Tokutomi Sohō | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1863-03-14)14 March 1863 Minamata, Kumamoto, Japan |
| Died | 2 November 1957(1957-11-02) (aged 94) Atami, Shizuoka, Japan |
| Occupation | Journalist, Historian |
| Genre | essays |
Tokutomi Sohō (徳富 蘇峰;Japanese pronunciation:[to.kɯ̥.toꜜ.mʲi|soꜜ.hoː],[1] March 14 1863 – November 2 1957), bornTokutomi Iichirō (徳富 猪一郎), was a Japanese journalist, publisher and historian. He advocated commoner Europeanism and Europeanization, establishedMin'yūsha [ja], and launched the magazinesKokumin no Tomo and the newspaperKokumin Shimbun [ja]. He was the older brother of noted author,Tokutomi Roka.
Sohō was born inMinamata,Higo Province (nowKumamoto Prefecture), into asamurai family just before theMeiji Restoration. He studiedEigaku [ja] (study of the English language as a means to acquire Western knowledge, especially after the end of Japan'speriod of isolation[2]) at theKumamoto Yogakko [ja], and later at theDoshisha (subsequentlyDoshisha University) inKyoto. He left school without graduating, but later wrote of his gratitude to the school's principal,Joseph Hardy Neesima.
Following a period back in Kumamoto, where he started a localnewspaper, Sohō moved toTokyo. In 1887, he established the Min'yūsha publishing company, which printed Japan's first generalnews magazine, theKokumin no Tomo ("The People's Friend") from 1887 to 1898. This magazine was highly influential in the politics of Meiji period Japan. In addition to this news magazine, the Min'yūsha also published a magazine of family issues,Katei Zasshi ("Home Journal", 1892–1898), an English-language version of theKokumin no Tomo, ("The Far East", 1896–1898), and an influential newspaper, theKokumin Shinbun (1890–1929).
Sohō was initially a champion ofliberal democracy andpopulism, as he felt that a free, open and democratic social and political order in emulation of the western nations in general, and theUnited States in particular would enable Japan to modernize and strengthen itself in the shortest possible time. His newspapers and magazines were a thorn in the side of the government during the first administration ofMatsukata Masayoshi, criticizing the numerous corruption scandals of the time. However, following theFirst Sino-Japanese War and theTriple Intervention, his political views moved to the right of the political spectrum. By the second half of the 1890s, he came to be regarded as a conservative champion of theMeiji oligarchy, and was a close confidant ofPrime MinistersYamagata Aritomo andKatsura Tarō. By 1905, theKokumin Shinbun was regarded as agovernment mouthpiece, and as such, its offices were targets of protesters during theHibiya riots.
In 1910, Sohō became head of theKeijō Nippō, one of the major Japanese newspapers inKorea under Japanese rule.
While overseeing these publications as general editor, Sohō contributed some 350 articles, on diverse subjects ranging from international affairs, to history, biography and literature. He also compiledKinsei Nihon Kokumin shi [ja] (近世日本国民史 "A History of Early Modern Japanese People"), which was published in 100 volumes over a period from 1918 to 1952. He was awarded theOrder of Culture by the imperial Japanese government in 1943.
Sohō was viewed with suspicion by theAmerican occupation authorities, and was held under arrest during the occupation of Japan from December 1945 to August 1947 as aClass A War Criminal. The charges never came to trial (partly because of his age—he was 82 at the time), and he spent the time underhouse arrest at his villa inAtami. He continued to live in Atami until his death.
