to a strong centralized state. This led to tensions between him and other Japanese Marxists, with Takabatake becoming one of the first theoreticians of socialist nationalism in Japan. He completed the first Japanese translation of Das Kapital in 1924, though by 1926 he had left Marxism entirely, establishing the fascist Kenkokukai organization, and had prepared to establish a National Socialist Party before his abrupt death in 1928.
Reikichi Kita (北 昤吉, Kita Reikichi, 21 July 1885 – 5 August 1961) was a Japanese philosopher, educator, political…Reikichi Kita (北 昤吉, Kita Reikichi, 21 July 1885 – 5 August 1961) was a Japanese philosopher, educator, political commentator, and politician. He served eight terms in the House of Representatives and was a founder of Tama Art University. He also served as Policy Research Council Chairman of the Japan Liberal Party. He was the younger brother of Ikki Kita, one of the main ideologues of the February 26 Incident.
Ōsugi Sakae (Japanese: 大杉 栄; 17 January 1885 – 16 September 1923) was a Japanese anarchist writer and social critic of…Ōsugi Sakae (Japanese: 大杉 栄; 17 January 1885 – 16 September 1923) was a Japanese anarchist writer and social critic of the Taishō period. His thought centered on individualism, direct action, and the "expansion of the ego" as philosophical underpinnings for social and personal revolution. Born into a military family, Ōsugi was expelled from military school for insubordination and turned to language studies and radical politics in Tokyo. After a series of prison terms between 1906 and 1910, which he considered his "real education," he emerged as a leading voice in the Japanese anarchist movement. Through his journals, such as Kindai shisō (Modern Thought) and Rōdō undō (The Labor Movement), he introduced the works of European thinkers like Peter Kropotkin, Georges Sorel, and Henri Bergson to Japan, synthesizing their ideas into his own philosophy. His advocacy of free love and his controversial personal life, which included simultaneous relationships with three women, led to a violent attack against him in 1916 and his temporary ostracism from the socialist movement. Ōsugi became a key figure in the Japanese labor movement, advocating for syndicalism and workers' autonomy while strongly criticizing both state authority and the emerging Bolshevism. In the chaotic aftermath of the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, Ōsugi, his partner and fellow anarchist Itō Noe, and his six-year-old nephew were arrested by a squad of military police led by Captain Amakasu Masahiko. They were beaten and strangled, their bodies disposed of in a well. Their murders, known as the Amakasu Incident, became a symbol of state violence against radicals during the period.
Tsuji Jun (辻 潤, Tsuji Jun; October 4, 1884 – November 24, 1944) was a Japanese author: a poet, essayist, playwright…Tsuji Jun (辻 潤, Tsuji Jun; October 4, 1884 – November 24, 1944) was a Japanese author: a poet, essayist, playwright, and translator. He has also been described as a Dadaist, nihilist, Epicurean, shakuhachi musician, actor and bohemian. He translated Max Stirner's The Ego and Its Own and Cesare Lombroso's The Man of Genius into Japanese. Born in Tōkyō, Tsuji sought escape in literature from a childhood he described as "nothing but destitution, hardship, and a series of traumatizing difficulties". He became interested in the works of Tolstoy, Kōtoku Shūsui's socialist anarchism, and the literature of Oscar Wilde and Voltaire, among many others. Later, in 1920 Tsuji was introduced to Dada and became a self-proclaimed first Dadaist of Japan, a title also claimed by Tsuji's contemporary, Shinkichi Takahashi. Tsuji became a fervent proponent of Stirnerite egoist anarchism, which would become a point of contention between himself and Takahashi. He wrote one of the prologues for famed feminist poet Hayashi Fumiko's 1929 (I Saw a Pale Horse (蒼馬を見たり, Ao Uma wo Mitari) and was active in the radical artistic circles of his time.
Kita Ikki (北 一輝, Kita Ikki; 3 April 1883 – 19 August 1937; real name: Kita Terujirō (北 輝次郎)) was a Japanese author and…Kita Ikki (北 一輝, Kita Ikki; 3 April 1883 – 19 August 1937; real name: Kita Terujirō (北 輝次郎)) was a Japanese author and political philosopher who was active in early Shōwa period Japan. Drawing from an eclectic range of influences, Kita was a self-described socialist who has also been described by detractors as the "ideological father of Japanese fascism", though this has been highly contested, as his writings touched equally upon pan-Asianism, Nichiren Buddhism, fundamental human rights and egalitarianism and he was involved with Chinese revolutionary circles. While his publications were invariably censored and he ceased writing after 1923, Kita was an inspiration for elements on the far-right of Japanese politics into the 1930s, particularly his advocacy for territorial expansion and a military coup. The government saw Kita's ideas as disruptive and dangerous; in 1936 he was arrested for allegedly joining the failed coup attempt of 26 February 1936 and executed on 19 August 1937.
Mokichi Okada (岡田茂吉 Okada Mokichi; 23 December 1882 – 10 February 1955) was the founder of the World Church of Messiah…Mokichi Okada (岡田茂吉 Okada Mokichi; 23 December 1882 – 10 February 1955) was the founder of the World Church of Messiah, that later became the Church of World Меssianity. He also acted as the spiritual leader of Shumei and the Johrei Fellowship. He is known by his followers by the honorific title Meshiya-sama (メシヤ様; lit. 'Messiah') or Meishū-sama (明主様; lit. 'Lord of Light'). He is the founder of Johrei, an energy healing ritual that uses "divine light" to dissolve the spiritual impurities that are understood to be the source of all physical, emotional, and personal problems.
Kaneko Daiei (金子 大栄; 1881-1976) was a Japanese Shin Buddhist philosopher and priest during the first half of the 20th…Kaneko Daiei (金子 大栄; 1881-1976) was a Japanese Shin Buddhist philosopher and priest during the first half of the 20th century, belonging to the Ōtani-ha branch of Shin Buddhism. He was born to the priest of Saiken-ji, a Shin Buddhist temple in Jōetsu, Niigata Prefecture. He attended Shinshu University from 1901 when it was under the new leadership of Kiyozawa Manshi. It was at this time that he met and became close to Soga Ryojin. After graduating, he returned home and worked to propagate the ideas of Kiyozawa. In 1916, Kaneko took up a position on the faculty of Ōtani University. In 1925 and 1926, he published three works that took a controversial position on the nature of the Pure Land, and the authorities within the Higashi Hongan-ji judged his views to be heretical. In 1928, he resigned his professorship under pressure, and was suspended from the priesthood. He had to leave Kyoto and take up a position teaching at Hiroshima Bunkyo University. During this time, he continued to write, to publish, and to give Dharma talks all around the country. In 1941, the Jodo Shinshu leadership reinstated his priestly faculties and had him return to Ōtani University. Kaneko authored many essays and books on Shin Buddhist thought as well as the history of Buddhism. These have come to be held in very high regard, helping to sculpt modern day Jodo Shinshu philosophy. He was a good friend of Soga Ryojin (1875 – 1971), another student of Manshi who likewise taught at Otani University.
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.
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.
Yosano Shō (与謝野 志やう; née Hō (鳳); 7 December 1878 – 29 May 1942), known by her pen name Yosano Akiko (Shinjitai: 与謝野 晶子…Yosano Shō (与謝野 志やう; née Hō (鳳); 7 December 1878 – 29 May 1942), known by her pen name Yosano Akiko (Shinjitai: 与謝野 晶子, Kyūjitai: 與謝野 晶子, Japanese pronunciation: [jo.sa.no (|) aꜜ.kʲi̥.ko]), was a Japanese author, poet, feminist, pacifist, and social reformer, active in the late Meiji era as well as the Taishō and early Shōwa eras of Japan. She is one of the most noted, and most controversial, post-classical female poets of Japan.
Sakuzō Yoshino (吉野 作造, Yoshino Sakuzō; January 29, 1878 – March 18, 1933) was a Japanese academic, historian, author…Sakuzō Yoshino (吉野 作造, Yoshino Sakuzō; January 29, 1878 – March 18, 1933) was a Japanese academic, historian, author and professor of political science. Yoshino was active as a political thinker in the Taishō period. He is best known for his formulation of the theory of "Minponshugi," or politics of the people. He influenced liberal democratic thought in Japan.
Tempū Nakamura (中村天風; July 20, 1876–December 1, 1968) was a Japanese martial artist. He was the first to bring yoga to…Tempū Nakamura (中村天風; July 20, 1876–December 1, 1968) was a Japanese martial artist. He was the first to bring yoga to Japan and founded his own art called Shinshin-tōitsu-dō (心身統一道, lit. way of mind-body unification), and taught it at Tempu-Kai that he established.
Tsunashima Ryōsen (綱島 梁川, Tsunashima Ryōsen; May 27, 1873–September 14, 1907) was a Japanese author and philosopher. He…Tsunashima Ryōsen (綱島 梁川, Tsunashima Ryōsen; May 27, 1873–September 14, 1907) was a Japanese author and philosopher. He was a graduate of Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō. He was originally a rationalist and then became a Christian. He is buried in Tokyo's Zōshigaya cemetery.
Kōtoku Denjirō (幸徳 傳次郎; November 5, 1871 – January 24, 1911), better known by the pen name Kōtoku Shūsui (Japanese: 幸徳…Kōtoku Denjirō (幸徳 傳次郎; November 5, 1871 – January 24, 1911), better known by the pen name Kōtoku Shūsui (Japanese: 幸徳 秋水; Japanese pronunciation: [koːtokɯ ɕɯːsɯi]), was a Japanese socialist and anarchist who played a leading role in introducing anarchism to Japan in the early 20th century. Historian John Crump described him as "the most famous socialist in Japan". He was a prominent figure in radical politics in Japan, opposing the Russo-Japanese War by founding the Heimin-sha group and its associated newspaper, Heimin Shinbun. Due to disregard for state press laws, the newspaper ceased publication in January 1905, and Kōtoku served five months in prison from February to July 1905. He subsequently left for the United States, spending November 1905 until June 1906 largely in California, and he came into contact with other prominent anarchist figures such as Peter Kropotkin. Upon his return, he contributed to a divide within the left-wing movement between moderate social democrats and the more radical advocates of direct action, the latter of whom he supported. The growth of the 'direct action' faction led to the banning of the Japan Socialist Party in February 1907, and is arguably the beginning of Japan's modern anarchist movement. He was one of the 12 accused who were executed for treason by the Japanese government in the High Treason Incident in 1911, under suspicion of involvement in a bomb plot to assassinate the Japanese Emperor Meiji.
