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The was a short-lived political party in the pre-war Empire of Japan. ==History== The ''Kenseikai'' was founded on 10 October 1916, as a merger of the ''Rikken Doshikai'' (led by Katō Takaaki), ''Chuseikai'' (led by Ozaki Yukio) and the ''Koyu Kurabu'' (a minor opposition group). Led by Katō Takaaki, the new party was united by its opposition to the policies of the ruling ''Rikken Seiyukai'' under Prime Minister Ōkuma Shigenobu. The party was supported financially by the Mitsubishi ''zaibatsu,'' due to family ties with Katō Takaaki. Party leaders included Hamaguchi Osachi and Adachi Kenzō. The merger gave the ''Kenseikai'' a total of 198 seats in the Lower House of the Diet of Japan, thus forming a majority, and raised the expectation that Katō Takaaki would become the next Prime Minister. However, the position of Prime Minister was a direct appointment from the Emperor per advice provided by the ''genrō'', and in this case, the ''genrō'' unexpectedly nominated General Terauchi Masatake instead. In protest, the ''Kenseikai'' initiated a no confidence motion, which subsequently dissolved the Diet and led to the political isolation of the ''Kenseikai'' for almost a decade. During its period in the opposition, the Kenseikai strongly opposed the Siberian Intervention and pushed for greater rights for labor unions.〔Garon. The State and Labor in Modern Japan Page 63-65〕 In the 1924 General Electrion, the ''Kenseikai'' secured 150 seats, making it the largest single party in the Lower House, but without a majority. Katō agreed to form a coalition government with the ''Rikken Seiyukai'' (led by Takahashi Korekiyo), which had 100 seats, and the ''Kakushin Kurabu'' (led by Inukai Tsuyoshi), which had 30 seats. This three-party coalition (''Goken Sampa Naikaku'') was the first ruling coalition government in Japanese history, and used its majority to focus on domestic political reform and a moderate foreign policy. It pushed strongly for rule under the Meiji Constitution, without influence or control by the ''genrō''. It also favored universal male suffrage (which led to the General Election Law) and much needed reforms in labor laws and in the economic situation for farmers. However, despite its liberal image, the coalition passed the Peace Preservation Law in 1925. Following Katō's death, the party was led by Wakatsuki Reijirō, but his cabinet was unable to weather the Shōwa financial crisis of 1927. The ''Kenseikai'' merged with the ''Seiyū Hontō'' in June 1927 to form the ''Rikken Minseitō''. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Kenseikai」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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