Heikichi Ogawa

A politician from the late Meiji to early Showa period. Born on December 1, 1869 in what is now Fujimi-cho, Suwa-gun, Nagano Prefecture. After graduating from the law school of the Imperial University, he became a lawyer. He joined the East Asia Common Culture Association, the National Alliance Association, and the Anti-Russian Comrades Association under Konoe Atsumaro, and advocated a hard-line stance against Russia. He also opposed the Treaty of Portsmouth, which concluded the Russo-Japanese War, and was involved in the Hibiya Riots (1905). Since 1903 (Meiji 36), he has been elected to the House of Representatives 10 times. He belonged to the Rikken Seiyukai party, and served as secretary-general under president Hara Takashi from 1915 to 1916 (Taisho 4-5). He was a man of nationalistic ideas, and in 1925, as Minister of Justice in the Kato Takaaki cabinet, he participated in the enactment of the Peace Preservation Law, and then in 1927 (Showa 2), he became Minister of Railways in the Tanaka Giichi cabinet. He advocated a hard-line stance on the Manchuria-Mongolia issue, and was at odds with the Shidehara diplomatic line of the Constitutional Party and Rikken Minseito cabinets. He was later implicated in the Five Private Railways Scandal and imprisoned. After his release from prison, when the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1937, he advised Prime Minister Konoe Fumimaro and worked hard to work toward peace with China, but was unsuccessful. He died on February 2, 1942.

[Yasushi Toriumi]

"Documents Related to Ogawa Heikichi" edited by Yoshitake Oka et al. (1973, Misuzu Shobo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治後期～昭和前期の政治家。明治2年12月1日、現在の長野県諏訪(すわ)郡富士見町に生まれる。帝国大学法科大学卒業後弁護士となる。近衛篤麿(このえあつまろ)のもとに東亜同文会、国民同盟会、対露同志会に参加、対露強硬論を唱え、また日露戦争講和のポーツマス条約に反対して日比谷焼打事件（1905）に連座。1903年（明治36）以来、衆議院議員当選10回。立憲政友会に所属し、1915～1916年（大正4～5）原敬(はらたかし)総裁のもとで幹事長を務めた。国粋(こくすい)主義的思想の持ち主で、1925年加藤高明(かとうたかあき)内閣の司法大臣として治安維持法制定に参画、ついで1927年（昭和2）田中義一内閣の鉄道大臣となる。満蒙(まんもう)問題では強硬論を唱え、憲政会、立憲民政党内閣の幣原(しではら)外交路線と対立した。のち五私鉄疑獄事件に連座して入獄。出獄後、1937年日中戦争が起こると近衛文麿(このえふみまろ)首相に進言して対中国和平工作に奔走したが成功しなかった。昭和17年2月2日死去。

［鳥海　靖］

『岡義武他編『小川平吉関係文書』（1973・みすず書房）』

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