Newcomers' Association

An ideological group formed in the Taisho and Showa periods by students of Tokyo Imperial University. It was formed on December 5, 1918 (Taisho 7) by Akamatsu Katsumaro and Miyazaki Ryusuke, who had been working on the universal suffrage study group under Professor Yoshino Sakuzo, and was triggered by a public speech by Yoshino and the Roninkai. It was a new generation group that could be said to have a master-disciple relationship with the Reimeikai, which led the Taisho democracy, and it proclaimed the following principles: "We will cooperate with and strive to promote the new trend of human liberation, which is the cultural trend of the world," and "We will follow the legitimate movement to reform modern Japan." Membership was not limited to students of Tokyo Imperial University at first, but also included graduates Aso Hisashi and Sano Manabu, Keio University student Nosaka Sanzo, and worker Watanabe Masanosuke. They published the journal Democracy (its successors Senku, Dobo, and Narodo), held lectures, liaised with various student groups, and exchanged views with comrades in China and Korea. They also approached the labor movement, cooperated with the Yuaikai, and established branches all over the country, thus developing a wide range of social movements. However, in November 1921 (Taisho 10), with the diverse developments in the social movements surrounding them at that time, ideological differentiation occurred, and they were reorganized as an in-house student group at Tokyo Imperial University. Thereafter, they strengthened their orientation to Marxism, and occupied a leading position in the Student Social Science Union (Gakuren). They also carried out relief activities at the time of the Great Kanto Earthquake, and assisted in the establishment of the Tokyo Imperial University Settlement. During this time, the association produced many social activists, including Sano, Akamatsu, Nosaka, Watanabe, Koiwai Kiyoshi, and Shiga Yoshio, who joined the Japanese Communist Party, which was formed in July 1947. In the March 15 Incident of 1953, new and old members were arrested and the authorities at Tokyo Imperial University issued an order to disband the association, but the association continued to exist illegally, and on November 22, 1954, the 10th anniversary of the International League of Communist Youth, it issued a "Statement on the Dissolution of the Shinjinkai" and was dissolved. Other current and past members include Kaji Ryuichi, Royama Masamichi, Kono Mitsu, Kazahaya Yasouji, Mizuno Shigeo, Oya Soichi, Goto Hisao (Hayashi Fusao), Okada Soji, Ishido Kiyotomo, and Nakano Shigeharu, bringing the total number of past members to about 350. Over 100 people were indicted under the Peace Preservation Law, and many of them later became leaders of progressive political parties, members of parliament, scholars, and writers.

[Nomaru Sato]

"History of the Student Social Movement" by Kikukawa Tadao (1931, Chuokoron-Shinsha; expanded and revised in 1947, Kaikou Shoten) " ▽ "Records of the Tokyo Imperial University Shinjinkai" edited by Ishido Kiyomichi and Tateyama Toshitada (1976, Keizai Oraisha) " ▽ "Study of the Shinjinkai" by H. Smith, translated by Matsuo Takatsugu and Mori Fumiko (1978, University of Tokyo Press)" ▽ "Research Notes on the Tokyo Imperial University Shinjinkai, edited and published by Nakamura Katsunori Research Group, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law, Keio University, Issues 1-6 (1979-83)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

東京帝国大学の学生が中心となって結成した大正～昭和期の思想団体。1918年（大正7）12月5日、吉野作造(さくぞう)教授の下で普選研究会を行っていた赤松克麿(かつまろ)、宮崎竜介(りゅうすけ)らが中心となって、吉野と浪人会の立会演説会を契機にして結成。大正デモクラシーをリードした黎明会(れいめいかい)とは師弟関係にあるともいうべき新しい世代の集団で、「吾徒は世界の文化的大勢たる人類解放の新気運に協調し之(これ)が促進に努む」「吾徒は現代日本の正当なる改造運動に従ふ」との綱領を掲げた。会員は、当初、東京帝大生に限定せず、卒業生の麻生久(あそうひさし)、佐野学(まなぶ)や慶大生の野坂参三(さんぞう)、労働者の渡辺政之輔(まさのすけ)らも参加した。機関誌『デモクラシイ』（後継誌『先駆(せんく)』『同胞』『ナロオド』）を発行して、講演会、学生諸団体との連絡、中国・朝鮮の同志との交歓を行い、また、労働運動に接近して友愛会と協力し、各地に支部をも置くなどして広範な社会運動を展開した。しかし21年（大正10）11月、彼らを取り巻くこの時期の社会運動の多様な発展に伴い、思想的分化を生じ、東京帝大内の学内学生団体に改組、以後マルクス主義志向を強め、学生社会科学連合会（学連）で指導的地位を占めた。また、関東大震災に際し、救護活動を行い、東京帝大セツルメントの創立などに協力した。この間、会員の中から佐野、赤松、野坂、渡辺のほかに小岩井浄(こいわいきよし)、志賀義雄(しがよしお)が22年7月結成の日本共産党に参加したのをはじめ、会は多くの社会運動家を輩出させた。28年（昭和3）の三・一五事件で新旧の会員が検挙され、東京帝大当局は解散を発令したが、会は非合法的に存続し、翌29年11月22日の国際共産青年同盟10周年記念日に「新人会解体に関する声明書」を発表して解散した。他の新旧会員に嘉治隆一(かじりゅういち)、蝋山政道(ろうやままさみち)、河野密(こうのみつ)、風早八十二(かざはややそじ)、水野成夫(しげお)、大宅壮一(おおやそういち)、後藤寿夫(ひさお)（林房雄(ふさお)）、岡田宗司(そうじ)、石堂清倫(いしどうきよとも)、中野重治(しげはる)らがおり、歴代会員は約350名を数える。治安維持法関係での被起訴者は前後100名を超え、のちに革新政党の指導者、国会議員、学者、作家となった者も多い。

［佐藤能丸］

『菊川忠雄著『学生社会運動史』（1931・中央公論社／増補改訂・1947・海口書店）』▽『石堂清倫・竪山利忠編『東京帝大新人会の記録』（1976・経済往来社）』▽『H・スミス著、松尾尊兌・森史子訳『新人会の研究』（1978・東京大学出版会）』▽『慶応義塾大学法学部政治学科中村勝範研究会編・刊『東京帝大新人会研究ノート』第1～6号（1979～83）』

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