Hasegawa Nyozekan

A representative Japanese journalist and thinker who lived through the Meiji, Taisho and Showa eras. Born in Tokyo in 1875. His real name was Yamamoto Manjiro. At the age of nine, he was adopted by his great-grandmother and took the surname Hasegawa. In 1907 (Meiji 40), he called himself Nyozekanso. Nyozekan's ideological stance can be summed up as that of a British-style liberal, and is notable for its acceptance of socialist ideas from the mid-19th century onwards. Nyozekan was born to a lumber merchant in Fukagawa Lumberyard and grew up in Asakusa. Therefore, in his veins flows a craftsman's temperament similar to British thought, which values ​​realism, rationalism, common sense and humor. During his elementary school years, he studied at the private schools of Tsubouchi Shoyo and Nakamura Keiu, who introduced British thought to Japan, and as he grew older he attended Anglo-American and French schools such as Meiji Law School (now Meiji University) and Tokyo English School (now Nihon Gakuen), before graduating from Tokyo Law School (now Chuo University), the successor to the British Law School.

It is believed that this ideological formation was the motivation for him to join the Nippon Shimbun newspaper (1903) run by Kugaku Katsunan, who valued Japanese independence while also advocating a position of liberal nationalism. He then joined the Osaka Asahi Shimbun in 1908, and became head of the social affairs section in 1916 (Taisho 5), playing an important role in the Taisho democracy movement. However, in 1918, he took responsibility for the "Hakkou Pen-Paper Incident" and left the company along with Torii Sosen, Oyama Ikuo, and Maruyama Kanji. In 1919, he and Oyama founded the magazine Warera (We), and for about 15 years until the discontinuation of Hiri (Criticism) in 1934 (Showa 9) (which was renamed Warera in 1930), he engaged in enlightenment activities against nationalism and fascism. His major works include "Criticism of the Modern State" (1921), "Criticism of Modern Society" (1922), and "Criticism of Japanese Fascism" (1932). After "Criticism" ceased publication, he worked to promote and enlighten liberalism, and through his research into the "Kojiki", "Man'yoshu", and Motoori Norinaga, he argued that the Japanese had been a peace-loving people since ancient times, in contrast to the rise of militarism and the Imperial Way spirit of the time. In 1938, he published "The Japanese Character".

For about ten years after the war, as one of Japan's greatest intellectuals, he advocated the thorough implementation of democracy and the importance of establishing international peace. In 1946 (Showa 21), he became an imperially appointed member of the House of Peers and participated in the formulation of the new constitution. In 1947, he became a member of the Imperial Academy of Arts, in 1948 he was awarded the Order of Culture, and in 1950 he published "Autobiography of a Heart." In 1954, he was appointed an honorary citizen of Tokyo, and in the same year, to commemorate his 80th birthday, he was presented with a home called "Hashunso" in Odawara by friends and acquaintances. He passed away on November 11, 1969.

[Hiroshi Tanaka]

"Hasegawa Nyozekan Selected Works, edited by Ouchi Hyoe et al., 7 volumes with 1 supplementary volume (1969-1970, Kurita Publishing Association)" ▽ "Hasegawa Nyozekan Collected Works, 7 volumes (1989-1990, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Hasegawa Nyozekan Works Catalog Editorial Committee, edited, Hasegawa Nyozekan -- Person, Times, Thoughts and Catalog of Works" (1985, Chuo University Press)" ▽ "Tanaka Hiroshi, Introduction to the Study of Hasegawa Nyozekan (1989, Miraisha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治・大正・昭和三代を生きた日本の代表的ジャーナリスト、思想家。明治8年東京に生まれる。本名山本萬次郎。9歳のとき曽(そう)祖母の養子となり長谷川姓を名のる。1907年（明治40）から「如是閑叟(にょぜかんそう)」と号した。如是閑の思想的立場は、ひと口でいえばイギリス流の自由主義者(リベラリスト)、それも19世紀中葉以降の社会主義の思想をも許容している点に特色がある。如是閑は深川木場の材木商の子として生まれ、幼年時代は浅草で育っている。したがって彼の血管のなかには、現実主義、合理主義、庶民感覚、ユーモアなどを重んじるイギリス思想と相似(あいに)た職人気質(かたぎ)が脈々と流れている。また彼は小学生時代に、イギリス思想を日本に紹介した坪内逍遙(しょうよう)や中村敬宇の塾で学び、長じては英米仏系の学校たとえば明治法律学校（現、明治大学）、東京英語学校（現、日本学園）などに通い、英吉利(イギリス)法律学校の後身東京法学院（現、中央大学）を卒業している。

　こうした思想形成が、日本の主体性を重んじつつも自由国民主義の立場を主張した陸羯南(くがかつなん)の『日本』新聞へ入社（1903）する動機となったものと思われる。その後、1908年には『大阪朝日』に入社、1916年（大正5）には社会部長となり、大正デモクラシー運動のなかで重要な役割を果たす。しかし1918年、「白虹(はっこう)筆禍事件」の責任をとり鳥居素川(そせん)、大山郁夫(いくお)、丸山幹治(かんじ)らと退社。1919年、大山らと雑誌『我等(われら)』を創刊、1934年（昭和9）に『批判』（1930年に『我等』を改題）を廃刊するまでの約15年間、国家主義やファシズムに抵抗する啓蒙(けいもう)活動を展開した。主著に『現代国家批判』（1921）、『現代社会批判』（1922）、『日本ファシズム批判』（1932）がある。『批判』廃刊後は、自由主義の宣伝啓蒙に努め、また『古事記』『万葉集』、本居宣長(もとおりのりなが)などの研究を通じて、当時の軍国主義・皇道精神の高揚に対して、日本人は古来から平和愛好的な民族であったと主張した。1938年『日本的性格』を出版。

　戦後の10年間ほどは日本最高の知識人として民主主義の徹底化、国際平和確立の重要性などを唱えた。1946年（昭和21）貴族院勅選議員となり新憲法の制定に参加。1947年帝国芸術院会員、1948年文化勲章受章、1950年『ある心の自叙伝』を出版。1954年東京都名誉都民に推され、同年、80歳を記念して友人・知人より小田原の地に「八旬荘」なる居宅を贈られる。昭和44年11月11日没。

［田中　浩］

『大内兵衛他編『長谷川如是閑選集』全7巻・補巻1（1969～1970・栗田出版会）』▽『『長谷川如是閑集』全7巻（1989～1990・岩波書店）』▽『長谷川如是閑著作目録編集委員会編『長谷川如是閑――人・時代・思想と著作目録』（1985・中央大学出版部）』▽『田中浩著『長谷川如是閑研究序説』（1989・未来社）』

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