Morichika Unpei (森近運平)
Unpei MORICHIKA (January 20, 1881 - January 24, 1911) was a socialist. He is one of the 12 convicts of those who were executed for Kotoku Incident.
Brief Personal History
He was born in Okayama Prefecture. He graduated from Okayama Prefectural Agricultural Training Institute. He participated in the formation of Japan Socialist Party (1906-1907) in February 1906. He started publishing "Osaka Heimin (commoner) Shinbun (Newspaper)" in 1907, with the support of Gaikotsu MIYATAKE. In 1909, he returned to his home region, Okayama Prefecture, after he opposed to the ethics of his fellow members: Shusui KOTOKU and so on. Since then, he worked there on the agricultural improvement activities by developing a greenhouse cultivation system, which was still an advanced horticulture in those days, and so on.
He was arrested for the High Treason Incident in 1910.
The local farmers believed his innocence, and they implored Norio SATO, who was the distant relative of Morichika to know him well and also a well-known educator and religious person, to spare the life of Morichika. After the request of those farmers, Sato discussed with the Prefectural governor and the chief of Okayama Prefectural Police., and headed to Tokyo to make a plea for sparing the life of Morichika to the chief of the National Public Safety Bureau, Hideki ARIMATSU; however, the death penalty was carried out on January 24, 1911, six days after the judgment. Died at the age of 30.