Takeshi Okumiya

A Meiji period liberal and civil rights activist and socialist. His name is also read as "Okumiya," "Kenno," or "Takeyuki." He was born on November 12, 1858, in Nunoshida Village, Tosa County, Tosa Province (Kochi Prefecture), as the third son of Masayoshi Okumiya (pennamed Zosai), a scholar of Yangmingism and a lecturer to Yamauchi Yodo, the feudal lord of Tosa. His eldest brother, Masaharu, later became the Chief Prosecutor of the Miyagi Court of Appeals. Takeyuki was devoted to the ideas of Bentham and became a civil rights activist, joining the Liberal Party. He joined the Kokuyusha, a group of rickshaw drivers including Baba Tatsui, and was active in political speeches. In particular, as a sympathizer of poor workers, in 1882 (Meiji 15), he formed the Rickshaw Drivers' Social Gathering in Kanda, Tokyo, with rickshaw driver Miura Kamekichi and others, and published the "Rickshaw Association Party Rules." In the same year, he was sentenced to four months and 20 days in prison and fined seven yen for obstructing the duties of a government official. In 1884, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the Nagoya Incident. He was pardoned and released in 1997, after which he organized the Labor Party in 1906 (Meiji 39), but became involved with the Heiminsha, led by Kotoku Shusui, and was implicated in the High Treason Incident. He was executed on January 24, 1911. His books include "On the Republic."

[Shoichi Matsuo]

"Pioneer of Freedom and Civil Rights, by Toshio Itoya (1981, Otsuki Shoten)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治期の自由民権家、社会主義者。「おくみや」「けんの」「たけゆき」とも読まれている。安政(あんせい)4年11月12日、土佐国（高知県）土佐郡布師田(ぬのしだ)村に、藩主山内容堂(やまうちようどう)の侍講、陽明学者の奥宮正由(まさよし)（号慥斎(ぞうさい)）の三男として生まれる。長兄正治(まさはる)は後の宮城控訴院検事長である。健之はベンサムの思想に傾倒して民権家となり、自由党に入党した。馬場辰猪(ばばたつい)らの国友社に加わり政談演説会で活躍。とくに、貧しい労働者の同情者として、1882年（明治15）人力車夫の三浦亀吉らと東京・神田で車夫懇親会を結成、「車会党規則」を発表した。同年官吏職務妨害罪で重禁錮4か月20日、罰金7円を科せられる。84年名古屋事件で無期徒刑。特赦により97年に出獄後1906年（明治39）には労働党を組織したが、幸徳秋水らの平民社と関係し、大逆事件に連座。明治44年1月24日死刑に処せられた。著書に『共和政体論』がある。

［松尾章一］

『絲屋寿雄著『自由民権の先駆者』（1981・大月書店）』

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