Torii Sosen

A newspaper reporter during the Meiji and Taisho periods. His real name was Teruo, and his other pen names were Sokei and Gento. He was born on July 4, 1867, to a samurai family in the Kumamoto domain. He dropped out of the German Association College and entered the Sino-Japanese Trade Research Institute in Shanghai, but fell ill and returned to Japan. In 1890 (Meiji 23), he became a reporter for the newspaper Nippon. In 1897, he joined the Osaka Asahi Shimbun Company, where he gradually rose to prominence. In 1914 (Taisho 3), he became editor-in-chief. With Hasegawa Nyozekan, Oyama Ikuo and others under him, he strongly promoted democracy. He particularly attacked the unconstitutionality of the Terauchi Masatake cabinet. However, in August 1918, the Hakkou Editorial Disturbance occurred, and in October he left the company along with the other senior editors. The following year, in 1919, he launched the Taisho Nichinichi Shimbun, but due to interference with the business of both the Asahi and Mainichi newspapers, the newspaper went bankrupt and was dissolved after only eight months. He then retired from the newspaper world. He died on March 10, 1928.

[Teruo Ariyama]

"Izu Tomito's Draft "Torii Sosen"" (included in "Three Generations of Opinionators 7", 1963, Jiji Press)" ▽ "Nizuma Kan's "Newspaper Man Torii Sosen" (1969, Asahi Shimbun)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治・大正期の新聞記者。本名赫雄(てるお)。別号は素卿(そけい)、玄兎(げんと)。慶応(けいおう)3年7月4日熊本藩士の家に生まれる。独逸(ドイツ)協会専門学校を中退し、上海(シャンハイ)の日清(にっしん)貿易研究所に入ったが、病を得て帰国。1890年（明治23）『日本』紙の記者となる。1897年大阪朝日新聞社に入社ししだいに頭角を現す。1914年（大正3）編集局長に就任。部下には長谷川如是閑(にょぜかん)、大山郁夫(いくお)らを擁し、民本主義を強力に推進した。とくに寺内正毅(まさたけ)内閣の非立憲性を激しく攻撃した。しかし1918年8月に白虹(はっこう)筆禍事件が発生し、10月編集幹部とともに退社した。翌1919年『大正日日新聞』を創刊したが、朝日、毎日両新聞社の営業妨害などのため経営破綻(はたん)し、わずか8か月で解散した。以後は新聞界を引退。昭和3年3月10日死去。

［有山輝雄］

『伊豆富人稿「鳥居素川」（『三代言論人集 7』所収・1963・時事通信社）』▽『新妻莞著『新聞人・鳥居素川』（1969・朝日新聞社）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例