Hajime Motoda

A politician of the Meiji, Taisho and Showa periods. Born on January 15, 1858 in Bungo Province (Oita Prefecture). His maiden name was Inomata. He went by the pen name Kunisaki. After graduating from the University of Tokyo in 1880 (Meiji 13), he became a lawyer, and in 1890 was elected as a member of parliament from his hometown. He was subsequently elected 16 times. After serving in the Taiseikai and Kokumin Kyokai parties, he joined the Rikken Seiyukai party in 1900 (Meiji 33). He played an important role in the House of Representatives and within the party, becoming president of the Colonization Bureau in 1911, Minister of Communications in 1913 (Taisho 2), and the first Minister of Railways in the Hara Takashi cabinet in 1920, where he promoted the Seiyukai party's proactive policies. He remained in his position in the successor cabinet of Takahashi Korekiyo, but found himself in a difficult position with the issue of cabinet reshuffle in 1922, and left the party in 1924 to join the Seiyukai Honto. He rejoined the party in 1927 (Showa 2), and served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1928 to 1929. He was treated as an elder statesman in the political world, and was appointed Privy Councilor in 1932. He died on October 1, 1938.

[Tsunehisa Abe]

"Autobiography of Motoda Kunisaki" (published in Chuo University Bulletin vol. 11-4, 1938, Chuo University) ▽ "Kunisaki Yokei" by Furusho Yutaka (1939, Mori Saiundo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治・大正・昭和期の政治家。安政(あんせい)5年1月15日豊後(ぶんご)国（大分県）に生まれる。旧姓猪俣(いのまた)。国東と号す。1880年（明治13）東京大学を卒業後代言人となり、1890年郷里から代議士に当選。以後16回当選。大成会、国民協会など経て1900年（明治33）立憲政友会に入党。衆議院および党内に重きをなし、1911年拓殖局総裁、1913年（大正2）逓信(ていしん)相、1920年原敬(はらたかし)内閣の初代鉄道相に就任、政友会の積極政策を推進した。後継高橋是清(これきよ)内閣でも留任したが、1922年内閣改造問題で苦境にたち、1924年脱党、政友本党に参加した。1927年（昭和2）復党、1928～1929年衆議院議長。政界長老として遇され、1932年枢密顧問官に任じられた。昭和13年10月1日死去。

［阿部恒久］

『「元田国東翁自伝」（『中央大学学報』11―4所収・1938・中央大学）』▽『古庄豊著『国東余影』（1939・森採雲堂）』

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