Morikazu Numa - Morikazu Numa

Journalist, civil rights activist, and politician of the Meiji period. Born on December 2, 1830, in Ushigome, Edo, as the second son of Takanashi Sendayu, a shogunate official, he was later adopted by Numa Heirokuro. His former name was Shinjiro, and his pen names were Fujiho-ro's owner and Roka. He studied English and Western military tactics during the late Edo period, and fought in the Tohoku region as a pro-war supporter of the shogunate during the Boshin War. He was arrested in the Shonai domain in September 1868 (Meiji 1), and was released the following year in 1869, when he temporarily taught English at the Tosa domain residence. In 1872, he entered the Ministry of Finance, and soon after transferred to the Ministry of Justice, traveling to the West. In 1873, he returned to Japan, and in 1875, he became the Chief Secretary of the Senate. During his time in the Senate, he is known for his outstanding performance in investigating the "Wappa Incident." He also realized the importance of freedom of speech during his time abroad, and after returning to Japan, he opened a law lecture group in Shitaya, Tokyo, which he later renamed the Oumei-sha and made into a forum for political study, where he actively advocated modern thought. In 1879, he resigned from the Senate in protest against the government's ban on political speeches by government officials, and managed the Oumei Magazine and the Tokyo Yokohama Mainichi Shimbun, contributing to the development of the civil rights movement. In 1882, he participated in the formation of the Constitutional Reform Party, and thereafter played an active role as the party's leader. He also fought for the people of the prefecture as a member of the Tokyo Prefectural Assembly from 1879 to 1890, and served as its chairman from 1882. He died on May 17, 1890. His grave is at Kan'ei-ji Temple in Tokyo.

[Kunio Yasuzai]

"Numama Morikazu" by Ishikawa Yasujiro (1901, Mainichi Shimbun, reprint edition, 1993, Ozorasha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治時代のジャーナリスト、民権家、政治家。天保(てんぽう)14年12月2日幕臣高梨仙太夫(たかなしせんだゆう)の二男として江戸・牛込(うしごめ)に生まれ、のち沼間平六郎(へいろくろう)の養子となる。旧称慎次郎(しんじろう)、雅号不二峰楼(ふじほうろう)主人、弄花(ろうか)。幕末に英学および洋式兵術を修め、戊辰(ぼしん)戦争では幕府側の主戦派として東北地方を転戦。1868年（明治1）9月庄内(しょうない)藩で縛につき、翌1869年放免され、一時土佐藩邸で英学を講じた。1872年大蔵省出仕、まもなく司法省に転じ洋行、翌1873年帰国、1875年より元老院権(ごん)大書記官となった。元老院時代「わっぱ騒動」調査に敏腕を振るったことは有名。また言論の重要性を洋行体験で認識し、帰国後、東京・下谷(したや)に法律講義会を開設、のちこれを嚶鳴(おうめい)社と改めて政治講究の場とし、近代思想を盛んに唱導した。1879年政府の官吏政談演説禁止策に抗して元老院を辞任、『嚶鳴雑誌』『東京横浜毎日新聞』を経営して民権運動の発展に尽くし、1882年には立憲改進党の結成に参加、以後、党領袖(りょうしゅう)として活躍。また1879～1890年の間東京府会議員として府民のために奮闘、この間1882年からは同議会の議長を務めた。明治23年5月17日没。墓は東京寛永寺にある。

［安在邦夫］

『石川安次郎著『沼間守一』（1901・毎日新聞社／復刻版・1993・大空社）』

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