Keien era

In the late Meiji period, Katsura Taro, successor to Yamagata Aritomo, a clan faction leader, and Saionji Kinmochi, head of the Rikken Seiyukai Party, alternated in power. In the latter part of the first Katsura Taro Cabinet, Prime Minister Katsura met with Hara Takashi of the Seiyukai Party seven times from the end of 1904 (Meiji 37) in order to overcome the difficult situation around the end of the Russo-Japanese War. Katsura recommended Saionji as the successor to the prime minister, and worked hard to establish the Saionji Kinmochi Cabinet as his "helper," with conditions such as the Katsura Cabinet drawing up policies and budgets for the next year, not calling it a party cabinet, and not allowing anyone tied to the genro to join the cabinet. Katsura initially supported Saionji, but sensed the danger of Home Minister Hara Takashi's efforts to split the Yamagata faction, and took advantage of the Cabinet's failure in financial policy to incite the genro to overthrow the Cabinet. In the second Katsura Cabinet, they advocated a "Treat all political groups equally" policy (meaning to treat all political groups equally, but in reality it was a policy to defeat the Seiyukai Party) and tried to unite anti-Seiyukai parties, but when this failed they immediately compromised with Saionji (while Hara was traveling overseas). Hara "joined ranks" with the Seiyukai Party and overcame the difficulties following the High Treason Incident. In the next, second Saionji Cabinet, Hara advised the Prime Minister on the cabinet's independence and devoted himself to streamlining the administration and finances. In response, the army forced the addition of new divisions, and Katsura, who returned to Japan in the middle of a tour of Europe and the US after the death of Emperor Meiji, neglected to request government mediation on the grounds that he had become Privy Seal, and the Cabinet fell. The third Katsura Cabinet fell after just over two months due to the Movement for the Protection of Constitutional Government. This was a period of compromise on the surface and conflict behind the scenes between the Katsura Cabinet and the Seiyukai Party.

[Yamamoto Shiro]

"The Life of Duke Katsura Taro" by Tokutomi Soho (1917, Late Duke Katsura Memorial Association)" ▽ "The Life of Saionji Kimmochi 3, edited by the Ritsumeikan University Saionji Kimmochi Biography Editorial Committee (1993, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "The Taisho Political Criticism" by Sakano Junji (1982, Minerva Shobo) ▽ "The Critical Biography of Hara Takashi, Vol. 1 and 2, by Yamamoto Shiro (1997, Tokyo Sogensha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治末期、藩閥系で山県有朋(やまがたありとも)の後継者桂太郎と立憲政友会総裁西園寺公望(さいおんじきんもち)が交互に政権を担当した時代。第一次桂太郎内閣の後期、桂首相は日露戦争終結前後の難局乗り切りのため1904年（明治37）末より政友会の原敬(はらたかし)と7回にわたり会談。後継首班には西園寺を推挙し、次年度の政策、予算は桂内閣で立案、政党内閣と称しない、元老の紐(ひも)つきを入閣させないなどを条件とし、桂は「手伝人」として西園寺公望内閣の成立に尽力。当初は援助したが、原敬内相の山県系切り崩しに危険を感じ、内閣の財政策失敗をとらえ元老を使嗾(しそう)して倒閣した。第二次桂内閣では「一視同仁(いっしどうじん)」策（すべての政治グループを平等にみる意。しかしじつは政友会打破策）を掲げ、反政友会政党を結集しようとしたが、失敗すると直ちに西園寺と妥協した（原外遊中）。大逆事件以後の難局には政友会と「情意投合」して、原が難局をきり抜けた。次の第二次西園寺内閣では原は内閣の独自性を首相に進言、行財政整理に没頭した。これに対し陸軍は師団増設を強要、明治天皇の死により欧米漫遊の途中で帰国した桂は、内大臣になったのを理由に政府の調停依頼を怠り内閣は倒れた。第三次桂内閣は憲政擁護運動のため2か月余で倒れた。この時代は桂内閣と政友会との表面妥協・裏面対立の進行した時期である。

［山本四郎］

『徳富蘇峰著『公爵桂太郎伝』（1917・故桂公爵記念事業会）』▽『立命館大学西園寺公望伝編纂委員会編『西園寺公望伝3』（1993・岩波書店）』▽『坂野潤治著『大正政変』（1982・ミネルヴァ書房）』▽『山本四郎著『評伝原敬』上・下（1997・東京創元社）』

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