Seigō Nakano
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Seigō Nakano | |
---|---|
中野 正剛 | |
Member of the House of Representatives | |
Constituency | Fukuoka 1st |
In office 10 May 1920 – 11 April 1939 | |
In office 30 April 1942 – 27 October 1943 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Empire of Japan | 12 February 1886
Died | 27 October 1943 Shibuya, Tokyo, Empire of Japan | (aged 57)
Political party | Tōhōkai (1936–1943) |
Other political affiliations | Kakushin Club (1922–1924) Kenseikai (1924–1927) Rikken Minseitō (1927–1932) Kokumin Dōmei (1932–1935) Imperial Rule Assistance Association (1940–1942) Imperial Rule Assistance Political Association (1942–1943) |
Alma mater | Waseda University |
Occupation | Journalist, politician |
Seigō Nakano (中野 正剛, Nakano Seigō, 12 February 1886 – 27 October 1943) was a journalist and politician in
Born in the city
In his views of the Meiji Restoration, Nakano viewed the event as the result of popular discontent at the Shogunate's despotic rule. But though the leaders of the restoration had been united in a heroic effort against despotic government, a split occurred in which men valuing liberty such as Saigō were sidelined and instead, the Meiji oligarchy allowed Western ideas to flood into the country, eroding Japan's unique spirit and creating a system of oligarchic-bureaucratic rule which was opposed to popular will.
During the
To form a strong government to deal with the climate of crisis in the early 1930s, Nakano first attempted to organize a union of the Seiyukai and
Biography
Early life
Nakano was born as Jintarō Nakano (中野 甚太郎) in the city of Fukuoka, located in Kyushu, the first and eldest son of his family. His father, Taijirō Nakano, was a pawn shop owner from an impoverished samurai family.[3] His mother was Tora Nakano. Nakano would also have two brothers, Taisuke and Hideto, and two sisters, Teru and Mura.
From the ages of 5 to 14, Nakano attended primary school before graduating to attend
In April 1905, Nakano enrolled at
Career in Journalism
After Nakano’s graduation, he pursued a career in journalism as a way to eventually enter politics. He worked at the
When the Taishō Political Crisis began, Nakano used his position at the Asahi to become a scathing critic of Katsura Tarō and cabinet, compiling his letters into a book in 1913. Nakano’s boldness at the paper had earned him many enemies in its management, however, and he was transferred to Korea that year.[7] While there, he criticized Governor Terauchi Masatake for his despotic rule of the colony. Nakano married Tamiko, the daughter of Miyake Setsurei, before he transferred to Korea.
In March 1915, Nakano finished his term in Korea and travelled to the United Kingdom. By this time, the
After returning to Japan, he left the Asahi and joined the Tohojironsha (Eastern Review) newspaper, of which he became Chief Editor.
Rise in Politics
In 1917, Nakano campaigned independently to win a diet seat in his hometown of Fukuoka, but failed. In 1920, he campaigned again. Now aided by greater fame from his writings at the Tohojironsha, the withdrawal of a rival candidate backed by the
In 1927, the Kenseikai Wakatsuki cabinet called a truce with their rival, the Seiyūkai, officially out of respect for the beginning of the new Emperor's reign but in truth over uncertainty over what results the nation's first elections under universal suffrage might bring. This move was criticized within the Kenseikai, leading to resignations which allowed Nakano to be appointed a Finance Ministry Councillor. After the fall of the Wakatsuki cabinet later that year, however, Nakano would be forced to leave his post, and a new, Seiyūkai cabinet was formed by Baron Tanaka Giichi.[13] Nakano would clash several times with Tanaka and his cabinet. Earlier in 1926, he had accused Tanaka of embezzling funds while War Minister in the Siberian Intervention. During Tanaka's time as Prime Minister, Nakano would launch a barrage of criticism against the man, attacking him over his heavy-handed foreign policy towards China and Manchuria, as well as showing weakness before the United States.[14]
In 1927, Nakano helped found the
Nakano would have further disagreements with the Minseitō, particularly over their reimplementation of the gold standard, which he believed was flawed, and when the
Drift Towards Fascism
Break with the Minseitō
By 1932, recent events such as the Great Depression and Manchurian Incident had convinced Nakano that the world and the establishment were drifting towards crisis. In order to form a strong government, he first attempted to create a union of the two largest political parties, the Seiyukai and Minseito. When this attempt failed, however, Nakano formed the Kokumin Dōmei (National Alliance) with Adachi Kenzō and his faction, breaking away from the Minseito, then elaborating and going further on his earlier proposals for national reconstruction. In the pamphlet Tenkan Nihon no Dōkō (Trends of Japan in Transition), he now claimed that the general trend of the times was towards one-party states, and that parliamentary politics and laissez-faire economics, both based on the British model, were outdated. In a later 1933 publication, Kokka Kaizō Keikaku Kōryō (Outline Plan for National Reconstruction), Nakano would advocate for a corporatist system. Upon the formation of the Kokumin Dōmei, the party platform called for the establishment of a "controlled economy", "aiming at the guarantee of the masses' livelihood".[19] In his campaign for a reconstruction of Japan, Nakano would also forge ties with military men such as Kanji Ishiwara and advocate heavily for the recognition of Manchukuo.[20]
Nakano's time in the Kokumin Dōmei would be limited, however. As 1932 passed, so did the sense of impending crisis which had convinced him to break away from the hopefully soon-to-be irrelevant establishment parties, and tensions which Adachi increased. Of particular frustration to Nakano was Adachi's refusal to wear the blackshirt, the party uniform, because he thought it looked silly, and his support of the Okada cabinet.[21] In May 1936, Nakano broke off to form the Tōhōkai ("Far East Society"), his final attempt at forging a mass-based party.[22] Tragedy also struck Nakano's family in the early 30s. His wife perished of tuberculosis in 1934, his son died in a skiing accident in 1931, and his second eldest son died of blood poisoning in 1935. On the national scale, the fading sense of crisis came to convince Nakano that a national reconstruction of Japan could be spurred on through international action, as with the Manchurian Incident.[23]
Meeting with Hitler and Time in the IRAA
During the February 26th Incident, Nakano excitedly took his sons to see the rebels from afar, believing the incident could spark a renovation, but as the revolt was crushed, so were Nakano's hopes. With the start of the
By this point, Nakano's pro-Nazi and pro-military rhetoric was beginning to earn him enemies in the diet. In 1939, Nakano would attempt to expand the Tōhōkai through a merger with the socialist Shakai Taishūtō. In recent years, the latter party had increasingly come to support the military and bureaucracy against the zaibatsus, making common cause through shared opposition to capitalism and supporting the China War. In the end, however, the merger would fail due to disagreements over the distribution of power and the two parties would simply agree to maintain friendly relations.[25] On a visit to China that same year, the Seiyukai and Minseito attacked Nakano in the diet, eroding his support and forcing him to resign, though he would later be re-elected in 1942.
In January 1939, Nakano gave a speech on the need for a
In his struggle against the growing monopoly of power by high civil and military officials and privileged capital, he even adapted the theme of anti-semitism to the Japanese scene. Recalling Hitler's claim that Germany's defeat in the Great War had been due to Jewish domination of finance and administration in collusion with the German and Australian bureaucracy, he drew an analogy with the control of the wartime Japanese economy by bureaucrats and their capitalist collaborators in state-backed economic agencies, coining the concept of "yudaya-shugi" (Jewish mentality) to describe them.[26]
In 1940, Nakano joined the New Structure Preparatory Committee, an organization formed by Prime Minister
Opposition to Tōjō
After the formation of the
Eventually, Nakano became a harsh critic of both Tōjō and the IRAA. He claimed that the party was becoming a tool of the bureaucracy to establish a dictatorship over the people and that it was unrepresentative of popular will. He also labelled Tōjō as a despot.[28] Among the reasons for Nakano's anger at Tōjō were the harsh regime of economic controls led by the bureaucracy and Japan's decreasing fortunes in the Pacific War.
Prior to the attack on
At Waseda University, Nakano gave a speech entitled "The World Prospers through the Individual" (Tenka Ichinin o Motte Okoru). In it, he criticized
In the final months of his life, Nakano attempted to aid in overthrowing the Tōjō cabinet. He reached out to men such as Konoe Fumimaro, Tanabe Tadao, who was an officer on the Planning Board, Matsumae Shigeyoshi,
Hoping to have Nakano removed from the diet when the Tōjō cabinet presented a plan for greater economic controls, on October 21, Nakano and 100 others were arrested by the police. While in confinement, Nakano confessed to spreading harmful rumors about the government. As this confession was not enough to legally confine him and prevent from attending the October 26th Diet session however, Nakano was made to sign an agreement not to attend the diet the next day and released on the 25th.[22] However, he was then taken to Kempeitai headquarters shortly before once again being sent home.
On October 27, Nakano Seigō committed suicide. The circumstances surrounding his death have been a source of debate since the incident happened. It is speculated that at the Kempeitai headquarters, the officers there coerced him into taking his own life by threatening his family.[31] Before Nakano committed suicide, the portraits of Hitler and Mussolini in his room were replaced with a statue of Kusunoki Masashige, a samurai known for his intense loyalty, and a biography of Saigō Takamori, a figure he had admired for all of his life. 20,000 people attended his funeral.[32][1]
See also
- Kita Ikki
- Japanese militarism
- Japanese nationalism
- Japanese fascism
References
- ^ a b "中野正剛". www6.plala.or.jp. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
- ^ Najita, T., & Harootunian, H. D. (1991). In The Cambridge History of Japan (Vol. 6, pp. 728–729), Cambridge Univ. Press.
- ^ Saaler, S., & A., S. C. W. (2011). Pan-Asianism a Documentary History. Volume 2, 1920-present. Rowman & Littlefield. Page 45
- ^ Populist Nationalism in Pre-War Japan: A Biography of Nakano Seigo by Leslie Russel Oates, 1985, Page 5-6
- ^ Saaler, S., & A., S. C. W. (2011). Pan-Asianism a Documentary History. Volume 2, 1920-present. Rowman & Littlefield. Page 45
- ^ Populist Nationalism in Pre-War Japan: A Biography of Nakano Seigo by Leslie Russel Oates, 1985, Page 9
- ^ Saaler, S., & A., S. C. W. (2011). Pan-Asianism a Documentary History. Volume 2, 1920-present. Rowman & Littlefield. Page 47
- ^ Populist Nationalism in Pre-War Japan: A Biography of Nakano Seigo by Leslie Russel Oates, 1985, Page 14
- ^ National Diet Library. (n.d.). Nakano, Seigo. Nakano, Seigo | Portraits of Modern Japanese Historical Figures. https://www.ndl.go.jp/portrait/e/datas/304.html?c=0.
- ^ Saaler, S., & A., S. C. W. (2011). Pan-Asianism a Documentary History. Volume 2, 1920-present. Rowman & Littlefield. Page 47
- ^ Populist Nationalism in Pre-War Japan: A Biography of Nakano Seigo by Leslie Russel Oates, 1985, Page 16
- ^ Saaler, S., & A., S. C. W. (2011). Pan-Asianism a Documentary History. Volume 2, 1920-present. Rowman & Littlefield. Page 48
- ^ Populist Nationalism in Pre-War Japan: A Biography of Nakano Seigo by Leslie Russel Oates, 1985, Page 27-28
- ^ Populist Nationalism in Pre-War Japan: A Biography of Nakano Seigo by Leslie Russel Oates, 1985, Page 29
- ^ Populist Nationalism in Pre-War Japan: A Biography of Nakano Seigo by Leslie Russel Oates, 1985, Page 30
- ^ Saaler, S., & A., S. C. W. (2011). Pan-Asianism a Documentary History. Volume 2, 1920-present. Rowman & Littlefield. Page 48
- ^ Populist Nationalism in Pre-War Japan: A Biography of Nakano Seigo by Leslie Russel Oates, 1985, Page 32
- ^ Saaler, S., & A., S. C. W. (2011). Pan-Asianism a Documentary History. Volume 2, 1920-present. Rowman & Littlefield. Page 49
- ^ Populist Nationalism in Pre-War Japan: A Biography of Nakano Seigo by Leslie Russel Oates, 1985, Page 41-42
- ^ Saaler, S., & A., S. C. W. (2011). Pan-Asianism a Documentary History. Volume 2, 1920-present. Rowman & Littlefield. Page 49
- ISBN 0-226-56803-2Pg.408
- ^ a b c 第2版,世界大百科事典内言及, 日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ),百科事典マイペディア,デジタル版 日本人名大辞典+Plus,ブリタニカ国際大百科事典 小項目事典,精選版 日本国語大辞典,デジタル大辞泉,世界大百科事典. "中野正剛(なかのせいごう)とは? 意味や使い方". コトバンク (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-02-18.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Populist Nationalism in Pre-War Japan: A Biography of Nakano Seigo by Leslie Russel Oates, 1985, Page 53
- ^ Populist Nationalism in Pre-War Japan: A Biography of Nakano Seigo by Leslie Russel Oates, 1985, Page 59
- ^ "Nakano Seigo and the Spirit of the Meiji Restoration in Twentieth-Century Japan" by T. Najita in Dilemmas of Growth in Prewar Japan edited by James William Morley, ISBN 0-226-56803-2 Pg.409-410
- ISBN 9781136917172.
- ^ Populist Nationalism in Pre-War Japan: A Biography of Nakano Seigo by Leslie Russel Oates, 1985, Page 74
- ISBN 0-226-56803-2Pg.413
- ^ Saaler, S., & A., S. C. W. (2011). Pan-Asianism a Documentary History. Volume 2, 1920-present. Rowman & Littlefield. Page 51
- ^ Populist Nationalism in Pre-War Japan: A Biography of Nakano Seigo by Leslie Russel Oates, 1985, Page 81
- ^ Populist Nationalism in Pre-War Japan: A Biography of Nakano Seigo by Leslie Russel Oates, 1985, Page 84
- ^ Populist Nationalism in Pre-War Japan: A Biography of Nakano Seigo by Leslie Russel Oates, 1985, Page 84-85
- Populist Nationalism in Pre-War Japan: A Biography of Nakano Seigo by Leslie Russel Oates, 1985, ISBN 0-86861-111-5 description
- "Nakano Seigo and the Spirit of the Meiji Restoration in Twentieth-Century Japan" by T. Najita in Dilemmas of Growth in Prewar Japan edited by James William Morley, ISBN 0-226-56803-2
- "Nakano Seigō – Populist, Fascist, Pan-Asianist" by Stefano von Loe in: Pan-Asianism A Documentary History, Volume 1, 1850-1920, eds. Sven Saaler und Christopher W. A. Szpilman, Rowman and Littlefield, March 2011, ISBN 978-1442205963
External links
- Nakano, Seigo at National Diet Library, Japan