Sakurakai - Sakurakai

An organization formed by mid-ranking officers of the Ministry of the Army and the General Staff with the goal of reforming the nation. It was founded in the summer of 1930 (Showa 5) by about 20 promoters, including Lt. Colonel Hashimoto Kingoro (head of the Russia team at the General Staff), Lt. Colonel Sakata Yoshiro (head of the Ministry of the Army's research team), and Lt. Colonel Higuchi Kiichiro (staff officer at the Tokyo Security Headquarters). Based on dissatisfaction with the London Naval Treaty and antipathy to party politics, the organization stated its goal of "reforming the nation as our ultimate goal, and we will not hesitate to use force if necessary to achieve this," and also believed that the invasion of Manchuria was essential. By May 1931, the number of members had reached 150, and in July of the same year, the Kozakura-kai, mainly consisting of junior officers, was formed, making it a cross-sectional organization of officers concerned with reforming the nation. Within the Sakurakai, there were differences of opinion regarding the method of national reform and foreign aggression, but Hashimoto and others argued that national reform was necessary first in order to invade Manchuria. Hashimoto and others attempted to carry out national reform through coup d'état plots, the March Incident and the October Incident in 1931, but both attempts were unsuccessful, and the Sakurakai naturally disintegrated afterwards.

The formation of the first organization aimed at reforming the state within the Army, the central organ of the imperial state apparatus, was of great significance in the process of the formation of Japanese fascism.

[Katsumi Enomoto]

"Colonel Hashimoto's Memoirs" by Masao Nakano (1963, Misuzu Shobo) " "Showa Warlords" by Masae Takahashi (Chuko Shinsho) " "Modern History Materials 4, Nationalist Movement 1" edited by Seiichi Imai et al. (1963, Misuzu Shobo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

陸軍省、参謀本部の中堅将校を中心に、国家改造を目的として結成された団体。1930年（昭和5）夏、橋本欣五郎(きんごろう)中佐（参謀本部ロシア班長）を中心に、坂田義朗(よしろう)中佐（陸軍省調査班長）、樋口季一郎(ひぐちきいちろう)中佐（東京警備司令部参謀）ら二十数名の発起人により結成された。ロンドン軍縮条約に対する不満と政党政治への反感をもとに、「本会は国家改造を以(もっ)て終局の目的とし之(これ)が為(た)め要すれば武力を行使するも辞せず」との目的を掲げ、また満州侵略を不可欠と考えていた。31年5月ごろには会員150名に達し、同年7月には尉官級を中心とした小桜会も結成され、国家改造をめぐる将校の横断的組織となった。桜会内部には国家改造と対外侵略の方式に関する意見対立が存在したが、橋本らは満州侵略のためにも、まず国家改造が必要であると主張していた。橋本らは31年の三月事件および十月事件というクーデター計画で国家改造を実行しようとしたが、いずれも未遂に終わり、その後桜会は自然消滅した。

　天皇制国家機構の中枢機関である陸軍内部に、初めて国家改造を指向する組織が結成されたことは、日本ファシズム形成過程に重要な意味をもった。

［榎本勝巳］

『中野雅夫著『橋本大佐の手記』（1963・みすず書房）』▽『高橋正衛著『昭和の軍閥』（中公新書）』▽『今井清一他編『現代史資料4　国家主義運動1』（1963・みすず書房）』

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