Editing Inukai Tsuyoshi (section)

==Political career==
[[Ōkuma Shigenobu]] invited Inukai to help form the ''[[Rikken Kaishintō]]'' [[political party]] in 1882, which supported [[Liberalism|liberal]] political causes, strongly opposed the domination of the government by members of the former [[Chōshū Domain|Chōshū]] and [[Satsuma Domain|Satsuma]] domains, and called for a [[Westminster system|British-style]] [[constitutional monarchy]] within the framework of a [[parliamentary democracy]].

Inukai was first elected to the [[House of Representatives (Japan)|Lower House]] of the [[Diet of Japan|Imperial Diet]] in 1890, and was reelected 17 times, holding the same seat for 42 years until his death.

Inukai's first cabinet post was as [[Ministry of Education (Japan)|Minister of Education]] in the first [[Ōkuma Shigenobu]] administration of 1898, succeeding Ozaki Yukio, who was forced to resign due to a speech that conservative elements in the Diet charged promoted [[republicanism]]. However, Ozaki's resignation did not end the crisis, which culminated with the fall of the Ōkuma administration, so Inukai's term lasted only eleven days.<ref>Ozaki, ''Autobiography,'' pp. 177–184.</ref> Inukai was a leading figure in the successors to the ''Rikken Kaishintō'', the ''[[Shimpotō]],'' ''[[Kenseitō]]'' and the ''[[Rikken Kokumintō]],'' which eventually toppled the government of [[Katsura Tarō]] in 1913. During this time, his politics became increasingly conservative and he was associated with both leading figures from the [[Pan-Asianism|Pan-Asian movement]] and with nationalists such as [[Tōyama Mitsuru]]. He was also a strong supporter of the [[Tongmenghui|Chinese republican movement]], visiting China in 1907, and subsequently lending aid to [[Sun Yat-sen]] during the [[Xinhai Revolution]] of 1911 which overthrew the [[Qing dynasty]]. He later assisted Sun when Sun had to flee to Japan after his attempt to overthrow [[Yuan Shikai]] failed. Inukai had a deep respect for Chinese culture, and felt that Sino-Japanese cooperation was the cornerstone of Asian solidarity.<ref>Lee. Sun Yat Sen. Page 64.</ref> Although in later years his vision of Sino-Japanese cooperation diverged greatly from Sun's, Inukai maintained close personal ties with many leading Chinese politicians. Inukai likewise supported the [[Vietnam]]ese independence leader, Prince [[Cường Để]], and invited him to Japan in 1915.<ref>Tran, A. ''Vietnamese Royal Exile in Japan''. Page 95.</ref>

Inukai returned to the cabinet as [[Ministry of Communications (Japan)|Minister of Communications]] in the second [[Yamamoto Gonnohyōe]] administration from 1923 to 1924. He was concurrently Education Minister again for a four-day period in September 1923

In 1922 the ''Rikken Kokumintō'' became the ''[[Kakushin Club]],'' and 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 Communications. The ''Kakushin Club'' then merged with the ''[[Rikken Seiyūkai]]'', and Inukai continued as a senior member.

In July 1929, Inukai travelled to [[Nanjing]], China, with several other Japanese delegates at the invitation of Chinese government to a memorial service for Sun Yat-sen. The delegates later travelled to numerous other cities, and noted with concern the growing anti-Japanese sentiment.<ref>Fogel, ''The Literature of Travel''. Page 227.</ref> In 1929, after the sudden death of [[Tanaka Giichi]], Inukai became president of the ''Rikken Seiyūkai''. Inukai was an outspoken critic of Japan's signing of the [[London Naval Treaty]], which reduced military spending. He supported the actions of the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] in invading [[Manchuria]] in 1931, and rejected criticism from the [[League of Nations]] over the [[Mukden Incident]].<ref name=Bix>''Hirohito'', p. 246.</ref>