Rikken Dōshikai
Rikken Dōshikai (Constitutional Association of Friends) (立憲同志会, Rikken Dōshikai) was a Japanese political party active in the early years of the 20th century. It was also known as simply the Dōshikai.
Founded by Prime Minister Katsura Tarō on February 7, 1913,[1] the Rikken Dōshikai largely served to support his cabinet against criticism by the Rikken Seiyūkai party led by Inukai Tsuyoshi and Ozaki Yukio, which held a majority of the seats in the Diet at the time. Katsura was able to convince 90 Diet members (including all 30 members of the Chuo Kurabu and half of the Rikken Kokumintō) to join his new party.
The party survived Katsura's death in 1913, and under the leadership of Katō Takaaki placed five of its members in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Ōkuma Shigenobu in 1914-1916. It became the majority party in the Diet after the 1915 election.
After the dissolution of the Ōkuma government, the Dōshikai merged with Chūseikai and other small political parties to form the Kenseikai in October 1916.[2]
References
- Jansen, Marius B. (2000). The Making of Modern Japan. Belknap Press. ISBN 0674009916.