Yokohama Mainichi Shimbun - Yokohama Mainichi Shimbun

Japan's first daily newspaper. It was the first modern newspaper printed on a single sheet of Western paper, founded in Yokohama on January 28, 1871 (December 8, 1871 in the lunar calendar) by Shimada Toyohiro. Koyasu Takashi (1836-1898) and Kanagaki Robun were among the people who worked at the company. When it was first published it was called the Yokohama Shimbun, but the following year it was renamed the Yokohama Mainichi Shimbun. In November 1879 it moved to Tokyo, where it was renamed the Tokyo Yokohama Mainichi Shimbun, with Numa Morikazu as president and it wielded influence as a political newspaper affiliated with the Progressive Party. In May 1886 it was renamed the Mainichi Shimbun, and in 1894 Shimada Saburo became president, succeeding Koizuka Ryu (1848-1920). During Shimada's time, Ishikawa Hanzan (Yasujiro, 1872-1925) and Kinoshita Naoe were employed by the company, and the paper supported Tanaka Shozo in the Ashio Copper Mine Pollution Incident, promoted the abolition of prostitution movement, and advocated non-war between Japan and Russia. However, the paper's influence gradually declined, and in July 1906 (Meiji 39), it was renamed the Tokyo Mainichi Shimbun, and thereafter underwent a succession of changes in ownership. In the Taisho period, the paper came into the hands of Obara Tatsuaki, president of Yachiyo Life Insurance, in January 1918 (Taisho 7), and temporarily recovered as a unique newspaper that advocated for the interests of workers, but was hit hard by the Great Kanto Earthquake (1923), and was transferred to Chiba Hiromi, a member of the prefectural assembly. Thereafter, it continued to exist as a third-rate paper affiliated with the Seiyukai Party, and ceased publication on November 30, 1940 (Showa 15).

[Akihiko Haruhara March 18, 2016]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

日本最初の日刊紙。1871年1月28日（明治3年12月8日＝旧暦）島田豊寛(とよひろ)が横浜で創刊した西洋紙一枚刷りの初の近代型新聞で、子安峻(たかし)（1836―1898）、仮名垣魯文(かながきろぶん)らが在社した。創刊時の名称は『横浜新聞』だったが、翌年に『横浜毎日新聞』と改題。さらに1879年11月東京に移り、『東京横浜毎日新聞』と改題、沼間守一(ぬまもりかず)が社長となり、改進党系の政論新聞として勢威を振るった。1886年5月『毎日新聞』と改題、肥塚龍(こいづかりゅう)（1848―1920）に次いで1894年、島田三郎が社長となった。島田時代は、石川半山(はんざん)（安次郎、1872―1925）、木下尚江(なおえ)が在社、足尾銅山鉱毒事件で田中正造を支援、廃娼(はいしょう)運動を推進したほか、日露非戦論を唱えたりしたが、しだいに紙勢衰え、1906年（明治39）7月『東京毎日新聞』と改題、以後経営者交替が相次いだ。大正期に入り、1918年（大正7）1月八千代生命保険社長小原達明の手に移ると、労働者の利益擁護をうたった特異な新聞として一時持ち直したが、関東大震災（1923）で打撃を受けたため、府会議員千葉博巳(ひろみ)に譲渡された。以後、政友会系の三流紙として存続、1940年（昭和15）11月30日廃刊した。

［春原昭彦　2016年3月18日］

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