Scholar Eizawa Koji called Uchida the “originator of fascism in Japan.” (Source: Wikipedia) After studying Russian at Toyogo University, he traveled to Siberia in 1895, opening a judo school in Vladivostok, which conveniently served as a front for more covert activities. He traveled to Korea in 1894 to assist the peasants in the Donghak Rebellion. Uchida became involved with the Genyosha sometime in the 1890s, joining the offshoot Tenyukyo (天佑侠 “Heavenly Blessed Heroes”). Uchida’s uncle Hiroaka Kotaro (平岡浩太郎) was a co-founder of the Genyosha and the owner of a successful coal mining business. His father was famed jojutsu master Uchida Ryogoro (内田良五郎), and he grew up dabbling in various martial arts, including kendo, judo, and sumo. Like Toyama, Uchida hailed from Fukuoka, the closest city to the Asian mainland, and thus a hotbed for nationalist and militaristic discourse. Uchida was born in 1873, just a scant five years after the Meiji Restoration. Uchida Ryohei and the Birth of the Kokuryukai He identified the Amur River, Manchuria’s northern boundary, as the point of no return for Russia any movement past that boundary would spell war. Uchida suspected Japan and Russia would soon be at war, and with the Genyosha’s support, he formed the Kokuryukai to combat the Russian threat. Enter “continental adventurer” (大陸浪人 tairiku ronin) and Genyosha disciple Uchida Ryohei (内田良平). The 1900 Boxer Rebellion soured straining relations between Japan and Russia, threatening Japan’s interests in Manchuria and Korea. Despite their differing ideals, Toyama was purportedly on friendly terms with Deguchi. Their clientele included manufacturing and mining companies, government officials, and organized crime families.įrom left to right: Famed pacifist and Omoto leader Deguchi Onisaburo, Toyama Mitsuru, and Genyosha disciple Uchida Ryohei. They weren’t afraid to employ various intimidation techniques - often violent - to exert influence. Click To Tweetīefore exploring the Kokuryukai, it’s pertinent to briefly look into the Genyosha (玄洋社 Dark Ocean Society).įormed in 1881 by Fukuoka-born “Emperor of the Slums” Toyama Mitsuru (頭山満), the Genyosha mostly attracted gangsters and former samurai. The Forced Disbandment of the Black Dragon Societyīlack Dragon Society: Ideological Roots in the Genyosha Uchida suspected Japan and Russia would soon be at war, and with the Genyosha's support, he formed the Kokuryukai to combat the Russian threat.Political Rallies of the Black Dragon Society.Domestic Intervention and Attacking Taisho Democracy.Preparing for the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905).Black Dragon Society’s Influence on Foreign Policy.Uchida Ryohei and the Birth of the Kokuryukai.Black Dragon Society: Ideological Roots in the Genyosha.Initially formed in response to Russia’s overtures into Manchuria, the Kokuryukai inserted themselves into military and political situations both overseas and at home. But this was more of a cover for Japanese imperialist leanings. They professed a belief in “the unity of all Asian peoples”. The Kokuryukai (黒龍会 Amur River Society, also sometimes translated as Black Dragon Society) remains one of the most well-known of these groups.īlack Dragon Society members were fervent employers of Pan-Asianist rhetoric. As a result, many of these societies wanted the government to go a step further and expand territorial assets overseas, notably China and Korea. The country had emerged as a dominant modern power. And Japan’s Black Dragon Society is an excellent example of this phenomenon.īy the end of the 19th century, a surge of right-wing nationalist secret societies began to appear in Japan. But they do exist, albeit not as secretly as you’d think. Secret societies are often relegated to the world of conspiracy theories and comic books.
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