Inukai Tsuyoshi - Political Career

Political Career

Inukai helped form the Rikken Kokumintō political party in 1882, which supported liberal political causes, and strongly opposed the domination of the government by members of the former Chōshū and Satsuma domains (hanbatsu). He was first elected to the Lower House of the Imperial Diet in 1890, and was subsequently reelected 17 times.

His first cabinet post was as Minister of Education in the first Ōkuma Shigenobu administration of 1898, and as Minister of Posts and Communications in the second Yamamoto Gonnohyōe administration.

He was a leading figure in the Shimpotō, the Kenseitō and the Rikken Kokumintō, which eventually toppled the government of Katsura Tarō in 1913.

In 1922, the Rikken Kokumintō became the Kakushin Kurabu, which joined forces with other minor parties to form the cabinet during the premiership of Katō Takaaki in 1924. During his time, Inukai served on the cabinet again as Minister of Posts and Communications. The Kakushin Kurabu then merged with the Rikken Seiyūkai, and Inukai continued as a senior member. In 1929, after the sudden death of Tanaka Giichi, Inukai became president of the Rikken Seiyūkai.