Kentaro Ooi

A leader of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement. Born on August 10, Tempo 14. His childhood name was Takanami Hikoroku. He was born in Takanami Village, Usa County, Buzen Province (Oita Prefecture). In 1862 (Bunkyu 2), he studied Dutch studies and chemistry in Nagasaki, and in 1866 (Keio 2), he became a caretaker of the Shogunate's Kaiseisho chemistry bureau. In 1868 (Meiji 1), he became a student of Mitsukuri Rinsho and studied French studies. At this time, he changed his name to Oi Kentaro. In 1871, he joined the Ministry of War, in 1873 he joined the Ministry of the Army as an eighth-class officer, and in 1875 he was appointed junior secretary of the Senate's Legal Research Bureau, but resigned in 1876. During the debate over the establishment of a popularly elected Diet in 1874, he preached a radical theory under the pen name of Banjodaijiro, calling for all taxpayers to be given the right to vote, and in 1877 he founded the Kohogakusha Society and the Myohosha Society to spread the idea of ​​civil rights. In 1880 he joined the National Diet Promotion Alliance, and in 1882 he became a standing member of the Liberal Party, exerting a great influence throughout the Kanto region. He served as lawyer in the Takada Incident, Fukushima Incident, and Kabasan Incident, and in 1885 he was arrested as the ringleader of the Osaka Incident, receiving a nine-year sentence in 1888. However, he was released in February 1889 under the general amnesty following the promulgation of the Constitution, and immediately joined the Daido Unity Movement, organizing the Daido Kyowakai, and in February 1890 he re-established the Liberal Party together with Itagaki Taisuke, which he reorganized as the Constitutional Liberal Party in February and became a standing member. In December, he launched the Azuma Shimbun newspaper. In the second general election in February 1892, he ran in Osaka's 6th district but lost. In February, he left the Liberal Party, and in November, he founded the Toyo Jiyuto and the Fusen Doumeikai. In the third general election in March 1894, he was elected in Osaka's 8th district and became a hardliner on foreign policy. In the September election of the same year, he lost, but in July 1898, he became a general affairs committee member of the Kenseito Party. In the August election of the same year, he also lost, and in November, he joined the Kenseito Party and became a general affairs committee member, but left in February 1899. In June of the same year, he organized the Great Japan Labor Association and the Tenant Farming Ordinance Promotion Association, but they were dissolved in May 1901 (Meiji 34). In 1905, he traveled to Manchuria, but fell ill and returned to Japan in 1917 (Taisho 6). He died on October 15, 1922. His books include "A Brief Essay on Liberal Arts" and "Current Affairs."

[Yasushi Goto]

"Reprint of "The Legend of Kentaro Oi of Bashir" by Yoshitaro Hirano (1968, Fumaisha)" ▽ "Complete Works of Meiji Literature 12: Kentaro Oi Collection" (1973, Chikuma Shobo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

自由民権運動の指導者。天保(てんぽう)14年8月10日生まれ。幼名高並彦六。豊前国(ぶぜんのくに)（大分県）宇佐郡高並村に生まれる。1862年（文久2）長崎で蘭学(らんがく)、舎密学(せいみがく)（化学）を学び、1866年（慶応2）幕府開成所舎密局の世話心得となる。1868年（明治1）箕作麟祥(みつくりりんしょう)の門に入ってフランス学を学ぶ。このとき大井憲太郎と改める。1871年兵部省に出仕、1873年陸軍省八等出仕、1875年元老院法律調査局少書記官に任命されたが、1876年辞職。1874年の民撰(みんせん)議院設立をめぐる論争に際し、馬城台二郎の筆名で納税者全員に参政権を与えよという急進論を説き、1877年に民権思想普及のため講法学社を設立し、また明法社を開く。1880年国会期成同盟に加わり、1882年には自由党常議員として関東一円に大きな影響力をもった。高田事件、福島事件、加波山事件(かばさんじけん)の弁護士を引き受け、1885年には大阪事件の首謀者として逮捕され、1888年に懲役9年の刑を受けたが、1889年2月憲法発布の大赦で出獄、ただちに大同団結運動に加わり、大同協和会を組織し、1890年2月には板垣退助(いたがきたいすけ)とともに自由党を再興し、2月立憲自由党に改組して常議員となる。12月『あづま新聞』を創刊。1892年2月第2回総選挙で大阪第6区から立候補したが落選、2月自由党を脱党し、11月東洋自由党を結党し、また普選同盟会を結成した。1894年3月の第3回総選挙では、大阪第8区で当選し、対外硬派となる。同年9月の選挙で落選したが、1898年7月憲政党の総務委員となる。同年8月の選挙にも落選し、11月には憲政本党に所属し総務委員となったが、1899年2月には脱退。同年6月大日本労働協会、小作条例期成同盟会を組織したが、1901年（明治34）5月に解散し、1905年渡満、病を得て1917年（大正6）に帰国。大正11年10月15日死去。著書に『自由略論』『時事要論』などがある。

［後藤　靖］

『平野義太郎著『馬城大井憲太郎伝』復刻版（1968・風媒社）』▽『『明治文学全集12　大井憲太郎集』（1973・筑摩書房）』

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