Friends of the People

Japanese: 国民之友 - こくみんのとも

A magazine published by Minyusha. It was first published in February 1887 and ceased publication in August 1898 with issue 372. It was a progressive critical magazine started by Tokutomi Soho, who rose to fame as a leading critic with his Shin Nihon no Seinen (New Japan's Youth) (1887). It was originally published monthly, but then became bi-monthly, thrice monthly, and then weekly. It opposed the interference policies of the clan-based government at the time (→ clan-based politics) and took a radical populist stance that sought to realize freedom and equality. The "Moshiokusa" column in the magazine was a literary column that covered literary figures from the 1880s (1887-1896) such as Mori Ogai, Ozaki Koyo, Koda Rohan, Tsubouchi Shoyo, Morita Shiken, Futabatei Shimei, Yamada Bitmyo, Tokutomi Roka, Miyazaki Kotoko, and Kunikida Doppo, and also played a role as a gateway to the literary world. Other columns included "Special Contributions" and "Historical Commentary," and contributions were received from such authors as Yano Ryukei, Ozaki Yukio, Uemura Masahisa, Nakae Chomin, Taguchi Uokichi, Onishi Iwai, Uchimura Kanzo, Nitobe Inazo, Fukuchi Genichiro, Yamaji Aizan, and Takekoshi Yosaburo. Although it was a magazine with a strong social focus, it fell into decline after the Sino-Japanese War, when Soho leaned toward nationalism. Controversial works published in the magazine included Ogai's translated poem "Omokage" (1889), the novel "Maihime" (1890), Kitamura Tokoku's "Shukukonkyo" (1893), Kawakami Bizan's "Ura Omote" (1895), Uchida Roan's critique "Gendai Bungaku" (1891), and Yamaji Aizan's critique "Raijo o Ronzu" (1893).

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

民友社発行の雑誌。1887年2月創刊，1898年8月，第372号で廃刊。『新日本之青年』（1887）で一躍評論家の雄となった徳富蘇峰が始めた進歩的評論誌。初め月刊であったが月 2回，3回，週刊となり，ときの藩閥政府（→藩閥政治）の干渉政策に対抗，自由と平等の実現を期する急進的平民主義の立場をとった。同誌中の「藻塩草」欄は文芸欄で，森鴎外，尾崎紅葉，幸田露伴，坪内逍遙，森田思軒，二葉亭四迷，山田美妙，徳冨蘆花，宮崎湖処子，国木田独歩ら明治20年代（1887～96）の文学者を網羅し，文壇への登竜門の役割も果たした。ほかに「特別寄書」欄や「史論」欄などがあり，矢野龍渓，尾崎行雄，植村正久，中江兆民，田口卯吉，大西祝，内村鑑三，新渡戸稲造，福地源一郎，山路愛山，竹越与三郎らが寄稿した。社会性の強い雑誌であったが，日清戦争後は蘇峰が国家主義に傾いたため不振に陥った。鴎外の訳詩『於母影』（1889），小説『舞姫』（1890），北村透谷の『宿魂鏡』（1893），川上眉山の『うらおもて』（1895），内田魯庵の評論『現代文学』（1891），山路愛山の評論『頼襄を論ず』（1893）などの問題作が誌上に発表された。

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