The Liberal Party of Japan (1881–1884)

In 1880, the imperial government , worried about the unexpected growth of the social movement for the opening of a national parliament, refused to consider the League’s petition to establish a parliament and, in connection with the Decree on Citizens' Meetings, began to persecute its activists. In response to this, in November of the same year, at the second congress of the League for the Establishment of Parliament, some delegates proposed forming a political party in order to mobilize the public in the struggle for their rights. This proposal was rejected by the majority of the congress participants; therefore, on December 15, 1880, Ueki Emory and Kono Hironaka formed the Liberal Party Preparatory Society ( Jap. 自由 党 準備 会 ) on their own initiative. Over the next few months, the idea of ​​creating a political party became widespread in the regions, and the need for implementing this idea became apparent after government fraud in the Department for the Development of the North, led by Kuroda Kiyotaka .

On October 18, 1881, at the third congress of the League of the Establishment of Parliament, delegates from all over Japan decided to create a Liberal Party. On October 29, after the incident of 1881, they elected the party leadership. The organization was headed by Itagaki Taisuke , and Nakajima Nobuyuki became his deputy. The leading positions went mainly to immigrants from Kochi Prefecture , the birthplace of Itagaki Taisuke, and to members of the Society for Determining the Purpose in Life . The congress was proclaimed the 1st constituent and adopted the party’s charter, which consisted of 3 sections of the oath and 15 sections of the rules.

The liberal party was in the position of radical French liberalism. His goal was to fight for civil liberties and rights, improve society and increase prosperity. The number of party members at the beginning of the foundation was 101 people, and in May 1884 rose to 2224. Liberals popularized their organization in the regions through educational lectures, and from June 1882, the Liberal Newspaper ( орган 新 ) began to publish.

In the second half of 1882, the imperial government amended the Ordinance on Citizens' Meetings and increased pressure on opposition and public organizations. In November of the same year, he managed to persuade the leader of the Liberal Party, Itagaki Taisuke, to go on a mission to Europe. Some of the party members, led by Baba Tatsui, chairman of the Society of Friends of Japan ( Jap. 国 友 会 ), opposed the leader’s departure. The leadership of the liberals kicked them out of the party for misconduct. The party of constitutional reforms , with which the Liberal Party entered into controversy, also spoke out against the trip. The debate between reformists and liberals escalated into a stream of mutual accusations of cooperation with the authorities, which split a single socio-political movement. At the same time, under the influence of Matsukata Masayoshi 's deflationary course and government persecution, part of the members of the Liberal Party living in East Japan became radicalized. They planned an uprising against the government and carried out a series of terrorist attacks: in May 1884 in Gummi, and in September of the same year near Mount Kabasan.

When Itagaki returned to Japan in June 1883, the liberal party was uncontrollable. The party leadership proposed the dissolution of the organization, which was carried out on October 29, 1884. Despite problems and political limitation, it was the first Japanese political party to bring together broad sections of the population of the whole country and developed the regional movement for freedom and people's rights to a national level.

• Vitaly Svasteev, Liberalism in Japan
• Verisotskaya E.V. Evolution of liberal views in Japanese society in the 1870-1880s. Vladivostok, 1990
• Senators A.I. Political Parties of Japan. M .: Eastern Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 1995

• League of the Establishment of Parliament
• Constitutional Reform Party (Japan)