Eisuke Tashiro

The prime minister (supreme leader) of the Chichibu Incident. Born into an old family in Omiyago, Chichibu County, Musashi Province (Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture). A man of natural chivalry, he took on the role of arbitrator in loan disputes while farming, and could be called a "boss." In February 1884 (Meiji 17), he applied to join the Liberal Party, and as the formation of the Chichibu Kominto progressed, he was invited and joined in September. As the petition campaign to persuade usurers reached a deadlock, the Kominto leaned towards uprising, and Tashiro and his men committed robberies to raise funds. On November 1, an uprising occurred at Muku Shrine in Shimoyoshida (Chichibu City), and Tashiro became the prime minister. He invaded Ogano on the same day, and Omiyago on the 2nd, seizing government offices and attacking usurers. On the 3rd, on the way to Minano, he fell ill, and by the afternoon of the 4th, he had lost the will to fight and left the main camp. He hid in the mountains for a time, but came out into a village on the 14th and was arrested. He was executed in Kumagaya in May of the following year.

[Koji Inoue]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

秩父(ちちぶ)事件の総理（最高指導者）。武蔵(むさし)国秩父郡大宮郷(おおみやごう)（埼玉県秩父市）の旧家に生まれる。生来の侠気(きょうき)から農業のかたわら貸借上の仲裁などを引き受けていた、親分というべき人物である。1884年（明治17）2月自由党に入党を申し込み、秩父困民(こんみん)党の結成が進むと招請され、9月これに参加した。高利貸の説諭請願運動が行き詰まったため、困民党は蜂起(ほうき)に傾き、田代らは資金調達のため強盗を行った。11月1日下吉田（秩父市）の椋(むく)神社で蜂起し、田代は総理となり、その日小鹿野(おがの)、2日大宮郷に侵入して官庁を占領し、高利貸を襲撃した。3日皆野(みなの)に向かう途中持病を発し、4日午後になると戦意を喪失して本陣を離脱した。いったん山中に隠れたが、14日人里に出て逮捕され、翌年5月、熊谷(くまがや)において処刑された。

［井上幸治］

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