Bukichi Miki

Politician. Born in Kagawa Prefecture. Graduated from Tokyo Senmon Gakko (now Waseda University) in 1904 (Meiji 37). Became a lawyer in 1908. Opened a law firm in 1912 (Taisho 1). Member of the House of Representatives in 1917. Belonged to the Kenseikai Party. Concurrently served as a Tokyo City Council member from 1922. Became Secretary-General of the Kenseikai Party in 1924. With the formation of the Tokyo Municipal Government Reform Alliance in 1926, he established a system of control over the Seiyukai Party and was called a "big shot." However, he was implicated in a corruption scandal in 1928 (Showa 3) and the Keisei Electric Railway Line Entry Scandal, and was imprisoned (a 3-month prison sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court in 1935). President of the Hochi Shimbun from 1939 to 1942. Elected without recommendation in the 1942 Imperial Rule Assistance Election (Kagawa 1st District). Together with Hatoyama Ichiro and Nakano Seigo, he participated in the anti-Tojo Hideki Cabinet movement. After World War II, he helped to form the Japan Liberal Party and became its General Affairs Chairman. He was elected in the general election in April 1946, but was banned from holding public office in May of the same year. He was released in 1951 and returned to the Liberal Party. In 1953, he joined the splinter group Liberal Party which had pushed Hatoyama Ichiro forward. In 1954, he united anti-Yoshida Shigeru forces to form the Japan Democratic Party, forcing the Yoshida Cabinet to resign and forming the Hatoyama Cabinet. In November 1955, he realised a conservative merger and became acting president of the LDP, but died the following year on July 4, 1956. He was a spirited party man skilled in tactics and was known by the nickname "the cuckold."

[Ara Takashi]

"Miki-kai (1958)" edited and published "Miki Bukichi" ▽ "Yoh Mizuki (2005, Nihon Keizai Shimbun Publishing) "Lying Sincerely: The Life of Miki Bukichi, the Man Who Founded the Liberal Democratic Party"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

政治家。香川県生まれ。1904年（明治37）東京専門学校（現、早稲田(わせだ)大学）卒業。1908年弁護士となる。1912年（大正1）弁護士事務所を開く。1917年衆議院議員。憲政会に所属。1922年から東京市会議員兼任。1924年憲政会幹事長。1926年東京市政刷新同盟の結成をもって政友会支配体制を確立し「大御所」とよばれたが、1928年（昭和3）の汚職事件、京成(けいせい)電車乗入れ事件に連座し投獄された（1935年大審院判決で禁錮3月の刑確定）。1939～1942年報知新聞社長。1942年の翼賛選挙では非推薦で当選（香川1区）。鳩山一郎(はとやまいちろう)、中野正剛(せいごう)とともに反東条英機(ひでき)内閣運動に参加。第二次世界大戦後、日本自由党結成に参画し総務会長となり、1946年（昭和21）4月総選挙で当選するが、同年5月公職追放。1951年解除となり、自由党に復帰。1953年鳩山一郎を押し立てた分党派自由党に参加。1954年反吉田茂勢力を糾合して日本民主党を結成し、吉田内閣を退陣させ、鳩山内閣を成立させた。1955年11月には保守合同を実現させ、総裁代行委員となったが、翌1956年7月4日に死去した。気骨のある党人派で策略にたけ、寝業師の異名をもって知られた。

［荒　敬］

『三木会編・刊『三木武吉』（1958）』▽『水木楊著『誠心誠意、嘘をつく――自民党を生んだ男・三木武吉の生涯』（2005・日本経済新聞出版社）』

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