Politics

Thursday, October 27 1921: 3 young military men gathered in Baden-Baden, Germany. This event made Japan head for war.

1921 (Taisho 10) On Thursday, October 27, 3 young military men from the same period of 16 years of the Military Academy gathered in Baden-Baden, a resort area in South Germany, and pledged to transform their army. It’s called the Baden-Baden Secret Agreement. This is said to have greatly influenced the course of Japan in the pre-war Showa period, and it has become an important event in the modern history of Japan. Three young soldiers gathered at Baden-Baden. Everyone was indignant at the realities of the Army. These three are as follows. Tetsuzan NAGATA, a military officer attached to the Swiss legation. Toshishiro Obata was a military attaché at the...

Birthday

Tuesday, October 25 1921: Tokuma Yasuyoshi, the founder of Tokuma Shoten, was born in Yokosuka.

1921 (Taisho 10) Tuesday, October 25 Tokuma Yasuyoshi, the founder of Tokuma Shoten, was born in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture. After graduating from local Zushi Kaisei Junior High School, he entered Waseda University’s Faculty of Commerce. He joined the Japanese Communist Party in his youth. In 1943 (Showa 18), he graduated from Waseda University and joined the Yomiuri Shimbun. However, immediately after the end of the war, he left the company due to the Yomiuri Dispute, which occurred twice. In 1948 (Showa 23), the company went bankrupt, and after that, Tatsuhiko Nakano became a senior managing director of “Shinzenmi-sha”, but this also went bankrupt soon. In 1953 (Showa 28), he...

Birthday

Saturday, October 22 Toshio Miyoshi, the Emperor of Matsushita Electric Works, was born in Neyagawa City, Osaka Prefecture.

1921 (Taisho 10) Saturday, October 22 Toshio Miyoshi, also known as the “Emperor of MEW,” was born in Neyagawa City, Osaka Prefecture. MEW stands for Matsushita Electric Works Co., Ltd. After graduating from Kobe University of Economics (now the Faculty of Economics, Kobe University), Toshio Miyoshi taught as a professor at Matsuyama College of Economics (now Matsuyama University) for 4 years from 1946 to 1950. At MEW, he was in charge of accounting, his own field of specialization, as well as planning and promotion. While he was working, MEW grew rapidly, and Toshio Miyoshi became president in 1988, and 3 years later, MEW grew into a 1 trillion yen company...

Birthday

Wednesday, October 19 1921: KAMIKAZE Shoichi, a sumo commentator, was born.

1921 (Taisho 10) Wednesday, October 19 KAMIKAZE Shoichi, a sumo commentator, was born in Sambommatsu-cho, Okawa-gun, Kagawa Prefecture (present-day Higashikagawa City). His real name was Shoichi Akazawa. Since my elementary school days, I have been so healthy that I was selected as one of the healthiest children by the Asahi Shimbun. Yokozuna Tamanishiki, who learned of the boy’s existence through newspaper reports, came to solicit him and entered Nishonoseki stable. In 1937 (Showa 12), he graduated from Tokyo Municipal Ueno Junior High School (now Tokyo Municipal Ueno High School) under the old system and debuted in the May tournament. 1942 (Showa 17): He joined the Shogunate at the January Tournament....

Birthday

Sunday, October 16 1921: Japan-US fixer, Capy Harada was born.

1921 (Taisho 10) Sunday, October 16 Capy Harada was born near Santa Maria, California. Capy Harada was a Japanese American who played an important role as a bridge between Japanese and American baseball after the war. His real name was Tsuneo HARADA. His father Joemon Harada and his mother Kuni were immigrants who moved from Wakayama Prefecture to California in 1904 (Meiji 37). My parents worked hard as vegetable farmers and became wealthy enough to buy a car, but their fortunes changed with the advent of the Great Depression. When his mother, Kuni, died in 1934, his father, Joemon, judged that it was impossible to raise 7 brothers by a...

Art

Saturday, October 15 1921: Ryusei Kishida painted the famous Portrait of her daughter Reiko.

1921 (Taisho 10) Saturday, October 15 On this day, Ryusei Kishida painted Reiko Smiling. It is said to be the most famous masterpiece among many Reishi statues. It is now owned by Tokyo National Museum as an important cultural property. It is featured in history and art textbooks, so it can be said that it is very familiar to many Japanese people. It is a work with a very mysterious charm, and you will never forget the portrait once you see it. While it has a somewhat eerie atmosphere on a dark background, the red wool shawl with very fine details makes you feel warm. It shows how Ryusei Kishida...

Politics

Friday, October 14 1921: a commemorative ceremony for the 50 year anniversary of the railway was held in front of Tokyo Station.

1921 (Taisho 10) On Friday, October 14. A celebration of the 50 year railway anniversary was held in front of Tokyo Station. Crown Prince Hirohito attended as Emperor Taisho’s representative. After a six-month visit to Europe on September 3, 20 year-old Crown Prince Hirohito returned home with tremendous popularity. The crowd gathered at Tokyo Station to see the Crown Prince at a glance and it was very crowded. Prime Minister Takashi Hara, Minister of Railways Hajime Motoda, and many other officials attended the ceremony and gave congratulatory speeches. Of course, there was also a word from Crown Prince Hirohito. They also commended those who had contributed to the railway and...

Birthday

Monday, October 10 1921: Novelist James Clavell was born in Sydney, Australia.

1921 (Taisho 10) Monday, October 10 Novelist James Clavell was born in Sydney, Australia. His father was Richard Charles Clavell, a British naval officer stationed in Australia. When my father’s mission to Australia was completed in 1922, I returned home with my family. James received his childhood education in Portsmouth, home to the British Navy, but later returned to Australia where he served in the Royal Artillery Corps and fought the Japanese during the Pacific War from 1941. However, during the Singapore war, he was captured by the Japanese army and imprisoned in Changi Prison. Originally built in 1936 by the British Straits Colony Administration as a prison with a...

Social

Sunday, October 9 1921: Denemon Ito (60) and his wife, Akiko Yanagihara (35) left their home in Fukuoka and headed for Tokyo.

1921 (Taisho 10) Sunday, October 9 Denemon Ito (60) and his wife, Akiko Yanagihara (35), who were called “Chikuho’s Coal King”, left their home in Fukuoka and headed for Tokyo. At that time, her husband Denemon had no idea but Hakuren made up his mind to leave Denemon, finished cleaning up all the clothes and furniture given to him by his husband over the past 10 years, and secretly carried jewelry back to him from Tokyo. Byakuren Yanagihara (real name: Akiko Yanagihara) is the second daughter of Count Sakimitsu Yanagihara. Naruko YANAGIHARA, the real mother of Emperor Taisho, was her aunt. She and Emperor Taisho are cousins. After graduating from...

Social

Saturday, October 8 1921: Yasunari Kawabata (22) and Hatsuyo Itoh (15) got engaged at Shoshukan on the Nagara River River.

1921 (Taisho 10) Saturday, October 8 Yasunari Kawabata (22) and Hatsuyo Itoh (15) got engaged at Shoshukan on the Nagara River River. I had high expectations last night that Haruki Murakami would win the Nobel Prize in Literature, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen again this year. Only 2 Japanese have won the Nobel Prize. In 1968 (Showa 43), Yasunari KAWABATA. And Kenzaburo Oe in 1994. Exactly 100 years ago today, Kawabata Yasunari experienced a turning point in his life and an event that greatly influenced his literary style. It can be said that it was the event that brought the Nobel Prize in Literature to Yasunari Kawabata. Yasunari Kawabata was...