Kayahara Kazan

A journalist and critic. His real name was Rentaro. He was born in Tokyo as the son of a former Shogunate vassal. He dropped out of elementary school due to his family's decline, and was self-taught after that. He entered the newspaper world in 1892 (Meiji 25) as a reporter for the Tohoku Nippo. He gradually built up his reputation as a writer, working for the Yamagata Jiyu Shimbun, Jinmin, Nagano Shimbun, and Denpo Shimbun. In 1904 (Meiji 37), he joined the Yorozu Choho. He was in charge of the opinion column after Kotoku Shusui and others resigned. After spending about five years in Europe and America, he advocated people-centered ideology and small Japanism in the Yorozu Choho newspaper, and gained strong support from young students. In 1913 (Taisho 2), he led young people including Ishida Tomoharu (1881-1942) in founding the Third Reich, and took a progressive stance. After World War I, the ideological appeal of his ideas faded as the ideological climate changed, and he no longer had the popularity he once had, but he left behind many works.

[Teruo Ariyama]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

新聞記者、評論家。本名は廉太郎(れんたろう)。旧幕臣の子として東京に生まれる。家運没落のため小学校を中退し、以後は独学。1892年（明治25）『東北日報』記者となったのを振り出しに、新聞界に入る。『山形自由新聞』『人民』『長野新聞』『電報新聞』を巡り、しだいに文名を高めた。1904年（明治37）『萬朝報(よろずちょうほう)』に入社。幸徳秋水(こうとくしゅうすい)ら辞職後の言論欄を担当した。約5年間欧米に遊んだのち、『萬朝報』紙上で民本主義と小日本主義を主唱し、青年学生層に強い支持を得た。また1913年（大正2）、石田友治（1881―1942）らの青年を率いて『第三帝国』を創刊し、進歩的論陣を張った。第一次世界大戦後は思想状況の変化のなかで彼の思想的魅力は薄れ、一時ほどの人気はなくなったが、多くの著作を残した。

［有山輝雄］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例