| Predecessor | Gen'yōsha | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formation | 1901; 124 years ago (1901) | ||||
| Founder | Uchida Ryohei | ||||
| Founded at | Japan | ||||
| Type | Political | ||||
| Location |
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| Fields | Politics | ||||
| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | 黒龍会 | ||||
| Hiragana | こくりゅうかい | ||||
| |||||
TheBlack Dragon Society (Kyūjitai; 黑龍會;Shinjitai: 黒竜会,Kokuryūkai), or theAmur River Society, was a prominentparamilitary,ultranationalist group inJapan.
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TheKokuryūkai was founded in 1901 bymartial artistUchida Ryohei as a successor to his mentorMitsuru Tōyama'sGen'yōsha.[1] Its name is derived from the translation of theAmur River, which is called Heilongjiang or "Black Dragon River" inChinese (黑龍江?), read asKokuryū-kō in Japanese. Its public goal was to support efforts to keep theRussian Empire north of the Amur River and out of East Asia.
TheKokuryūkai initially made strenuous efforts to distance itself from the criminal elements of its predecessor, theGen'yōsha. As a result, its membership included Cabinet Ministers and high-ranking military officers as well as professionalintelligence operatives. However, as time passed, it found the use of criminal activities to be a convenient means to an end for many of its operations.
The Society published a journal, theKokuryū Kaiho (Amur Bulletin)[2] and operated an espionage training school, from which it dispatched agents to gather intelligence on Russian activities in Russia,Manchuria,Korea andChina.Ikki Kita was sent to China as a special member of the organization. It also pressured Japanese politicians to adopt a strong foreign policy. TheKokuryūkai also supportedPan-Asianism, and lent financial support to revolutionaries such asSun Yat-sen andEmilio Aguinaldo.
During theRusso-Japanese War,annexation of Korea andSiberian Intervention, theImperial Japanese Army made use of theKokuryūkai network forespionage,sabotage andassassination. They organized Manchurian guerrillas against the Russians from the Chinesewarlords and bandit chieftains in the region, the most important being MarshalZhang Zuolin. The Black Dragons waged a very successfulpsychological warfare campaign in conjunction with the Japanese military, spreading disinformation andpropaganda throughout the region. They also acted as interpreters for the Japanese army.
TheKokuryūkai assisted the Japanese spy, ColonelMotojiro Akashi. Akashi, who was not directly a member of the Black Dragons, ran successful operations in China, Manchuria, Siberia and established contacts throughout the Muslim world. These contacts inCentral Asia were maintained throughWorld War II. The Black Dragons also formed close contact and even alliances withBuddhist sects throughout Asia.[citation needed]
During the 1920s and 1930s, theKokuryūkai evolved into more of a mainstream political organization, and publicly attacked liberal and leftist thought. Although it never had more than several dozen members[citation needed] at any one time during this period, the close ties of its membership to leading members of the government, military and powerful business leaders gave it a power and influence far greater than most other ultranationalist groups. In 1924, retired naval captain Yutaro Yano and his associates within the Black Dragon Society invitedOomoto leaderOnisaburo Deguchi on a journey toMongolia. Onisaburo led a group of Oomoto disciples, includingAikido founderMorihei Ueshiba.
Initially directed only against Russia, in the 1930s, theKokuryūkai expanded its activities around the world, and stationed agents in such diverse places asEthiopia,Turkey,Morocco, throughoutSoutheast Asia andSouth America, as well asEurope and theUnited States.
TheKokuryūkai was officially disbanded by order of theAmerican Occupation authorities in 1946. According toBrian Daizen Victoria's book,Zen War Stories, the Black Dragon Society was reconstituted in 1961 byŌmori Sōgen as the Black Dragon Club (Kokuryū-Kurabu) with the aim to "succeed to the spirit of the [prewar] Black Dragon Society and promote the [Shōwa] restoration." According to Victoria, the Kokuryū-Kurabu never attracted more than 150 members.[3]
The Ethiopian Pacific Movement and thePeace Movement of Ethiopia (bothAfrican-American black nationalist organizations) claimed they were affiliated with the Black Dragon Society.[4]
Mittie Maude Lena Gordon, who led the Peace Movement of Ethiopia, claimed to be personally affiliated with theKokuryūkai.[4]
On March 27, 1942,FBI agents arrested members of the Black Dragon Society in theSan Joaquin Valley,California.[5]
In theManzanar Internment Camp, a small group of pro-Imperial Japanese flew Black Dragon flags and intimidated other Japanese inmates.[6][7]
A fictionalized version of the Black Dragon Society "featured in much of American popular culture".[8] It appeared inMaster Comics starting with issue 21, first published by Fawcett Comics on December 10, 1941. Initially displayed as an external threat, the Black Dragon Society was given elements of afifth column after the attack on Pearl Harbor, which reflected the fear of subversion of American society by Japanese-Americans.[9] InDC'sAll Star Comics from 1942 the Society functioned as an opponent of theJustice Society of America and were likewise presented as an example of "alleged Japanese American perfidy".[8]
Another fictionalized version of the Black Dragon Society is featured in the CBS television seriesRaven, where they are a ninja clan operating inHawaii.[10]
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