Abe Isoo

Christian socialist. Politician. Born on February 4, 1816, as the second son of Okamoto Gonnojo (?-1917), a samurai of the Fukuoka domain. He studied at Doshisha University and was baptized by Niijima Jo. After graduation, he was appointed to the Okayama Church. He gradually became interested in social issues, and during his studies in America, England, and Germany from 1891 (Meiji 24) to 1895, he studied the history of the Bible while also researching social issues, and came to see the solution in socialism. After returning to Japan, he served as the pastor of the Okayama Church and a professor at Doshisha University, before becoming a professor at Tokyo Senmon Gakko (the precursor to Waseda University) in 1899. In the same year, he became the editor-in-chief of the Rikugo Magazine, where he discussed Christian socialism and played an important role in the formation of the Socialist Research Society (renamed the Socialist Association in 1900) and the Social Democratic Party. During the Russo-Japanese War, he advocated non-war. He also actively spoke out on urban issues. In 1905 (Meiji 38), he founded the Christian socialist magazine Shinkigen with Kinoshita Naoe and others. After the High Treason Incident of 1910, he retired from the front lines, but continued to work on the abolition of prostitution and birth control campaigns. In 1924 (Taisho 13), he formed the Japan Fabian Society and resumed the socialist movement. In 1926, he became chairman of the Social Democratic Party, and then resigned from his position as a professor at Waseda University to run in the first general election in 1928 (Showa 3), and was elected (he was elected four times thereafter). When the party split in 1932, he founded the Social Mass Party and became its chairman, but left the party in 1940 over the expulsion of Saito Takao for making an anti-military speech, and founded the Working National Party, but this was banned by the authorities, leading to his retirement from politics. After World War II, he served as an advisor to the Japan Socialist Party. He died on February 10, 1949. He is also known as the founder of the Waseda University baseball team.

[Tsunehisa Abe March 19, 2018]

Abe Isoo, "Until I Became a Socialist" (1932, Kaizosha / 1947, Meizensha) ▽ Katayama Tetsu, "Abe Isoo Biography" (1958, Mainichi Shimbun / Reproduction, 1991, Ozorasha) ▽ Heiminsha Resource Center Supervisor, Yamaizumi Susumu Edited and Annotated "Heiminsha Centennial Collection 3: Abe Isoo" (2003, Ronsosha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

キリスト教社会主義者。政治家。元治(げんじ)2年2月4日福岡藩士岡本権之丞(おかもとごんのじょう)（？―1917）の次男に生まれる。同志社に学び、新島襄(にいじまじょう)より受洗。卒業後岡山教会に赴任。しだいに社会問題に関心をもち、1891年（明治24）から1895年にかけてのアメリカ、イギリス、ドイツ留学では、聖書の歴史を学ぶかたわら社会問題を考究し、その解決を社会主義にみいだすに至った。帰国後、岡山教会牧師、同志社教授を経て、1899年東京専門学校（早稲田(わせだ)大学の前身）教授に就任。また同年より『六合(りくごう)雑誌』の主筆となり、キリスト教社会主義を論じ、さらに社会主義研究会（1900年社会主義協会と改称）や社会民主党などの結成に重要な役割を果たした。日露戦争では非戦論を展開。このほか都市問題について旺盛(おうせい)な言論活動を行った。1905年（明治38）木下尚江(きのしたなおえ)らとキリスト教社会主義の雑誌『新紀元』を創刊。1910年の大逆(たいぎゃく)事件後は第一線から退いたが、廃娼(はいしょう)運動、産児制限運動などに取り組み続けた。1924年（大正13）日本フェビアン協会を結成して社会主義運動を再開。1926年社会民衆党委員長に就任し、さらに早大教授を辞して1928年（昭和3）の第1回普通選挙に立候補、当選（以後4回当選）。1932年の同党分裂に際し、社会大衆党を結成して委員長に就任したが、1940年反軍演説事件の斎藤隆夫(さいとうたかお)議員除名問題で離党、勤労国民党を結成したものの当局に禁止され、政界を引退した。第二次世界大戦後は日本社会党顧問を務めた。昭和24年2月10日死去。早稲田大学野球部の創立者としても知られる。

［阿部恒久　2018年3月19日］

『安部磯雄著『社会主義者となるまで』（1932・改造社／1947・明善社）』▽『片山哲著『安部磯雄伝』（1958・毎日新聞社／複製・1991・大空社）』▽『平民社資料センター監修、山泉進編集・解題『平民社百年コレクション3　安部磯雄』（2003・論創社）』

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