Hoshi Toru - Hoshi Toru

A Meiji-era lawyer and party politician. Born in Edo on April 14, 1850, as the eldest son of plasterer Tsukudaya Tokubei. After his father ran away, his mother remarried doctor Hoshi Taijun and took the surname Hoshi. After the Meiji Restoration, he was recognized by Mutsu Munemitsu and appointed to the government. In 1874 (Meiji 7), while he was head of customs in Yokohama, he was dismissed after a dispute with British envoy Parkes over the translation of "empress" and "her majesty" in a document with the British consulate. In the same year, he studied in England at the government's command, becoming the first Japanese to obtain a barrister-at-law (British barrister). After returning to Japan, he became the first attorney attached to the Ministry of Justice (later to become a lawyer). In 1882, he joined the Liberal Party and defended Kono Hironaka in the Fukushima Incident. In 1884, while serving time in prison for contempt of public officials, the Liberal Party was dissolved and he opposed it from prison. After being released from prison that same year, he founded Jiyu no Tomoshibi (Light of Freedom) in May. In 1887, he defended Oi Kentaro at the trial of the Osaka Incident, and in October of the same year, promoted the Three Great Incidents Petition Movement. The following year, in 1888, he was imprisoned for violations of the Publishing Ordinance and other charges, but was released in 1889 under a general amnesty following the promulgation of the Constitution, and traveled to Europe and the United States to study. After returning to Japan the following year in 1890, he joined the Constitutional Liberal Party, and was elected in the second general election of the House of Representatives in 1892. He became the second Speaker of the House of Representatives in the third Diet. He was expelled from the Diet because he did not approve of the passage of a motion of no confidence in the Speaker. He was re-elected in the general election the following year in 1893, and returned to the Liberal Party. It was around this time that he earned the nickname "Push Through," and he schemed for an alliance between clan factions, bureaucrats, and political parties. In 1900 (Meiji 33), he supported Hirobumi Ito and formed the Rikken Seiyukai Party, and rose to become a powerful figure in politics as he became Minister of Communications in the Fourth Ito Cabinet. Since the civil rights period, he controlled Tokyo city government, which had been a stronghold of the Kaishinto Party, using the Santama Sonshi as his soldiers, and in 1901 he became the city council chairman, but on June 21 of the same year, he was stabbed to death in the council room of the city hall by educator Sotaro Iba (1851-1903).

[Shoichi Matsuo]

"Meiji Politicians, Vol. 1, by Yukitoshi Hattori (Iwanami Shinsho)" ▽ "Hoshi Toru, by Sadao Ariizumi (1983, Asahi Shimbun)" ▽ "Hoshi Toru - The Man Who Shook Up Clan Politics, by Takeshi Suzuki (Chuko Shinsho)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治期の弁護士、政党政治家。嘉永(かえい)3年4月14日、左官職人佃屋(つくだや)徳兵衛の長男として江戸に生まれる。父出奔後、母が医師星泰順と再婚、星姓を名のる。維新後陸奥宗光(むつむねみつ)に認められて政府に登用される。1874年（明治7）横浜税関長時代、イギリス領事館との文書中に「女帝」と「女王陛下」の訳語をめぐる事件でイギリス公使パークスと争い解任される。同年政府命でイギリス留学、日本人初のバリスター・アット・ロー（イギリス法廷弁護士）を取得。帰国後、司法省付属代言人（後の弁護士）第一号となる。1882年自由党に入党、福島事件の河野広中(こうのひろなか)を弁護する。1884年官吏侮辱罪で服役中、自由党解党にあい獄中から反対。同年出獄後、5月『自由燈(じゆうのともしび)』創刊。1887年大阪事件公判で大井憲太郎(おおいけんたろう)を弁護し、同年10月三大事件建白運動を推進。翌1888年出版条例違反などの罪で下獄するが、1889年憲法発布大赦で出獄後欧米に遊学。翌1890年帰国後、立憲自由党に入党し、1892年第2回衆議院総選挙で当選。第三議会で第2代衆議院議長となる。議長不信任案可決を認めず議員を除名される。翌1893年総選挙で再選され自由党に復帰。このころより「押し通る」と異名をとり、藩閥・官僚と政党との提携を画策。1900年（明治33）伊藤博文(いとうひろぶみ)を担いで立憲政友会を結成し、第四次伊藤内閣の逓相(ていしょう)となり政界の実力者にのし上がる。民権期以来、改進党の牙城(がじょう)であった東京市政を三多摩壮士を手兵に牛耳(ぎゅうじ)り、1901年市会議長となるが、同年6月21日、教育家の伊庭想太郎(いばそうたろう)（1851―1903）に市庁参事会室内で刺殺された。

［松尾章一］

『服部之総著『明治の政治家たち　上』（岩波新書）』▽『有泉貞夫著『星亨』（1983・朝日新聞社）』▽『鈴木武史著『星亨――藩閥政治を揺がした男』（中公新書）』

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