The Proletarian Newspaper

It was a legal organ of the Communist Party published in Tokyo from the end of the Taisho period to the beginning of the Showa period. It was first published twice a month on September 20, 1925 (Taisho 14), became a weekly publication in January of the following year, and six times a month from September 1927 (Showa 2). The launch announcement carried the slogan "We hope to be a political newspaper for the nationwide proletariat, a weapon for the daily struggle of the masses, and to accomplish the mission of promoting unity among the vanguard of the proletariat." With Sano Manabu as chief editor, and Watanabe Masanosuke, Kitaura Sentaro, Nosaka Sanzo, Shiga Yoshio, and Sekine Etsuro participating, it had a circulation of 20,000 to 30,000 copies. However, the authorities' repression was severe, and after the March 15 Incident (1928), almost every issue was banned, so it ceased publication with the 238th issue on August 20, 1929 (Showa 4). On September 9th, they launched the "Dai-ni Musansha Shimbun" again, but this too was largely banned, so from December they continued to publish it illegally, and for a time at the end of 1956 it even served as a central organ newspaper, but on March 31st, 1957, with the 96th issue it was merged into "Sekki" (later to become "Akahata") and ceased publication.

[Akihiko Sunohara]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

大正末期から昭和初期に東京で発行された共産党の合法的機関紙。1925年（大正14）9月20日、月2回刊で創刊、翌年1月から週刊、27年（昭和2）9月から月6回刊となる。発刊の辞には「全国無産階級の政治新聞たらん、大衆の日常闘争の武器たらん、無産階級前衛の結合促進の任務の遂行を期す」のスローガンを掲げ、佐野学(まなぶ)を主筆に、渡辺政之輔(まさのすけ)、北浦千太郎(せんたろう)、野坂参三、志賀義雄(よしお)、関根悦郎らが参加し、2～3万部を発行している。しかし当局の弾圧が激しく、三・一五事件（1928）以後は、ほとんど毎号禁止処分を受けたため、29年（昭和4）8月20日第238号で廃刊した。9月9日ふたたび『第二無産者新聞』を創刊したが、これもほとんど禁止処分を受けたため、12月からは非合法で発行を続け、31年末には一時、中央機関紙の役割も果たしたが、32年3月31日、第96号で『赤旗(せっき)』（後の『赤旗(あかはた)』）に統合、廃刊となった。

［春原昭彦］

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