The study of political history on Colonial Policy in the Meiji Era : Focus on ENOMOTO Takeaki and political party

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K13323
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 03020:Japanese history-related
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Muto Miyohei 北海道大学, 文学研究院, 専門研究員 (50804621)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 榎本武揚 / 海外移民・植民 / 自由党 / 殖民協会 / 青年・壮士 / 国是策 / 超党派 / 榎本メキシコ植民

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examined the political factors that led to the emigration of Japanese people overseas in the mid-Meiji period.
The Liberal Party, with its "expansionist policies", positioned emigration policy as part of its national policy. Furthermore, the fact that they made their position clear that there was no need for confrontation between political parties on matters that fell under national policy was one of the factors that pushed emigrants. In order to gain power, they promoted emigration as a national policy, with a view to "nonpartisan" as appropriate, which had a great deal to do with the emigration of Japanese during the Meiji period.
On the other hand, the study also pursued the activities of Enomoto Takeaki , who was involved in emigration projects, and clarified that he emphasized economic activities and promoted emigration expansion by Japanese people from the early stages of the Meiji era.

Free Research Field

日本近現代史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

近代日本が帝国化する直接的な要因として、海外移植民の送出を挙げておきたい。従来の「出移民」に関する研究は、経済活動および外交史的な側面から研究が蓄積されてきた。それに対して、本研究では政治活動に着目し、「出移民」の政治要因（PUSH要因）を明らかにした。国権拡張と共に国家の富強化を促す際、明治期の政党政治家たちが民営での海外移植民事業を国家目標（国是）に掲げていた点を解明した。自由党が政府に接近し、政権担当能力を身に付けていく過程と、海外移植民の奨励が伴走関係にあった。さらに、榎本武揚の植民政策を解明し、政党政治家たちと共通の植民ビジョンが存在したことを証明することに繋がった。