Politics

Politics

Saturday, April 2, 1921: The second Guangdong government established

The official government of the Republic of China (the second Guangdong government) is established on Saturday, April 2, 1921. Sun Yat-sen reorganized the military government that he had organized in Guangzhou in November of the previous year, and became the President at the Emergency Diet, sharpening his stance against the Beijing government. Although Sun Yat-sen claimed to be the only government representing North and South China, other countries did not approve. Sun Yat-sen remained in power as a local government. Wang Zhao Ming makes his first appearance on the political stage as director of education (chairman of education in Guangdong Province). Wang Zhaoming supported Sun Yat-sen as his closest aide,...

Politics

Friday, April 1, 1921: Korean farmers living in Manchuria

Minoru Saito, Governor-General of Korea, reported the plight of Korean farmers living in Manchuria to Prime Minister Hara Takashi on Friday, April 1, 1921. Due to financial difficulties caused by the drought, they were unable to purchase unhulled rice, and in the end, the Governor-General of Korea and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs each contributed 15,000 yen to the relief fund. However, the ambiguity of land rights became an obstacle. At the end of the same year, this led to the establishment of Toa Kangyo Co. (Manchuria Kangyo, Manchuria Agricultural Affairs) was established at the end of the same year. Although it was the time to sow seeds for Koreans...

Politics

Saturday, March 26, 1921: Shigeta Oyanagi

On Saturday, March 26, 1921, Chinese scholar Shigeta Oyanagi was dispatched by the Imperial Household Agency to study China for one year. The rapid westernization of the Meiji period was reconsidered in the Taisho period, and interest in Chinese studies increased. Koyanagi was an authority on Chinese studies at that time, and after working as a professor at Gakushuin, Kokugakuin, and Keio University, he became a professor at Daito Bunka Gakuin in 1926 and the president in 1940, but he died. Born in Niigata Prefecture, he became acquainted with Chinese studies at the age of six, and received his doctorate from the Chosenkan private school in Yoshida-machi, Nishikanbara-gun, and later...

Politics

Thursday, March 24, 1921: Hara Takashi’s diary

When he was a teenager, Takashi Hara followed Father Ebrard, a Frenchman, to learn French and was baptized as a Catholic. Later, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and became a diplomat, but he never shared his faith with others. In his diary of the same day, he wrote about the papal mission and received a report from Kiichiro Hiranuma, the Attorney General, on the status of the investigation and future prospects of the Manchurian Railway scandal, which was shaking the ruling Seiyukai party at the time. On the return of the papal delegation to Japan, Mr. Hiranuma came to pay his respects to the Pope, who had acted...

Politics

Wednesday, March 23, 1921 Chinese Students in Japan

On Wednesday, March 23, 1921, it was reported that students from the Republic of China were leaving Japan one after another to return to their home countries or to study in Europe or the United States. The Anhui faction, led by Duan Qirui and supported by Japan, was defeated in the Anzhi War, a civil war that broke out in Beijing in July of the previous year, and the Western-backed Anhui faction, led by Cao Qibu and Wu Peifu, took power. The new government, which was dominated by the direct-slave faction, abolished the provision of tuition fees for government-sponsored students to Japan and shifted the focus to studying in Europe...

Politics

Tuesday, March 22, 1921 Hara’s wife Asa returned to Tokyo.

On Tuesday, March 22, 1921, Prime Minister Hara’s wife, Asa, returned home to the main residence in Shiba Park. Asa had developed severe rheumatism in September last year and had been recuperating at Shuzenji hot spring since December, but on March 10 she returned to the Hara’s villa in Koshigoe, and on the same day returned to the main residence in Tokyo. He returned to the villa in Koshigoe on March 10, and returned to his main residence in Tokyo on the same day. Hara wrote, “Although I still have some trouble, I am almost completely recovered. On November 10, 1896, Hara took the opportunity of his wife Sadako’s trip...

Politics

Monday, March 21, 1921 Yamagata, Hara and Tanaka

Minister of Army, Giichi Tanaka visited Aritomo Yamagata at the Odawara Koki-an. Prime Minister Hara takashi and Minister of Land Tanaka informed him of their support for Yamagata. At the time, Yamagata was under voluntary leave in Odawara due to a serious incident at the Imperial Court, and was in a difficult situation, but he was greatly encouraged by Hara’s message of support, and came to appreciate and rely on Hara. In the past, the visit of Giichi Tanaka, Minister of Army to Koki-an was scheduled for Saturday, March 19. However, when I checked the newspaper article again this time, it turned out that the visit was scheduled for Monday,...

Politics

Sunday, March 20, 1921 Five-Curios Scandal deepens

The scandal of the five curiosities increased the antipathy toward Takaaki Kato, the president of the opposition party Kensei-kai. In an editorial, the Tokyo Nichinichi Shimbun denounced President Kato as “cruel” for promising not to support Yukio Ozaki and Saburo Shimada, the meritorious members of the Kenseikai, in exchange for 50,000 yen in financial support from Shinya Uchida, the president of Uchida Steamship Co. Hara Takashi Diary: On March 20, Nobuya Uchida came to Japan, and Takaaki Kato told Uchida that he was indeed against the general election. Therefore, it can be said that Kato was not an advocate of universal suffrage in his heart (as it should be, Kato...

Politics

Saturday, March 19, 1921 Five-curios scandal

Takaaki Kato, the president of the opposition party Kensei-kai, received an unknown donation of 50,000 yen from Nobuya Uchida, a shipping businessman, and wrote a receipt saying “I have received five curios. However, the suspicion deepened. At the time, there were two major political parties, the ruling party Rikken Seiyukai President Hara Takashi and the opposition party Kensei Kai President Kato Takaaki. The election was held in February 1920 and was announced in March. In April, at the beginning of the election campaign. In April, early in the election campaign, Kato received 50,000 yen in campaign funds from Uchida Shinya, a shipping agent. Shinya Uchida was the president of Uchida...

Politics

Friday, March 18, 1921 Promotion of Chinese Studies

Sigetaro Kinoshita (Seiyukai Party) submitted a “Proposal for the Promotion of Chinese Studies” in the House of Representatives. It was proposed that efforts be made to promote Oriental culture and Oriental academic research. This movement to promote Chinese studies grew and led to the establishment of Daito Bunka Gakuin (now Daito Bunka University) in 1923. Kinoshita is regarded as the actual founder of the university. At the plenary session of the House of Representatives of the 44th Imperial Diet, “Proposal for the Promotion of Chinese Studies” was submitted by Shigetaro Kinoshita (Seiyu-kai). As Chinese studies have contributed to the culture of our country since ancient times and have contributed greatly...