, founder of the Black Dragon Society The
Kokuryūkai was founded in 1901 by
martial artist Uchida Ryohei as a successor to his mentor
Mitsuru Tōyama's ''
Gen'yōsha. Its name is derived from the translation of the Amur River, which is called Heilongjiang
or "Black Dragon River" in Chinese (), read as Kokuryū-kō'' in Japanese. Its public goal was to support efforts to keep the
Russian Empire north of the Amur River and out of East Asia. The
Kokuryūkai initially made strenuous efforts to distance itself from the criminal elements of its predecessor, the ''Gen'yōsha''. As a result, its membership included
cabinet ministers and high-ranking military officers as well as professional
intelligence operatives. However, as time passed, it found the use of criminal activities to be a convenient means to an end for many of its operations. The Society published a journal, the
Kokuryū Kaiho (
Amur Bulletin) and operated an espionage training school, from which it dispatched agents to gather intelligence on Russian activities in Russia,
Manchuria,
Korea and
China.
Ikki Kita was sent to China as a special member of the organization. It also pressured Japanese politicians to adopt a strong foreign policy. The
Kokuryūkai also supported
Pan-Asianism, and lent financial support to revolutionaries such as
Sun Yat-sen and
Emilio Aguinaldo. During the
Russo-Japanese War,
annexation of Korea and
Siberian Intervention, the
Imperial Japanese Army made use of the
Kokuryūkai network for
espionage,
sabotage and
assassination. They organized Manchurian guerrillas against the Russians from the Chinese
warlords and bandit chieftains in the region, the most important being Marshal
Zhang Zuolin. The Black Dragons waged a very successful
psychological warfare campaign in conjunction with the Japanese military, spreading disinformation and
propaganda throughout the region. They also acted as interpreters for the Japanese army. The
Kokuryūkai assisted the Japanese spy, Colonel
Motojiro Akashi. Akashi, who was not directly a member of the Black Dragons, ran successful operations in China, Manchuria, Siberia and established contacts throughout the Muslim world. These contacts in
Central Asia were maintained through
World War II. The Black Dragons also formed close contact and even alliances with
Buddhist sects throughout Asia. During the 1920s and 1930s, the
Kokuryūkai evolved into more of a mainstream political organization, and publicly attacked liberal and leftist thought. Although it never had more than several dozen members at any one time during this period, the close ties of its membership to leading members of the government, military and powerful business leaders gave it a power and influence far greater than most other ultranationalist groups. In 1924, retired naval captain Yutaro Yano and his associates within the Black Dragon Society invited
Oomoto leader
Onisaburo Deguchi on a journey to
Mongolia. Onisaburo led a group of Oomoto disciples, including
Aikido founder
Morihei Ueshiba. Initially directed only against Russia, in the 1930s, the
Kokuryūkai expanded its activities around the world, and stationed agents in such diverse places as
Ethiopia,
Turkey,
Morocco, throughout
Southeast Asia and
South America, as well as
Europe and the
United States. , cofounder of the
Sakurakai, was member of the Black Dragon Society. Colonel
Kingoro Hashimoto was a member of the Black Dragon Society. He was the cofounder of the
Sakurakai ('Cherry Blossom Society'), was responsible for the sinking of the
USS Panay and
HMS Cricket during the
Battle of Nanking, and was involved with two coup attempts against the Japanese government in 1931. The
Kokuryūkai was officially disbanded by order of the
American Occupation authorities in 1946. According to
Brian Daizen Victoria's book,
Zen War Stories, the Black Dragon Society was reconstituted in 1961 by
Ōmori Sōgen as the Black Dragon Club (
Kokuryū-Kurabu) with the aim to "succeed to the spirit of the [prewar] Black Dragon Society and promote the [Shōwa] restoration." According to Victoria, the Kokuryū-Kurabu never attracted more than 150 members. ==Activities in the United States==