Suzuki Bunji

Suzuki Bunji

Suzuki Bunji ( Japanese 鈴木 文治 ; born September 4, 1885 in Miyagi Prefecture ; died March 12, 1946 ) was a Japanese labor leader and politician during the Taishō and Shōwa periods .

life and work

While studying at the University of Tokyo , Suzuki Bunji became a Christian and, under the influence of Yoshino Sakuzo and Abe Isoo , began to be interested in social problems. He worked as a journalist and also served in the church. In 1912 he founded the " Yūaikai ", an association to promote the welfare of workers, which gradually developed into the first comprehensive workers' organization in Japan. After a visit to the USA in 1916, he campaigned for organizational improvements based on the “American Federation of Labor”. By 1919 the Yūaikai had 30,000 members.

Suzuki tried on a Christian-based worldview to strike a balance between the ideas of the employers and those of the workers and was against communism. He remained chairman of the Yūaikai and was also until 1930 chairman of the subsequent organization "Nihon Rōdō Sōdōmei" (日本 労 働 総 同盟). He was elected four times to represent Japan in the International Labor Organization ILO and served as deputy chairman at the 14th General Assembly in 1930.

In the elections to the Japanese Reichstag in 1928, the first with the participation of women, Suzuki was elected for the "Shakai Minshūtō" (社会 民衆 党) in the lower house, in 1936 and 1937 for the "Shakai Taishūtō" (社会 大衆 党). - After the end of the Pacific War he ran for the "Nihon Shakaitō" (日本 社会 党), but died during the election campaign.

Suzuki's writings include “Problems of Work in Japan” (日本 の 労 働 問題, Nihon no rōdō mondai) from 1919.

literature

• S. Noma (Ed.): Suzuki Bunji . In: Japan. An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Kodansha, 1993, ISBN 4-06-205938-X
• Hunter, Janet: Suzuki Bunji . In: Concise Dictionary of Modern Japanese History. Kodansha International, 1984. ISBN 4-7700-1193-8 .

Web links

Commons : Suzuki Bunji  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Japanese name: As is common in Japan, the family name comes before the first name in this article . So Suzuki is the family name, Bunji the first name.