Yamaji Aizan

Japanese: 山路愛山 - やまじ・あいざん

Year of death: March 15, 1917
Year of birth: 1865.1.23 (12.26)
A journalist and historian from the Meiji to Taisho periods. His real name was Yakichi, and Aizan was his pen name. He was born in Edo as the eldest son of Yamaji Ichiro and Keiko, apprentices at the shogunate's astronomer office. After the Meiji Restoration, the city moved to Shizuoka. In 1886, he converted to Christianity, and in 1890, he moved to Tokyo to study at the Toyo Eiwa School. He worked as editor-in-chief of the Methodist newspaper Gokyo, which was launched in 1891, and in 1892, he joined the Min'yūsha Society at the invitation of Tokutomi Soho. He subsequently published a series of articles in Kokumin Shimbun and Kokumin no Tomo, focusing on historical theory from a populist perspective. He engaged in literary debates with Kitamura Tokoku. He left Min'yūsha in February 1897, but remained a lifelong friend of Soho. He was involved in the compilation of Bocho Kaitenshi (1897-1899), which records the activities of the Choshu clan during the Meiji Restoration period. In 1907, he became editor-in-chief of the Shinano Mainichi Shimbun and published many editorials. In 1901, he founded the Dokuritsu Hyoron newspaper. In 1903, he founded the National Socialist Party with Nakamura Tahachiro and others, and participated in the movement for universal suffrage and the movement against an increase in the fare of the Tokyo Municipal Tramway. In his later years, he devoted his energy to writing heroic biographies such as Minamoto no Yoritomo (1909) and Tokugawa Ieyasu (1915). In 1901, his book Ashikaga Takauji (1909), which evaluated the achievements of Ashikaga Takauji, was embroiled in a literary scandal as it was deemed an inappropriate history book in connection with the issue of the legitimacy of the Northern and Southern Courts. Aizan's philosophy throughout his life was one that valued individual independence and autonomy above all else. His main writings and books are collected in the Yamaji Aizan Collection (Meiji Literature Collection 35) and elsewhere. <References> Sakamoto Takao, Yamaji Aizan

(Kazuo Komiya)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：大正6.3.15(1917)
生年：元治1.12.26(1865.1.23)
明治から大正にかけてのジャーナリスト,歴史家。本名は弥吉,愛山は号。幕府天文方見習山路一郎,けい子の長男として江戸に生まれる。維新後静岡に移転する。明治19(1886)年キリスト教に入信し,さらに22年上京して東洋英和学校に学ぶ。24年に創刊されたメソジスト派の機関紙『護教』の主筆として活躍すると同時に,25年徳富蘇峰の誘いに応じて民友社に入る。以後『国民新聞』『国民之友』に,平民主義の観点から史論を中心に次々と文章を発表。北村透谷と文学論争を行う。30年2月民友社を退社するが,蘇峰とは生涯交遊があった。幕末維新期における長州藩の活動を記録する『防長回天史』の編纂に従事(1897～1899)。32年『信濃毎日新聞』主筆となり,多数の論説を発表した。36年『独立評論』を創刊。38年中村太八郎らと国家社会党を結成,普通選挙実施運動や東京市電値上げ反対運動に参加した。晩年は『源頼朝』(1909)や『徳川家康』(1915)など英雄伝記の執筆に精力をそそいだ。足利尊氏の業績を評価した『足利尊氏』(1909)は,44年南北朝正閏論問題に関連して,不適当な歴史書として筆禍事件に巻き込まれた。愛山の生涯の思想を貫いたのは,個人の独立と自主性を何よりも尊ぶ姿勢であった。主な文章や著書は,『山路愛山集』(明治文学全集35)などに収録されている。<参考文献>坂本多加雄『山路愛山』

(小宮一夫)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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