Matsushima Brothel Scandal

A bribery case involving the relocation of Matsushima red-light district in Osaka. The Toyokuni Land Company, hoping to profit from the relocation of Matsushima red-light district to land owned by the company, asked Seiyukai Secretary-General Iwasaki Isao, Kenseikai General Affairs Officer Minoura Katsundo, and Seiyukai Party Affairs Committee Chairman Takami Yukimichi, through lawyer Hirawatari Makoto, and these three influential parties lobbied political leaders. As a result, over 560,000 yen in campaign funds were spent. The case became an issue in the House of Representatives in March 1926 (Taisho 15), and Iwasaki, Minoura, Takami and others were indicted, and in November of the same year, Prime Minister Wakatsuki Reijiro was also questioned. In a verdict dated October 13, 1927 (Showa 2), Minoura, Takami, and Osaka "gangster" Imakita Jisaku, who was said to have worked to promote the relocation, were found not guilty, while Hirawatari and Hirawatari's employee Masuda Iwao were found guilty.

This incident was one in a series of corruption cases that revealed the links between political parties and vested interests during this period as a result of the infighting between established political parties. It furthered the public's distrust of political parties and, combined with the inability of the established political parties to politically mediate the interests of people below the middle class, became one of the factors that led to the rejection of party politics.

[Amemiya Shoichi]

"Mitsuko Oshima, Matsushima Brothel Relocation Incident: A Case of Political Party Corruption over Interests" (included in "Records of Japanese Political Trials: Showa Period and Pre-Showa Period," edited by Sakae Wagatsuma et al., 1970, Daiichi Hoki Publishing)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

大阪・松島遊廓移転に絡まる収賄事件。豊国(ふこく)土地会社が同社所有地に松島遊廓を移転させることによって利益を得ようとして、弁護士平渡信を介して政友会幹事長岩崎勲(いわお)、憲政会総務箕浦勝人(みのうらかつんど)、政友本党党務委員長高見之通らに依頼し、これら三政党の有力者は政界首脳に働きかけた。このために56万余円の運動費が動いた。1926年（大正15）3月には衆議院で問題化し、岩崎、箕浦、高見らは起訴され、同年11月首相若槻(わかつき)礼次郎も尋問を受けた。27年（昭和2）10月13日の判決で箕浦、高見、移転を促進させるために動いたといわれる大阪の「侠客(きょうかく)」今北治作は無罪、平渡、平渡の雇人益田巌(ますだいわお)は有罪となった。

　この事件は、この時期に既成政党間の暴き合いにより露呈した政党と利権の結び付きを示す一連の汚職事件の一つで、国民の政党不信を促進し、既成政党が中間層以下の国民の利害を政治的に媒介しえなかったこととも相まって、政党政治否定への一要因となった。

［雨宮昭一］

『大島美津子著『松島遊廓移転事件――利権をめぐる政党の腐敗事件』（我妻栄他編『日本政治裁判史録　昭和・前』所収・1970・第一法規出版）』

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