Fukuchi Genichiro

Fukuchi Gen'ichirō (Japanese福地 源 一郎, pseudonym: Fukuchi Ochi ( Kyūjitai :福地 樱 痴, Shinjitai :福地 桜 痴), born May 13, 1841 in Nagasaki, † January 4, 1906 ) was a Japanese author, journalist and statesman.

Life

Fukuchi was born the son of a doctor in Nagasaki. He studied Dutch customer ( Rangaku ) and English and joined in 1858 as an interpreter in the service of the Tokugawa Shogunate. In its order Fukuchi traveled twice with a mission to Europe. In 1868 he published the newspaper Koko Shimbun out (江湖 新闻), in which he published an article critical of the government and shōgunatsfreundlichen, then had him arrested the Meiji government. However, he was found innocent and released Through the use of Kido Takayoshi. In 1870 he began to work for the Ministry of Finance. He participated in the sequence both Itō Hirobumis posting in America, as well as on the Iwakura Mission.

From 1874 to 1888, he worked first as editor, then as chairman of the Tokyo Shimbun Nichinichi (东京 日 日 新闻). As rapporteur, he wrote, inter alia, over the Satsuma Rebellion. In addition, he criticized the government plans adopted in 1870 for the official opening, Reclamation and colonization of Hokkaido (开拓 使 官 有 物 払 下(げ)事件, kaitaku shikan yūbutsu haraisa (ge) jiken ). As a journalist with ties to political circles, he possessed great influence. In 1882 he founded, inter alia, with Maruyama Sakura the party Rikken Teiseitō (立宪 帝 政党, "party of the Imperial rule ").

At that time he also wrote political novels and Kabuki plays. He was also involved in the movement for the reform of Dramatic Arts (演剧 改良 运动, engeki Kairyo Undo) and opened the famous theater Kabuki -za (歌舞 伎 座) on the Ginza in Tokyo. In 1904 he was elected to the Japanese House of Representatives ( Shūgiin ).