Aikyojuku - Aikyojuku

A private school established by the agrarian ideologist Tachibana Kozaburo in Tokiwa Village, Ibaraki County, Ibaraki Prefecture. After dropping out of First High School in 1915 (Taisho 4), Tachibana ran the "Brothers' Village Farm" with his eldest brother Tetsutaro and second brother Tokujiro, but in November 1929 (Showa 4), he founded the Aikokai Association, promoting "earthism," "brotherhood," and "labor," and engaged in educational activities for farmers and cooperative movements, mainly among young men who were medium-sized self-farming or tenant farmers. In 1931, he planned to establish a self-run labor school to train "fighters for the construction of a new Japan," and opened the Aikojuku on April 15 of the same year. However, it was around this time that Tachibana became interested in the movement to reform the nation through direct action through Inoue Nissho and others, and he participated in a coup d'état planned by naval officers. During the May 15 Incident, several students organized the "Farmers' Suicide Squad" and were responsible for attacking a power substation in Tokyo. This brought the school's name to fame, but its influence declined. In addition, the school's activities came to a complete halt after it was cracked down on in January 1933 when a student violated the petition order (an unsuccessful attempt to appeal directly for the release of Tachibana).

[Hirozumi Abe]

"Tachibana Kozaburo - A Japanese Fascist Reverting to Primitive Times" by Matsuzawa Tetsunari (1972, Sanichi Shobo) " "The May 15 Incident - Tachibana Kozaburo and the Trajectory of the Aikyo Juku" by Hosaka Masayasu (1974, Soshisha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

農本主義者橘孝三郎(たちばなこうざぶろう)が茨城県茨城郡常盤(ときわ)村に創設した私塾。1915年（大正4）第一高等学校を中退した橘は、長兄鉄太郎や次兄徳次郎らと「兄弟村農場」を経営していたが、1929年（昭和4）11月、「大地主義」「兄弟主義」「勤労主義」を掲げて愛郷会を結成し、中堅自作、自小作農家の青年たちを主体に農民の啓蒙(けいもう)活動や協同組合運動などを行った。さらに1931年「新日本建設の闘士」を養成するため自営的勤労学校の設立を企図し、同年4月15日愛郷塾を開設した。しかし、橘はこのころから井上日召(にっしょう)らを通じて直接行動による国家改造運動に関心を抱き始め、海軍士官らによるクーデター計画に参画する。そして、五・一五事件には塾生数名が「農民決死隊」を組織して東京市内の変電所襲撃を担当した。これによって塾の名は一躍有名になったが塾勢は逆に衰退し、加えて1933年1月の塾生による請願令違反事件（橘釈放要求直訴未遂）による弾圧で塾の活動はまったく停止した。

［安部博純］

『松沢哲成著『橘孝三郎――日本ファシズム原始回帰派』（1972・三一書房）』▽『保阪正康著『五・一五事件――橘孝三郎と愛郷塾の軌跡』（1974・草思社）』

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