Grassroots Magazine - Soumou Zasshi

Japanese: 草莽雑誌 - そうもうざっし

This was a political commentary magazine in the early days of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement that fiercely attacked the Meiji government. It was first published in March 1876 by Jishusha. Its president was Kurihara Ryoichi (a former Toba feudal lord who played an instrumental role in the founding of the Aikoku Koto party and later became a member of the House of Representatives). The magazine was formatted as a folded sheet of half-sized paper, with each issue being around 10 pages long. The third issue contained articles entitled "The Possibility of Overthrowing the Oppressive Government" and "The Possibility of Assassinating Tyrannical Officials", which led to the editor being sentenced to three years' imprisonment under the Newspaper Ordinance. Furthermore, in July, the first application of a Dajokan proclamation banning the publication of newspapers and magazines that disrupted national security led to the magazine being banned, and it ceased publication after the sixth issue.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

明治政府を激しく攻撃した自由民権運動初期の政治評論雑誌。1876年3月創刊。自主社より発行。社長は栗原亮一(旧鳥羽藩士。愛国公党の創立に尽力，のち衆議院議員)。体裁は半紙半截二つ折で，各号とも10葉程度。第3号掲載の論文〈圧制政府顚覆ス可キノ論〉と〈暴虐官吏刺殺ス可キノ論〉は，新聞紙条例の適用をうけて編集人が禁獄3年に処せられた。さらに7月，国安妨害の新聞雑誌は発行を禁止するとの太政官布告の初適用により発行禁止となり，第6号で廃刊。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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