Tsuyoshi Inukai

2020/02/27

Image: Collection of the Inukai Bokudo Memorial Museum

It was a rare holiday. The Prime Minister's Official Residence, usually bustling with tense-looking men in suits, was quiet and still that day. Just after 5:00 p.m., as a peaceful day was drawing to a close, the atmosphere at the residence changed instantly when a taxi burst through the main gate and stopped at the entrance. In response to a guard's urgent report that "thugs have broken in, please evacuate," the Prime Minister at the time, Tsuyoshi Inukai, remained completely unperturbed and replied, "No, I will not run away. I will meet them and hear what they have to say."

As if to restrain the hot-blooded young officers who eventually broke into the dining room, Inukai raised his hand and said, "Wait. There is no need for an uproar; if we talk, we can understand each other. You can shoot anytime. Let's go over there and talk." He then led the officers down the hallway to the drawing room in the back.

Tsuyoshi Inukai's tenure as Prime Minister lasted only about five months. Despite this, the reason Inukai remains a representative Japanese politician and Prime Minister today lies in his consistent political stance of pursuing democracy, symbolized by his words, "If we talk, we can understand each other." In an era when parliamentary politics was still immature, it was a battle to challenge the clan-based politics of the Satsuma and Choshu domains and the militarism symbolized by the phrase "No use talking, shoot!" through the power of words.

Inukai was born in 1855 in Niwase Village, Bitchu Province (present-day Okayama City). He studied Chinese classics from a young age and reached a level where he felt he "had the self-confidence to become a teacher of Chinese classics at a run-down private school" (Bokudo Danso). The turning point came when he encountered the Bankoku Koho, a Chinese translation of a Western legal text. Realizing that Western learning offered something Chinese classics did not, Inukai decided to study Western learning in Tokyo. Having lost his father, he traveled to the capital with 15 yen he received from a relative.

Inukai enrolled in a school called Kyokan Gijuku because of its low tuition, but he eventually ran out of money. In dire straits, he moved into the home of Mokichi Fujita, a Keio University graduate and editor-in-chief of the Yubin Hochi Shinbun. Fujita noticed Inukai's foundation in Chinese classics and encouraged him to contribute to the newspaper. Once he began receiving manuscript fees and gained financial stability, Inukai enrolled in Keio University, which was considered the best in Tokyo at the time. He lived a life of intense focus, reading books by day and writing newspaper manuscripts by night, without socializing with other students. Since the dormitory lights were turned off at 10:00 p.m., he reportedly surrounded his lamp with straw mats to prevent the light from leaking out.

When the Satsuma Rebellion broke out in 1877, Fujita asked Inukai if he would like to be a battlefield scout. This was the precursor to the war correspondent. Accepting the offer in exchange for the company subsidizing his tuition until graduation, Inukai ventured into the war zone alone to report while other reporters covered the conflict from a distance. Inukai's "Direct Reports from the Battlefield" from the front lines quickly became a public sensation.

Inukai returned to Tokyo for a time and visited Yukichi Fukuzawa. When Yukichi Fukuzawa asked, "Do you know how far a bullet can reach? Wouldn't it be better to stay at the Juku and study rather than go to a dangerous place?" Inukai replied, "I am well aware that if I go to the battlefield, I must be prepared to die if things go wrong" (Direct Accounts of Famous Men Speaking of Yukichi Fukuzawa), and returned to the front. At that time, stimulated by the atmosphere of war, Inukai considered becoming a soldier. However, the government army commander Tani Tateki, whom he consulted, advised him, "The war will not last long. You should continue your studies," and did not allow Inukai to become a soldier. When Saigo Takamori committed ritual suicide and the Satsuma Rebellion ended, Inukai concluded his more than 100 "Direct Reports from the Battlefield" with the famous line: "Alas, I must sing on the day of the imperial army's triumphal return, and grieve on the day the nation's old meritorious servant dies."

When Inukai returned to Keio University, Yukichi Fukuzawa shouted at him, calling him a "reckless fool." When Inukai's whereabouts were temporarily unknown, rumors had spread that he had been killed by a stray bullet. Yukichi Fukuzawa likely worried about Inukai's safety precisely because he recognized his talent and had high expectations for him. From then on, Inukai was assigned the task of transcribing Yukichi Fukuzawa's opinions. Around this time, the Enzetsukan (Public Speaking Hall) was built in Mita, and Yukichi Fukuzawa himself stood at the podium to spread the practice of debate and public speaking in Japan. Inspired by this, students and graduates formed groups to hold debates, and Yukichi Fukuzawa called them the "young men of the civil rights village." Inukai also started a group called the Yukosha.

Furthermore, in anticipation of the future establishment of a national parliament, mock parliaments were held. According to Inukai's reminiscences, Yukichi Fukuzawa initially served as the chairman, but because he would join the debate and neglect the proceedings, the chairman was eventually replaced.

At that time, Keio University had about 300 students. Even if Yukichi Fukuzawa did not stand at the lectern, students living in the dormitory interacted with him daily and "unconsciously received the teacher's influence" (Bokudo Danso). In later years, Inukai would casually refer to even high-ranking individuals without titles, but he referred to Yukichi Fukuzawa as "Yukichi Fukuzawa" throughout his life.

However, Inukai dropped out of Keio University just before graduation. It is said that his pride was wounded when he fell to second place after always being first since enrollment, or that he was in financial distress after a falling out with the Yubin Hochi Shinbun company.

On July 1, 1890, voting for the first House of Representatives election took place, marking the beginning of Japan's parliamentary politics. Inukai, who had no money, borrowed 150 yen from party leader Shigenobu Okuma and entered the Okayama 3rd District. The voters were happy to exercise their right to vote, but they viewed it as a matter of great responsibility. They decided to select the well-known Inukai, but when it came time to hear him speak, they worried they might not understand a fluent public speaking style polished in Tokyo. Therefore, they decided to have the most knowledgeable person in the vicinity sit in the center of the venue to act as an interpreter. It is said that Inukai did not give a political policy speech there, but instead spoke at length about the significance of the Diet and elections. Inukai won the election with expenses of about 25 yen. Following this, Inukai would go on to win 19 consecutive elections through low-cost campaigning, though it was not always a smooth path.

Because of his integrity, Inukai struggled financially. When he ran out of political funds, he would appeal to Eiji Asabuki (the husband of Yukichi Fukuzawa's niece), who was active in the business world and known for being helpful. When Asabuki refused, saying he had no money, Inukai would reportedly get angry, saying, "It's natural for me not to have any because I'm a politician, but isn't making money your profession?" (Kojin Konjin), despite being the one asking for a loan.

During his long political career, Inukai changed his party affiliation frequently. This could be said to be because those around him wavered, prioritizing party interests and tactics. While exposed to those storms, Inukai's political stance of trying to break down clan politics and military intervention to realize true parliamentary politics remained as steady as a deep-rooted large tree, much like his pen name "Bokudo" (Wooden Hall).

In 1912, the first convention of the Association for the Protection of Constitutional Government was held. Inukai joined forces with his ally and fellow Keio University alumni Yukio Ozaki to deliver a speech calling for the overthrow of clan politics. Their public speaking events drew large crowds who were captivated by their words. Before long, the two came to be called the "Two Pillars of Constitutional Government" and the "Gods of Constitutional Government." On the other hand, their public speaking in the Diet was sharp and severe, feared by those they criticized. Okuma described Inukai as having "an extremely foul mouth; if something touches a nerve, scathing and poisonous words immediately burst forth" (Bokudo Itsuwa).

This political movement developed into a popular movement called the First Movement to Protect Constitutional Government, forcing the cabinet of Taro Katsura, who was from Choshu, to resign.

Upon reaching the age of 70, Inukai decided to retire from politics and resigned as a member of the Diet, taking the opportunity of the realization of his long-awaited universal suffrage. However, in the by-election that was supposed to be held because of his resignation, Inukai was elected again. The state of the world would not allow Inukai a peaceful retirement.

On December 12, 1931, the 76-year-old Inukai received the imperial mandate, and the Inukai Cabinet was formed the following day. Inukai, who had long advocated for an industrial nation that increased national strength through trade expansion rather than military buildup, immediately halted the removal of the gold export ban that had triggered the depression and re-imposed it. Furthermore, he aimed for a peaceful resolution to the Manchurian Incident and won a landslide victory in a general election held to seek the public's mandate. Backed by the people's trust, Inukai set out to achieve peace between Japan and China. Inukai had strong ties with China, having supported Sun Yat-sen and other Asian revolutionaries. However, the peace efforts were blocked by the military and politicians close to them, ending in failure. The military's runaway actions knew no bounds, leading to the Shanghai Incident, and on March 1, 1932, the declaration of the establishment of the Manchukuo government was announced. Inukai dispatched a special envoy to Shanghai and successfully concluded a ceasefire agreement for the Shanghai Incident. This was on May 5.

On May 8, at the Kanto convention of the Seiyukai party, Inukai gave a short speech. In it, he stated, "We believe to the end in the miraculous utility of parliamentary politics and believe that sufficient improvement is possible," presenting his idea that corrupt party politics could be reformed by shifting to low-cost elections.

The following day, Inukai appeared on the hill of Mita. On this day, a commemorative ceremony for the 75th anniversary of the founding of Keio University was held in the Public Hall. Seventeen years earlier, at the opening ceremony of the Public Hall, Inukai had stated, "In the eyes of Yukichi Fukuzawa, all things are equal. (...) The worldly treatment of high and low, noble and humble, disappears once one passes through this mountain gate, and all people are equal. (...) This is the academic style of Mita. This is the Juku style of Keio University" (Mita-hyoron No. 216). True to these words, he attended the ceremony not as Prime Minister, but as one of the Keio University alumni, and read a congratulatory address: "The one that stands out prominently is the Keio University of our late teacher Yukichi Fukuzawa, which is truly the leader of new culture. Its great achievements in contributing to the nation shall be immortal for a hundred generations. (...) I, the unworthy Tsuyoshi, standing at the end of the Keio Gijuku Shachu, am overwhelmed with emotion upon attending this grand ceremony. I offer a few words of congratulation and pray that the legacy of our late teacher will shine ever more brightly" (Mita-hyoron No. 418).

Six days later, even after falling to the bullets of rioters in the drawing room of the Prime Minister's Official Residence, Inukai did not complain of pain once. With strong willpower, he said, "Bring the young men here. I will talk to them and make them understand." Late that night, Inukai quietly passed away, and the curtain closed on Japanese party politics. It would not be until Japan's defeat in the war that party politics would be revived.

Inukai sometimes referred to himself as "Inukai Ki." The character "Ki" (毅) is the same as in "kizen" (resolute), meaning strong-willed, firm in attitude, and undaunted. Inukai lived his life exactly as his name suggested.