index
Part 2: Modern era
Chapter 4: Social Activists
ISHIHARA Kanji, 1889–1949
An army officer. After graduating from the Army Staff College in 1918, he became a staff officer in the Kwantung Army in 1928. In 1931, he orchestrated the Manchurian Incident and played a leading role in the chain of events that led to the establishment of Manchukuo in the following year. From 1935 onward, he was involved in formulating military policy at the Army General Staff Office. Appointed chief of the Operations Section of the Army General Staff Office in 1937, he opposed the escalation of the Second Sino–Japanese War clashing with Tojo Hideki and was then transferred to the Kwantung Army as deputy chief of staff. In 1939, he became an army major general and commander of the 16th Division, after which he was placed on reserve duty in 1941. Around this time, he began devoting his efforts to the East-Asia Alliance Movement.
94 Ishihara Kanji shokan, April 2, 1940 [Modern Japanese Political Materials Room Collection: 244-5]
A reply letter addressed to right-wing activist Kodama Yoshio. The person mentioned in the letter as having been introduced to Kodama by Ishihara is thought to be an army major Tsuji Masanobu. At that time, while serving as commander of the 16th Division, Ishihara was deeply involved in the activities of the East Asia Alliance, which advocated for the establishment of a regional alliance between Japan, China, and Manchuria. In this letter, Ishihara expresses gratitude for the "work" that Kodama had been doing and conveys his conviction that Tsuji would "dedicate his life (to the cause)," likely referring to the East Asia Alliance.
石原莞爾書簡（宛名部分、本文末尾）
石原莞爾書簡（宛名裏、本文冒頭）
Trivia
Fukan Hagaki
Ishihara Kanji's letter (Material 94) comes in the rarely seen form of a fukan hagaki (sealed envelope)—consisting of three postcard-sized panels folded together to form a postcard-sized sheet and sold by the post office—on which the sender writes the message directly. The sheet is then folded inward, sealed, and mailed.
The fukan hagaki was established under the Postal Law in 1900. Although it cost the same as an ordinary letter, its convenience (coming with stationery, envelope, and stamp) made it suitable for travelers. In this letter, Ishihara writes, "I'm currently at a military training area…." Several other letters by Ishihara held by the National Diet Library are also in this format; thus, he may have been especially fond of this type of stationery.
Later, the fukan hagaki was renamed kitte tsuki futo (pre-stamped envelope) and kan'i tegami (easy mail) and is now known as yubin shokan (more commonly, "mini letter"). Since 1981, its postage rate has been set lower than that of a regular letter, thereby making it not only convenient but also economical.
KOTOKU Shusui, 1871–1911
Shusui was a journalist and socialist. His real name was Denjiro. His pseudonym Shusui was given to him by Nakae Chomin. In 1888, while in Osaka, he was recognized and favored by Chomin. From 1898, he worked as a reporter for the newspaper Yorozu Choho. In the decade since 1897, he came to embrace socialist thought, and in 1901, he co-founded Japan's first socialist party, the Shakai Minshu-to (Social Democratic Party), with Abe Isoo and others. He then developed an interest in anarchism during his imprisonment in Sugamo in 1905. He was implicated in the High Treason Incident in 1910 and was executed the following year.
95 Kotoku Shusui kinsen azukari sho, October 30, 1901 [NAKAE Chomin Papers 6]
A written receipt for money deposited by Kotoku Shusui to Nakae Chomin. Judging from the date on the document, these funds were likely royalties from Chomin's works Ichinen yuhan (lit. A Year and a Half) and Zoku ichinen yuhan (lit. A Year and a Half, Continued); Shusui worked tirelessly to arrange for their publication and they were published by Hakubunkan in 1901. Shusui is thought to have managed Chomin's finances on his behalf, as Chomin had been told he had only a year and a half to live and was confined to his sickbed. This receipt reveals the deep devotion of a disciple who had received his pseudonym from his teacher. Chomin passed away a month and a half later.
KAGAWA Toyohiko, 1888–1960
Kagawa was a pastor and social activist. He was baptized while attending Tokushima Middle School in 1904. He graduated from Kobe Theological Seminary in 1911. He studied abroad at Princeton University in the United States in 1914 and returned to Japan in 1917. He devoted his life to combating poverty through social work and evangelism. His autobiographical novel Shisen o koete (lit. Crossing the Line Between Life and Death), published in 1920, became a bestseller. After the Great Kanto Earthquake, he moved his base of operations from Kobe to Tokyo to assist with relief efforts. He gained worldwide recognition and was later nominated for both the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Nobel Peace Prize.
96 Kagawa Toyohiko shokan, March 25, 1927 [ARIMA Yoriyasu Papers (No. 1): 20-1]
A letter addressed to Arima Yoriyasu, requesting that he assume the position of president of the Tokyo Student Cooperative. Arima, the 15th head of the former ruling family of the defunct Kurume Domain, served as both a member of the House of Representatives and the House of Peers. He had been friends with Kagawa since 1917, and Arima referred to Kagawa as an invaluable, hard-to-find companion whose friendship brings great benefit. The Tokyo Student Cooperative was founded in 1926 by a group of students at Waseda University under the guidance of Isoo Abe, Kagawa, and others. The cooperative subsequently expanded to institutions such as Takushoku University and the Imperial University of Tokyo. Arima accepted Kagawa's request to become president of the cooperative.
（署名部分）
賀川豊彦書簡（冒頭）