Yoshio Kodama

Right-wing activist. Born in Motomiya Town, Fukushima Prefecture (now Motomiya City), he spent his childhood in extreme poverty before joining the right-wing movement in the early Showa period. After being imprisoned three times, he became a commissioned employee of the Naval Air Headquarters in 1941 (Showa 16), and established the "Kodama Agency" in Shanghai, where he engaged in procuring supplies and propaganda work. After the war, he was designated a Class A war criminal, but was released in 1948. The assets of the Kodama Agency were used to fund the reconstruction of the Conservative Party, and this led to his deep ties with the party. He held strong influence in political and financial circles as a right-wing heavyweight, presiding over the Youth Thought Research Association. In 1969, he became a secret agent for Lockheed, and was involved in the selection of Airbus, but was discovered in 1976. He was indicted on charges of tax evasion, and in 1981 was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, but due to illness, the sentence was postponed for life, and he died in January 1984. The charges were dismissed and no sentence was handed down.

[Satoru Ito]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

右翼運動家。福島県本宮(もとみや)町（現本宮市）に生まれ、極貧の少年時代を送った後、昭和初期に右翼運動に参加。三度の投獄ののち、1941年（昭和16）海軍航空本部嘱託となり、上海(シャンハイ)に「児玉機関」を設置し、物資調達、宣撫(せんぶ)工作に従事した。戦後A級戦犯に指定されるが、1948年釈放。児玉機関の資産が保守党再建の資金として使われ、これを機に保守党と深い関係をもつ。青年思想研究会を主宰するなど右翼の重鎮として政財界に強い影響力を保持。1969年ロッキード社の秘密代理人となり、エアバス選定に暗躍したが、1976年発覚。脱税容疑で起訴され、1981年には懲役3年6月の求刑を受けたが、病気のため判決は無期延期となり、昭和59年1月死亡。公訴棄却となって判決は言い渡されなかった。

［伊藤　悟］

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