Kenji Miyamoto

Politician and Communist. Born in Mitsui Village, Kumage County, Yamaguchi Prefecture (present-day Hikari City). While attending Matsuyama High School in Ehime Prefecture, he organized a social science research group and established a branch office of the Provincial Newspaper in Matsuyama. In 1929 (Showa 4), while studying at the Faculty of Economics of Tokyo Imperial University, his essay "The Literature of Defeat," which discussed the suicide of Akutagawa Ryunosuke, won first place in a prize-winning essay contest held by Kaizo magazine, marking his debut into the literary world. After graduating from Tokyo University in 1931, he joined the Japanese Communist Party and the Proletarian Writers League. In 1932, he married Nakajo Yuriko, and in February 1933, he became a Central Committee member of the Communist Party. In December of the same year, he was arrested under the Peace Preservation Law and for espionage investigation, and although he continued to fight the legal battle, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in January 1945 (he was reinstated after World War II as one who had "refused to accept a sentence"). He remained steadfast in his refusal to renounce his religion, and was released from Abashiri Prison in October 1945. The letters exchanged between Miyamoto and his wife Yuriko while in prison were later published as "Twelve Years of Letters." He became a member of the Communist Party Reconstruction and Strengthening Committee, and successively held positions in the Central Committee. After the party split in 1950, he was active as a leader of the "international faction." During this time, he was also active as a literary critic. After the unification of the party's Central Committee at the 6th Party Congress in 1955, he served as a member of the Secretariat, and then as Secretary-General at the 7th Congress in 1958, taking control of the party. He became Chairman at the 11th Congress in 1970. During this time, Miyamoto demonstrated strong leadership, establishing the Japanese Communist Party's independent line within the international communist movement, promoting people's parliamentarianism with the goal of peacefully seizing power by having a large number of members enter the Diet, and dramatically expanding the party's influence. He was a member of the House of Councillors from 1977 to 1989 (Heisei 1). In July 1982 (Showa 57), at the 16th Congress, he handed over the chairmanship to Fuwa Tetsuzo and became chairman. In 1997 (Heisei 9), he retired from this position and became honorary chairman, and in 2000 (Heisei 12), he became an honorary officer. He has written many books, including "Memorandum of Abashiri" and "Prospects for the Japanese Revolution."

[Yuji Odabe]

"Letters of Twelve Years," volumes 1 and 2 (1965, Chikuma Shobo)" ▽ "Selected Works of Miyamoto Kenji, Literary Criticism, 4 volumes (1966-1980, Shinnihon Shuppansha)" ▽ "Miyamoto Kenji: Letters from Prison - Twelve Years to Yuriko," volumes 1 and 2 (2002, Shinnihon Shuppansha)" ▽ "Memorandum of Abashiri, expanded edition (Shinnihon Bunko)" ▽ "Prospects for the Japanese Revolution," volumes 1 and 2 (Shinnihon Shinsho)" ▽ "Records of the Trial of Miyamoto Kenji (Shinnihon Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

政治家。共産主義者。山口県熊毛郡光井(みつい)村（現在の光市）に生まれる。愛媛県松山高校在学中に社会科学研究会を組織し、松山に『無産者新聞』支局をつくる。東京帝国大学経済学部在学中の1929年（昭和4）、芥川龍之介(あくたがわりゅうのすけ)の自殺を論じた「『敗北』の文学」が雑誌『改造』の懸賞論文に1位で入選、文壇に登場する。1931年、東大卒業後、日本共産党に入党し、プロレタリア作家同盟に参加。1932年、中条百合子(ゆりこ)と結婚、1933年2月、共産党中央委員となる。同年12月、治安維持法とスパイ査問事件で逮捕され、法廷闘争を続けたが、1945年（昭和20）1月、無期懲役の判決を受けた（第二次世界大戦後「刑の言い渡しを受けざりしもの」として復権）。非転向を貫き、1945年10月網走(あばしり)刑務所から釈放。獄中の宮本と妻百合子との往復書簡は、のちに『十二年の手紙』として公刊された。共産党再建強化委員となり、中央委員などを歴任。1950年の党分裂後は「国際派」の指導者として活動した。その間、文芸批評家としても活躍した。1955年の六全協による党中央の統一後、書記局員を経て、1958年第7回大会で書記長となり、党を掌握。1970年の第11回大会で委員長。この間、宮本は強力な指導性を発揮して、国際共産主義運動における日本共産党の自主独立路線を確立、国会への議員の大量進出による平和的な政権の獲得を目標とした人民的議会主義を推進し、党勢を飛躍的に伸長させた。1977年～1989年（平成1）まで参議院議員。1982年（昭和57）7月、第16回大会で委員長の座を不破哲三(ふわてつぞう)に譲り、議長となった。1997年（平成9）議長を引退し、名誉議長となり、2000年（平成12）名誉役員となる。『網走の覚書』『日本革命の展望』など著書多数。

［小田部雄次］

『『十二年の手紙』上下（1965・筑摩書房）』▽『『宮本顕治文芸評論選集』全4巻（1966～1980・新日本出版社）』▽『『宮本顕治　獄中からの手紙――百合子への十二年』上下（2002・新日本出版社）』▽『『網走の覚書』増補版（新日本文庫）』▽『『日本革命の展望』上下（新日本新書）』▽『『宮本顕治公判記録』（新日本文庫）』

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