Katsumaro Akamatsu | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
赤松 克麿 | |||||
 | |||||
| Member of theHouse of Representatives | |||||
| In office 1937–1942 | |||||
| Constituency | Hokkaido 4th | ||||
| Personal details | |||||
| Born | (1894-12-04)4 December 1894 | ||||
| Died | 13 December 1955(1955-12-13) (aged 61) Musashino, Tokyo, Japan | ||||
| Political party | Imperial Rule Assistance Association (1940–1945)[1] | ||||
| Other political affiliations | Communist (1922–1926) Social Democratic (1926–1932) National Socialist (1932–1933) Nationalist Society (1933–1937) Renovation (1937–1940) | ||||
| Spouse | Akiko Yoshino | ||||
| Relatives | Tsuneko Akamatsu (sister) Sakuzō Yoshino (father-in-law) Renjō Akamatsu [ja] (grandfather) | ||||
| Alma mater | Tokyo Imperial University | ||||
| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | 赤松 克麿 | ||||
| Kana | あかまつ かつまろ | ||||
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Katsumaro Akamatsu (Japanese:赤松 克麿,Hepburn:Akamatsu Katsumaro; 4 December 1894 – 13 December 1955) was a Japanese politician who served in theHouse of Councillors forHokkaido 4th district from 1937 to 1942. Initially a left-winger and member of theJapanese Communist Party (JCP), he shifted to the right and embracedfascism.
Born inTokuyama, Yamaguchi, as the son and grandson of high priests, Akamatsu was educated atTokyo Imperial University and studied underSakuzō Yoshino. After graduation he became involved in theJapanese Federation of Labour and chief of its political bureau.
Akamatsu was a founding member of the JCP, but left to join theSocial Democratic Party. He rose to become secretary-general of the party, but left due to his support of Japan's actions during theMukden incident.Tatsuo Tsukui [ja] and Akamatsu formed multiple nationalist and fascist parties before joining theImperial Rule Assistance Association.
Katsumaro Akamatsu was born inTokuyama, Yamaguchi,[2] on 4 December 1894,[3] to Yasuko and Shōtō Akamatsu, the high priest atNishi Hongan-ji. His grandfather,Renjō Akamatsu [ja], also held the position of high priest at Nishi Hongan-ji. Three of his brothers became university professors while his sisterTsuneko Akamatsu became a member of the socialist movement.[4][5] He was aChristian.[6]
While in middle school in Tokuyama, Akamatsu led a student strike and was later expelled from the school. He attendedTokyo Imperial University from 1915 to 1919, where he studied underSakuzō Yoshino. In March 1923, he married Yoshino's daughter Akiko.[4][7][8]
In 1918, Akamatsu was one of the founding members ofShinjinkai [ja] and although it disbanded in 1928, its membership includedHisashi Asō,Tanahashi Kotora [ja],Yoshitsuru Yamana [ja], and other important leaders of Japanese socialism and communism.[7][9] After briefly working as a reporter forThe Oriental Economist, Akamatsu worked in the research department of theJapan General Federation of Labour (Sōdōmei) from 1919 to 1924.[4]
Akamatsu was one of the founding members of theJapanese Communist Party in 1922, but left it to join theSocial Democratic Party in 1926.[4][10] He did not support violent revolution and believed that socialism could be achieved throughelectoralism.[11] He unsuccessfully ran in theMiyagi 1st district as a Social Democrat in the1928 and1930 elections.[12][4]
At the 1922 Sōdōmei national convention, Akamatsu andSanzō Nosaka cowrote resolutions calling for the recognition of theSoviet Union and for Japan towithdraw from Siberia.[13] In January 1924, Akamatsu became chief of the Sōdōmei's political bureau and was elected secretary-general of the Social Democrats[4][10] on 15 March 1930.[14] The expulsion of communists from Sōdōmei in 1925 was praised by Akamatsu because he saw it as a sign that the population were rejectingMarxism and instead embracing a form of socialism which he termed "liberal Japanism".[15]
TheMukden incident caused Akamatsu to change his beliefs and become closer to those held byIkki Kita andManabu Sano [ja].[16] He left the Social Democrats in 1932,[17] as he felt it was not supportive enough of Japan's activities during the Mukden incident[18] and was opposed to merging with other parties to formShakai Taishūtō.[19] At the Social Democrats' 6th party convention from 19–20 January 1932, Akamatsu's faction submitted fascist resolutions while his opponents under the leadership ofTetsu Katayama proposed the Three Antis Platform of anti-capitalism, anti-communism, and anti-fascism; the resolutions of both factions were passed despite their contradictions.[20]
In the 1930s Akamatsu embracedfascism.[21][22] He was a member ofRyōhei Uchida'sGreater Japan Production Party [ja] and toured Japan giving speeches in support of it.[23]Shūmei Ōkawa and Akamatsu started communications in 1930, and discussed conducting a coup to cause a "Shōwa Restoration". Ōkawa testified that Akamatsu was meant to lead popular demonstrations in Tokyo to divert the authorities during theMarch incident.[23][24]
From 1932 to 1940, he was involved in the foundation of five nationalist political parties.[16]Tatsuo Tsukui [ja] and Akamatsu formed theJapan National Socialist Party [ja] (also known as Japan State Socialist Party)[4][17] on 16 April 1932, with half of the Social Democratic Party's Central Executive Committee and one member of theNational Diet joining them.[25][26]Yasaburō Shimonaka [de] was meant to join Akamatsu in this party, but they disagreed on who would be the chair so Shimonaka formed the New Japan Nationalist Federation instead.[27]
Tsukui and Akamatsu formed the Nationalist Society in April 1933, two months before leaving the Japan National Socialist Party.[28] Akamatsu worked with the leaders of theFebruary 26 incident and was elected to theHouse of Representatives fromHokkaido 4th district in1937. The Nationalist Society was converted into a political party under the name Japan Renovation Party.[4][29]
From September 1937 to February 1938, Akamatsu served as Propaganda Bureau Chief to theShanghai Expeditionary Army. Although he was still a civilian, he was allowed to wear a uniform showing the rank ofcolonel. In October 1940, he became a section chief in the Planning Bureau of theImperial Rule Assistance Association.[30]
Losing reelection in1942,[31][32] Akamatsu ended his political career and moved toMusashino, Tokyo. He was barred from political office afterWorld War II by theAllied occupation. He died from cancer in Musashino,[4][32] on 13 December 1955.[33]
