Matsutaro Shoriki

Newspaper and broadcasting executive. Born on April 11, 1885 in Biwakubi, Imizu County, Toyama Prefecture (now Imizu City). After graduating from Tokyo Imperial University in 1911 (Meiji 44), he entered the government, but retired in December 1923 (Taisho 12) after taking responsibility for the Toranomon Incident that occurred while he was the Chief of Police Affairs at the Metropolitan Police Department. In February 1924, with the help of Goto Shinpei, he took over management of the Yomiuri Shimbun. After that, he came up with one original plan after another, and helped to develop the Yomiuri Shimbun into a national newspaper on a par with the Asahi Shimbun and Mainichi Shimbun. In the fall of 1941 (Showa 16), he is famous for opposing the government's plan to unify national newspapers during wartime, and forcing it to be withdrawn. After the Second World War, he founded Japan's first commercial television station, Nippon Television Network Corporation, and contributed to the broadcasting industry by working hard to lay microwaves and develop professional baseball. He served as a Minister of State in the Cabinets of Ichiro Hatoyama and Nobusuke Kishi, and established the foundation for the peaceful use of atomic energy. He passed away on October 9, 1969.

[Akihiko Sunohara]

"Biography of Shoriki Matsutaro by Mitarai Tatsuo (1955, Dainihon Yubenkai Kodansha)" ▽ "Man of Ingenuity: Shoriki Matsutaro by Katayanagi Tadao (1961, Orion Publishing Division)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

新聞・放送経営者。明治18年4月11日富山県射水(いみず)郡枇杷首(びわくび)（現、射水市）に生まれる。1911年（明治44）東京帝国大学卒業後、官界に入るが、1923年（大正12）12月警視庁警務部長のとき起こった虎の門事件の責任を負って退官。1924年2月、後藤新平の助力で『読売新聞』の経営にあたる。以後、独創的な企画を次々と打ち出し、『読売新聞』を『朝日新聞』『毎日新聞』と並ぶ全国紙に育て上げた。1941年（昭和16）秋、戦時新聞統合を企図する政府の全国新聞一元会社案に反対、撤回させたのは有名。第二次世界大戦後は、日本初の民放テレビ局「日本テレビ放送網」を創立したほか、マイクロウェーブの敷設に尽力、放送界に貢献するとともに、プロ野球の発展に努めた。鳩山一郎(はとやまいちろう)内閣、岸信介(きしのぶすけ)内閣の国務大臣として入閣、原子力平和利用の基礎を固めた。昭和44年10月9日没。

［春原昭彦］

『御手洗辰雄著『伝記正力松太郎』（1955・大日本雄弁会講談社）』▽『片柳忠男著『創意の人　正力松太郎』（1961・オリオン社出版部）』

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