Suehiro Tetcho (末広鉄腸)
Tetcho SUEHIRO (March 15, 1849 - February 5, 1896) was a political activist, press reporter and novelist in the Meiji period. Tetcho's childhood name was Yujiro, which was later changed to Shigeyasu. Tetcho was his nom de plume. Yasuo SUEHIRO was his grandson. Tetcho was buried in Daicho-ji Temple in Uwajima City.
Brief Personal History
In 1849 Tetcho was born in Sasa-machi, a castle town of the Uwajima-jo Castle in Iyo Province (present Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture) as a son of a retainer of the Uwajima domain.
In 1861 he entered the Meirinkan school (disambiguation).
In 1869 he became a professor of the Meirinkan school.
In April 1875 he joined the Tokyo Akebono Shinbun and became the chief editor. In August of the same year, he was sentenced to imprisonment and fine for criticizing the Shinbunshi Jorei (Press Ordinance) and 'Zamboritsu' (Libel Law), designed to oppress 'Jiyu Minken Undo' (Movement for Liberty and People's Rights). Although he moved to the Asano Shinbun (Asano Newspaper) to become the chief editor in October, he was again sentenced to imprisonment and fine for criticizing the government.
In October 1881 he joined the Liberal Party (in Japan). (He left the party in 1883). He attempted to merge the Liberal Party with the Constitutional Progressive Party to realize 'kanmin chowa' (harmony of the government and the people) as well as constitutional and party government.
In August 1886 he published the political novel 'Setchubai.'
In 1890 he was elected for the first time in the first general election of the members of the House of Representatives during the first Yamagata administration.
In 1894 he was re-elected in the forth general election of the members of the House of Representatives.
In 1896 he died of tongue cancer during his term as a member of the House of the Representatives. He was 48 years old.
Books by Tetcho SUEHIRO
Setchubai
Kakano (a sequel to the Setchubai)
Oshi no Ryoko
Nanyo no Daiharan (political fiction)
Nijusannen Miraiki (first published as a serialized novel in the Asano Shinbun and later supplemented). He also translated books.