Birthday

Thursday, March 24, 1921: Novelist Hajime Komine is born

Novelist Hajime Komine is born in Kobe. His real name was Sumio Hirooka. He graduated from the Osaka School of Foreign Languages (now the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Osaka University), and joined the Mainichi Newspapers in 1943. In 1973, he won the Edogawa Rampo Award for “Archimedes Doesn’t Get His Hands Dirty”. He published many mystery novels in his youth. He died in 1994 at the age of 73. Ten years after his death, all of his works were out of print. However, in 2006, “Archimedes Doesn’t Get His Hands Dirty” was reprinted in Kodansha’s library and became a hot topic.

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...

Birthday

Saturday, March 19, 1921 Takashi Asada

Takashi Asada, urban planner and architect, was born in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, on Saturday, March 19, 1921. He entered the Tokyo Imperial University Faculty of Engineering from the old Matsuyama High School, and joined the Navy in 1943. In 1943, he joined the Navy and was involved in research on Hiroshima immediately after the atomic bombing. After the world war II, he worked as the right-hand man of architect Kenzo Tange. Formed “Metabolism,” a group of designers who led the Osaka World Exposition. He died in 1990 at the age of 69.

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...

Economy

Tuesday, March 15, 1921 Geisha Crisis

One full year has passed since the stock market crash of the previous year. The bubble-like economic boom caused by World War I quickly turned into an economic depression. The Tokyo Nichinichi Shimbun reports that the situation in the the gay quarters or Geisha World has changed drastically. The 1920 Depression, which began with the Tokyo stock market crash on March 15, 1920, caused unprecedented price declines and corporate bankruptcies. The turmoil that began in the stock market led to bank failures and corporate bankruptcies, and from June onward, the depression became a serious condition amid the global economic recession. The wholesale price index (1900=100) recorded 268 in March 1919...