Background
Emori Ueki was born on February 14, 1857 in Tosa, Nara, Japan. He was the son of a samurai of the domain of Posa in Shikoku.
枝盛 植木
Emori Ueki was born on February 14, 1857 in Tosa, Nara, Japan. He was the son of a samurai of the domain of Posa in Shikoku.
After attending the Chidokan, the official school of the domain, Emori Ueki went to Tokyo in 1873. There he attended the Kainan, a private school, but withdrew and returned to Kochi, as the former domain of Tosa was now called. There he attended lectures given by the political leader Itagaki Taisuke and determined to enter the world of politics himself.
In 1875, he was thrown in jail under the Newspaper Act for writing an article critical of the government. Upon release he wrote an article "Freedom is worth purchasing with one's own blood". In 1881 he wrote A Private Draft of the Japanese Constitution, which gave provision for the overthrow of oppressive government.
In 1882 Ueki visited Fukushima in August and September at the invitation of the Fukushima Jiyūtō branch to help set up the Fukushima Jiyū Shimbun the local party newspaper, before returning to Tokyo to replace Baba Tatsui on the central party newspaper Jiyu Shimbun
In the first general election, held in 1890, Emori Ueki was elected a member of the Diet, where he served as a leading exponent of the theories underlying the popular rights movement. In this capacity he wrote articles for party news-papers, went on lecture tours throughout the country, and participated in the drafting of petitions submitted to the government by the Risshisha and in drawing up a proposal plan for a constitution, as well as writing a number of books such as Minken jiyüron and others.
In his writings and speeches, he asserted the premise of the sovereignty of the people and on this basis argued on behalf of the natural rights of man, the right to resist, a unicameral legislature, universal suffrage, women’s liberation, and the modernization of the family system.
(Japanese Edition)
1990(Japanese Edition)
1990(Japanese Edition)
1990(Japanese Edition)
1992Emori Ueki went to Tokyo in 1875, where he was greatly influenced by the lectures and writings of the members of the Meirokusha, an organization of intellectuals devoted to the advancement of culture and Westernization. In 1877 he joined the Risshisha, a political organization founded in Kochi in 1874 by Itagaki Taisuke for the promotion of the people s rights movement, in time becoming one of its leading figures. He also participated in the revival of the Aikokusha, another organization designed to promote democracy, and the formation of the Jiyütô (Liberal Party).
In 1882 Emori Ueki organized a meeting known as the Saké Sellers’ Conference, which demanded a reduction in the tax on saké. He was one of the founders of the Jiyuto (Liberal Party) and the publisher of the party organ Jiyu Shimbun (Liberal Journal).