Miyashita Takichi (宮下太吉)
Takichi MIYASHITA (September 30, 1875 - January 24, 1911) was an anarchist. He is one of the 12 convicts of those who were executed for Kotoku Incident.
Brief Personal History
He was born in Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture. He worked in various places in Japan as a machinist. In 1909, he was head-hunted to transfer from a steel mill in Handa-cho, Chita County, Aichi Prefecture (currently Handa City) to 'Meika Lumber mill' in Nakagawate Village, Higashichikuma County, Nagano Prefecture (currently Azumino City), and there he was presumably engaged in the experimental production of a bomb to assassinate Meiji Emperor. On May 25, 1910 (in what has become known as the Meika Incident), Miyashita was arrested in Nagano Prefecture on suspicion of violating the Explosives Control Act, and on suspicion that Miyashita and his associates, including Suga KANNO, Tadao NIIMURA, Rikisaku FURUKAWA, were planning to assassinate the Meiji Emperor; this incident subsequently triggered the High Treason Incident, due to the suspicion that some of them had plotted to assassinate the Emperor under the leadership of Shusui KOTOKU. Kotoku and Miyashita were sentenced to death, and the execution was carried out on January 24, 1911, at 12:16PM. Died at the age of 35.
Tamizo MIYAZAKI, and Toshihiko SAKAI and Unpei MORICHIKA who later established Japan Socialist Party, visited Yamanashi Prefecture in 1906 to introduce socialism and anarchism. Yamanashi Prefecture also sought for social reformation and succeeded to win the endorsement of those people of high repute in the region, along with certain number of people joining the party mainly from tenant farmer class. However, the movement withered up on the damage of severe flood hit the region in 1907, and also on the suppression of the High Treason Incident.