Sekirankai - Sekirankai

Founded on April 24, 1921 (Taisho 10), this was Japan's first socialist women's organization. Hashiura Haruko, Kutsumi Fusako, Sakai Magara, and Akizuki Shizue were the organizers, and Yamakawa Kikue, Ito Noe, and others also joined. The group was named after the idea that it could "make at least a small ripple in the flow of the socialist movement," and declared that it would fight against "all oppression that has led women to sink into poverty, ignorance, and slavery." The group was formed because women could not officially join the Socialist League, which had been established the previous year, due to Article 5, Clause 1 of the Public Order Police Law (prohibiting women from joining political parties). The group had 42 members, mostly family members of Socialist League members, but many were only in name, and the actual number was said to be just over a dozen. Ideologically diverse, it was strongly influenced by anarchism. At the second May Day (May 1, 1921) immediately after its formation, the group participated carrying a flag with the letters R and W (for Red Wave) in red on a black background, which caused a stir when two members were arrested. The group also carried out educational activities such as "lectures on women's issues" and "summer courses," but dissolved naturally within a year, and the socialist women's movement was taken over by the Yokakai, led by Yamakawa Kikue and others.

[Yoneda Sayoko]

"Wake Up Women" by Akiko Esashi (1980, Otsuki Shoten)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

1921年（大正10）4月24日に結成された日本最初の社会主義婦人団体。橋浦(はしうら)はる子、九津見房子(くつみふさこ)、堺真柄(さかいまがら)、秋月静枝が世話役となり、山川菊栄(きくえ)、伊藤野枝(のえ)らも加わった。会の名称は、「社会主義運動の流れに小さなさざ波くらいはおこすことができるのではないか」ということからつけられたもので、婦人を「窮乏と無知と隷属とに沈淪(ちんりん)せしめたる一切の圧制」と闘うことを宣言した。前年発足した社会主義同盟に、婦人は治安警察法第5条第1項（女子の政社加入禁止）により正式加入できなかったところから生まれたものである。会員は社会主義同盟員の家族を中心に42名とされているが、名前だけの人も多く、実数は十数名という。思想的には多様で、無政府主義の影響が強かった。結成直後の第2回メーデー（1921年5月1日）に、黒地に赤くR・W（Red Waveの意）と記した旗を掲げて参加、2名が検束されて話題となった。「婦人問題講演会」「夏期講習会」などの啓蒙(けいもう)活動も行ったが、1年たらずで自然解消し、社会主義婦人運動は山川菊栄らの八日会へと引き継がれた。

［米田佐代子］

『江刺昭子著『覚めよ女たち』（1980・大月書店）』

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