Junzo Akashi

A religious leader born in Shiga Prefecture. After dropping out of junior high school, he traveled to the United States in 1908 (Meiji 41), where he self-taught and became a reporter for a Japanese-language newspaper. During his stay in the United States, he became a believer in the Watch Tower (Jehovah's Witnesses), which claims the imminent return of Christ and eschews conscription and voting, and in 1926 (Taisho 15), he returned to Japan and founded the Todaisha Society as its Japanese branch. In 1933 (Showa 8), most of the Todaisha Society's previous publications were banned, and in 1939, following an incident in which his eldest son, Mahito (1917-?), and others refused to serve in the military, all those involved were rounded up and Akashi was sentenced to 10 years in prison for violating the Peace Preservation Law. He was released in October 1945 (Showa 20) after Japan's defeat in World War II, without ever converting. After the war, he left the Watch Tower headquarters and retired to Kanuma City, Tochigi Prefecture, where he died on January 14, 1965.

[Shiro Akazawa June 19, 2018]

"Japanese who refused military service" by Mami Inagaki (Iwanami Shinsho)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

宗教家。滋賀県生まれ。中学中退後の1908年（明治41）に渡米し、独学して邦字新聞記者となる。滞米中、キリスト再来の切迫を主張して徴兵や選挙を忌避するワッチ・タワーWatch Tower（エホバの証人）の信仰を得て、1926年（大正15）帰国し、その日本支部として灯台社を創立する。1933年（昭和8）灯台社の従来の出版物の大部分が発禁処分を受け、1939年長男真人(まひと)（1917―？）らの兵役拒否事件を契機に関係者は一斉検挙にあい、明石は治安維持法違反で懲役10年の刑を受けた。非転向のまま第二次世界大戦敗戦後の1945年（昭和20）10月に出獄。戦後はワッチ・タワー本部からも離れて栃木県鹿沼(かぬま)市に隠棲(いんせい)し、昭和40年1月14日死亡した。

［赤澤史朗　2018年6月19日］

『稲垣真美著『兵役を拒否した日本人』（岩波新書）』

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