Rikken Doshikai

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Rikken Dōshikai (Constitutional Association of Friends) (立憲同志会 Rikken Dōshikai ?) was a Japanese political party active in the early years of the 20th century. It was also known as simply the ‘Dōshikai’.

Founded by Prime Minister Katsura Taro in 1913, the Rikken Dōshikai largely served to support his cabinet against criticism by the Rikken Seiyukai party formed by Inukai Tsuyoshi and Ozaki Yukio, which held a majority of the seats in the Diet at the time. Katsura was able to convince 90 Diet members (including all 30 members of the Chuo Kurabu and half of the Rikken Kokuminto) to join his new party.

The party survived Katsura's death in 1913, and under the leadership of Kato Takaaki placed five of its members in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Okuma Shigenobu in 1914-1916. It became the majority party in the Diet after the 1915 election.

After the dissolution of the Okuma government, the Rikken Doshikai merged with Chuseikai and other small political parties to form the Kenseikai in October 1916.

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