Shakaito - Social Party

An association of rickshaw drivers in the Meiji period. In June 1882 (Meiji 15), the appearance of horse-drawn carriages in Tokyo put pressure on rickshaw drivers, and in order to protect their livelihoods, Okumiya Kenshi acted as organizer, and Miura Kamekichi (Chibikame), a rickshaw driver for Oi Kentaro and the boss of a lodging house, acted as chairman. On October 4 of the same year, the group gathered over 300 rickshaw drivers at Myojinyama in Kanda to hold a "Rickshaw Drivers' Social Gathering." At first, the group was called the "Alliance Against Horse-Drawn Railways," but a newspaper reporter nicknamed it the "Rickshaw Club Party." Article 1 of the party's rules states, "We aim to foster mutual friendship and amity among rickshaw drivers in the business of rickshaw driving." On November 24th, the Rickshaw Drivers held a political speech meeting at Ibumura-ro in Asakusa. On the 27th of the following month, the authorities indicted Okumiya, Miura, and Teruyama Shunzo on charges of assaulting and threatening government officials and refusing to cooperate. With their leader gone, the party naturally disintegrated.

[Shoichi Matsuo]

"Pioneer of Freedom and Civil Rights, by Toshio Itoya (1981, Otsuki Shoten)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治期の人力車夫の結社。1882年（明治15）6月に東京で開通した鉄道馬車の出現で圧迫を受けた人力車夫の生活防衛のため、奥宮健之(おくのみやけんし)が世話人、大井憲太郎(けんたろう)の車夫で宿車(やどぐるま)の親方・三浦亀吉(かめきち)（小亀(ちびかめ)）が会主となり、同年10月4日、神田の明神(みょうじん)山に人力車夫300余名を集めて「人力車夫懇親会」を開いた。最初は「馬車鉄道反対同盟」と称したが、新聞記者が「車会党」とあだ名をつけた。同党の規則第1条に「車夫営業のため相互に親和、親睦(しんぼく)を旨とし」とうたう。11月24日、浅草井生村楼(いぶむらろう)で「車夫政談演説会」を開催。当局は翌月27日、奥宮、三浦、照山俊三を官吏暴行脅迫抗拒の罪に処し投獄。指導者を奪われて同党は自然消滅した。

［松尾章一］

『絲屋寿雄著『自由民権の先駆者』（1981・大月書店）』

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