A silhouette of a man appears. He is deep in thought. That man is Kojima Iken. Today we explore the history of Kojima Iken Kinenkan in Osaka.
Kojima Iken was born in 1837. He became known as the “god of protecting the law”. This was after defending judicial independence during the Ōtsu incident. He served as the president of the Supreme Court. Later he became a member of the House of Peers and the House of Representatives.
Let’s rewind to the Ōtsu incident. In 1891, Tsuda Sanzō attacked visiting Russian Crown Prince Nicholas. The government wanted to apply the crime of lese-majesty to Tsuda. But Kojima Iken believed Tsuda’s actions did not meet the requirements for lese-majesty.
Kojima persuaded all seven criminal judges to agree with him. The Supreme Court applied attempted murder instead. Tsuda received a life sentence. This upheld the independence of the judiciary. Kojima earned high praise from Japanese society. He also gained recognition from Western countries. They saw it as a sign of Japan’s modernization.
However the independence of the judiciary means more than just protecting courts. It means protecting judges. They must be free from interference. This includes interference from colleagues or superiors. Some argue Kojima Iken violated judicial independence. They say he infringed on the judges’ independence.
In 1892, Kojima and six other judges faced accusations. They were allegedly enjoying themselves at a geisha house. Matsugata Masayoshi reprimanded them. Kojima resigned from the Supreme Court in 1894. He took responsibility for the incident.
After that Kojima served as a member of the House of Peers. He also served in the House of Representatives. Kojima Iken died in 1908 due to throat tuberculosis. He was 72 years old.
Kojima Iken also contributed to education. He supported the establishment of Kansai Law School in 1886. He became an honorary member. Kansai University today considers him a founder. The university has a bust of Kojima Iken.
Kojima Iken Kinenkan stands here. It reminds us of his commitment. He was committed to justice. He helped modernize Japan. Remember his contributions. He was a protector of law.