The is the name of several liberal

political parties A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or po ...

in the history of Japan, two of which existed in the

Empire of Japan The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent for ...

prior to 1945.

Liberal Party of 1881

The first Liberal Party of Japan was formed on October 18, 1881, by

Itagaki Taisuke Count was a Japanese politician. He was a leader of the "Freedom and People's Rights Movement" and founded Japan's first political party, the Liberal Party. Biography Early life Itagaki Taisuke was born into a middle-ranking '' samurai' ...

and other members of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement ( League for the Establishment of a National Assembly) to agitate for the establishment of a

national assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

, with a membership based on the ideals of

liberal democracy Liberal democracy is the combination of a liberal political ideology that operates under an indirect democratic form of government. It is characterized by elections between multiple distinct political parties, a separation of powers into di ...

under a

constitutional monarchy A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies di ...

. It attracted a wide following of former ''

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the ''daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

'' who were discontent because they were no longer an elite class and no longer received stipends from the government. The ''Jiyūtō'' also aimed for suffrage for samurai and an elected assembly in each prefecture. Itagaki was party president, with Nakajima Nobuyuki as vice-president. Other notable members included

Gotō Shōjirō Count was a Japanese samurai and politician during the Bakumatsu and early Meiji period of Japanese history.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Gotō Shōjirō" in He was a leader of which would evolve into a political party. Early life ...

, Baba Tatsui, Tetchō Suehiro, Ueki Emori, and Nakae Chōmin. The

Meiji government The was the government that was formed by politicians of the Satsuma Domain and Chōshū Domain in the 1860s. The Meiji government was the early government of the Empire of Japan. Politicians of the Meiji government were known as the Meiji ...

viewed the growth of the ''Jiyūtō'' with misgivings, suspecting it of harboring tendencies towards

republicanism Republicanism is a political ideology centered on citizenship in a state organized as a republic. Historically, it emphasises the idea of self-rule and ranges from the rule of a representative minority or oligarchy to popular sovereignty. ...

. The party was also made vulnerable due to peasant uprisings in rural areas led or inspired by local ''Jiyūtō'' members. The Jiyūtō voted to dissolve itself on October 29, 1884, on the eve of the Chichibu Incident. In 1887, Gotō Shojirō regrouped some members of the former ''Jiyūtō'' into a proto-party called the ''Daidō Danketsu'' Movement. This group split into two groups (Daidō Club led by Kōno Hironaka and Daidō Kyōwakai led by Ōi Kentarō and Nakae Chōmin ) in March 1889. In 1890, they were merged by Itagaki Taisuke to form the Constitutional Liberal Party, which was later renamed the Liberal Party. Some politicians who supported Gotō didn't join this party and formed National Liberal Party.

Notes

References

* Jansen, Marius B. (2000). ''The Making of Modern Japan.'' Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
OCLC 44090600
* Keene, Donald. (2002). ''Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His World, 1852–1912.'' New York:

Columbia University Press Columbia University Press is a university press based in New York City, and affiliated with Columbia University. It is currently directed by Jennifer Crewe (2014–present) and publishes titles in the humanities and sciences Science ...

.
OCLC 46731178
*Sims, Richard. (2001). ''Japanese Political History Since the Meiji Renovation 1868–2000.'' New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ;
OCLC 45172740
{{Authority control Liberal parties in Japan Japan 1881 Political parties established in 1881 1890s disestablishments in Japan Defunct political parties in Japan 1881 establishments in Japan

Liberal Party of 1881

See also

Notes

References