Shoichi Ichikawa

A communist from the Taisho to early Showa periods. Born in February 1892 in Ube Village, Asa County, Yamaguchi Prefecture (now Ube City). In 1916 (Taisho 5), he graduated from the Faculty of Literature at Waseda University and became a newspaper reporter, but from around 1920 he began studying socialism, and in 1922 he launched the magazine "Proletarian Class," and in January of the following year he joined the Japanese Communist Party. He was arrested in June of that year and imprisoned until December, and became a central committee member at the third congress in December 1951. He avoided arrest during the March 15 Incident in 1928 (Showa 3), and worked to rebuild the organization, participating in the Sixth Congress of Comintern held in Moscow in July, and after returning to Japan he led the Central Bureau, but was arrested in the April 16 Incident in 1954. While in prison, he led the trial, gave a representative statement on the party's history, and was sentenced to life imprisonment. In 1960, he was elected to the Comintern Executive Committee. He remained unconverted for 17 years, and died of malnutrition in Miyagi Prison on March 15, 1945. There is a monument to him in his registered domicile, Hikari City, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

[Kinji Umeda]

"Statement at the Trial of Shoichi Ichikawa" (Shinnihon Shuppansha, Shinnihon Bunko)" ▽ "Letters from Prison" (Shinnihon Shuppansha, Shinnihon Bunko)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

大正～昭和前期の共産主義者。明治25年2月山口県厚狭(あさ)郡宇部村（現、宇部市）に生まれる。1916年（大正5）早稲田(わせだ)大学文学部を卒業し新聞記者になったが、20年ごろから社会主義を研究し、22年に雑誌『無産階級』を発刊、翌23年1月日本共産党に入党。この年6月に検挙され12月まで入獄、26年12月の第3回大会で中央委員。28年（昭和3）の三・一五事件では検挙を免れ、組織再建に努め、7月にモスクワで開かれたコミンテルン第6回大会に参加、帰国後中央ビューローで指導したが、29年四・一六事件で検挙された。獄中で公判を指導し、党史を代表陳述、無期懲役の判決を受けた。35年コミンテルン執行委員に選ばれた。17年間非転向を貫き、昭和20年3月15日、宮城刑務所で栄養失調のため死去。本籍地の山口県光(ひかり)市に記念碑がある。

［梅田欽治］

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