Roichi Naito

Freedom and civil rights activist and politician. Born on October 6, 1845, to a family of senior retainers in the Fukushima domain. In 1869 (Meiji 2), when the domain lord was transferred to Shigehara in Mikawa Province (now Aichi Prefecture), he became chief councilor of the Shigehara domain, and after the abolition of the domain he worked to provide jobs for the samurai class through land reclamation projects and other endeavors. In 1874, he was inspired by a petition by Itagaki Taisuke and others calling for the establishment of a popularly elected parliament, and in 1879 he organized the Freedom and Civil Rights Society "Koushinsha" with his comrades living nearby, becoming the pioneer of the civil rights movement in the Tokai region. He was a secretary at the Aikokusha Convention in 1880, which established the National Diet Promotion Alliance, and at the founding of the Liberal Party in 1881. He also worked hard to launch the Jiyu Shimbun newspaper and establish Yuitsukan (a training school for young men in the Liberal Party), and played a leading role in the civil rights movement. In his later years, he belonged to the Rikken Seiyukai party and was active as a member of the House of Representatives. He died on June 29, 1911.

[Hibino Motohiko]

"Naito Roichi Freedom and People's Rights Movement Document Collection," edited by Chiryu City History and Folklore Museum and supervised by Hasegawa Noboru (2000, Chiryu City Board of Education)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

自由民権運動家、政治家。弘化(こうか)3年10月6日、福島藩家老職の家に生まれる。1869年（明治2）藩主の三河国（愛知県）重原(しげはら)移封に伴い、重原領の大参事となり、廃藩後は開墾事業など、士族授産に努めた。1874年板垣退助(たいすけ)らの民撰(みんせん)議院設立の建白に共鳴し、1879年近在の同志と自由民権政社「交親社」を組織し、東海地方の民権運動の嚆矢(こうし)となった。国会期成同盟を結成した1880年の愛国社大会および1881年の自由党の結成に際しては、いずれも幹事となり、また『自由新聞』の発刊、有一館(ゆういつかん)（自由党の壮士養成所）の設立などにも尽力し、民権運動の指導的役割を果たした。晩年は立憲政友会に属し、衆議院議員として活躍した。明治44年6月29日死去。

［日比野元彦］

『知立市歴史民俗資料館編、長谷川昇監修『内藤魯一自由民権運動資料集』（2000・知立市教育委員会）』

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