Oumeisha

A representative urban civil rights association formed mainly by newspaper reporters, lawyers, and enlightened government officials. Its predecessor was the "Legal Lectures Association" established in 1873 (Meiji 6), and it is estimated that it was renamed "Oumeisha" around 1877. In 1878, company rules were established and it became a political association, and the number of members increased thereafter, and it became known on a par with Kochi's Risshisha. Its main members were Numa Morikazu, Koizuka Ryu (1848-1920), Shimada Saburo, Nomura Motonosuke, Aoki Tadasu, Hatano Denzaburo (1856-1907), Takanashi Tetsushiro, and Maruyama Namasa (1857-1922). The activities of the company's employees were diverse, but the most notable were its educational activities, such as holding debates and speeches, publishing the Tokyo Yokohama Mainichi Shimbun and Onmei Magazine, and campaigning in local areas, which resulted in the establishment of 29 branches, mainly in the Kanto region. In 1968 (Showa 43), the company's draft constitution, known as the "phantom constitution," was discovered in Itsukaichi-cho, Tokyo (now Akiruno City), and the nature of the constitution drafting movement began to be clarified. In 1882, the company was instrumental in the formation of the Constitutional Reform Party. Its political system and capitalist ideas represented the interests of non-privileged urban merchants and wealthy rural farmers, and it took a left-wing position within the party. In June of the same year, the company was dissolved due to additional amendments to the assembly ordinance (prohibiting the establishment of branches and communication between companies).

[Kunio Yasuzai March 18, 2016]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

新聞記者、弁護士、開明派官吏などを中心として結成された代表的都市民権結社。1873年（明治6）開設の「法律講義会」を前身とし、「嚶鳴社」と改称されたのは1877年ごろと推定される。1878年社則が定められて政治結社としての体裁が整い、以後社員も増加、高知の立志社と並び称されるようになった。主要メンバーは沼間守一(ぬまもりかず)、肥塚龍(こいづかりゅう)（1848―1920）、島田三郎、野村本之助、青木匡(あおきただす)、波多野伝三郎(はたのでんざぶろう)（1856―1907）、高梨哲四郎、丸山名政(まるやまなまさ)（1857―1922）など。社員の活動は多岐にわたるが、討論・演説会の開催、『東京横浜毎日新聞』『嚶鳴雑誌』の発行、地方遊説などによる啓蒙(けいもう)活動は特筆され、その結果関東を中心に29の支社が創設されたといわれる。また「幻の憲法」と称された同社の憲法草案が1968年（昭和43）都下五日市町（現、あきる野市）で発見され、憲法起草運動の様態も解明され始めた。1882年立憲改進党結成に尽力。その政体構想・資本主義化構想は都市非特権商人、地方豪農層の利害を代弁し、党内では左派的立場に位置した。同年6月の集会条例追加改正（支社設置、各社通信の禁止）により解散。

［安在邦夫　2016年3月18日］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例