Kenzo Takahashi

A Meiji-era newspaper journalist. His pen name was Jiji Koji. He was born in Edo in September 1855. He studied law at Daigaku Nanko but dropped out. After translating the British Political Code and other works, he joined the Post Office. He then transferred to the Official Gazette Bureau, becoming its director in 1889 (Meiji 22). His subordinates at this time included Riku Katsunan and Hasegawa Tatsunosuke (Futabatei Shimei). He was the first in Japan to import a Marinoni rotary press, and worked hard to improve the Official Gazette. He was also known as a nationalist, having published the art magazine Kokka with Okakura Tenshin, and was active in the anti-revision treaty movement in cooperation with Seikyosha and the Nippon newspaper. In 1893, he joined the Osaka Asahi Shimbun Company, where he wrote editorials as the de facto editor-in-chief. At the same time, he edited the magazine "Nijurokuseiki." In 1896, he was appointed Chief Secretary of the Matsukata Masayoshi Cabinet. However, during his tenure at "Nijurokuseiki," he was involved in a literary scandal and resigned in 1897. He died of an illness on July 22, 1898.

[Teruo Ariyama]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治の新聞記者。号は自恃(じじ)居士。安政(あんせい)2年9月江戸に生まれる。大学南校に法律を学んだが中退。『英国政典』などの翻訳に従事したのち、駅逓(えきてい)局に出仕。さらに官報局に転じ、1889年（明治22）官報局長となる。このときの部下には、陸羯南(くがかつなん)、長谷川辰之助（二葉亭四迷(ふたばていしめい)）などがいた。日本で初めてマリノニ式輪転機を輸入するなど『官報』の改良に尽力した。また岡倉天心とともに美術雑誌『国華(こっか)』を発行するなど国粋主義者としても知られ、条約改正反対運動では、政教社や『日本』紙と提携し、活動した。1893年大阪朝日新聞社に入社、事実上の主筆として社説を執筆。同時に雑誌『二十六世紀』の編集にもあたった。1896年松方正義(まさよし)内閣の書記官長に就任。しかし、『二十六世紀』在任中の筆禍事件などもあり、1897年辞職。明治31年7月22日病没した。

［有山輝雄］

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