The revision of the unequal treaties was not only a serious foreign relations problem but was also an issue in domestic politics. This dual nature of this issue can be seen very clearly in the 1893 dispute within the political parties over the Mutsu plan for the revision of the unequal treaties. Within the Kokumin Kyokai party two different approaches to this issue were espoused. Since this party's formation it had advocated both national rights and industrial development. Ooka Ikuzo, the leader of the industrial expansion faction, controlled the party newspaper, the Chuo Shimbun. His plan for the expansion of industry called for the amassing of foreign capital through trade and tourism to Japan. This interest in promoting tourism led him and his faction to approve revising the foreign treaties to allow foreigners complete access to the interior of Japan. In stressing the economic advantages of his approach Ooka took issue with the nationalistic view current at that time, an attitude he felt was unreasonable and extravagant in light of the economic needs of Japan. The opposing,faction within the Kokumin Kyokai stressed that it was premature to allow foreigners complete access to the interior, and as this approach gained popularity, Ooka's faction found it increasingly difficult to maintain its different policy. Within the Kokumin Kyokai the "anti-foreign" faction took control, and the Kaishinto changed its position by calling for the rigid enforcement of the existing treaties. Both of these changes made Ooka's position untenable, and so at the party conference his faction accepted the position of the hard line faction. However, Ooka did not completely give up his views, and in the third general election his faction still opposed most of the party on the revision of the treaties. Thus, possibly because of such a split in the party, the Kokumin Kyokai suffered a devastating defeat in this election. Another result of this split over the treaties was the formation of the Seiyukai. The Ooka faction then split from the Kokumin Kyokai and joined in the formation of the Seiyukai.

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