About

Our History

The Foundation was found in December 1934 (Showa Era 9) when the Rikken Minseito (Constitutional Democratic) Party passed on the assets of their Political Affairs Research building to create an independent body to “enhance public welfare through political studies”. The founding members were the Party President, Chuji Machida, the Secretary General, Tadao Oasa and the Chairman of the Party’s Political Affairs Research Committee, Kenzo Matsumura.

The Foundation maintains the guiding principle of founding members aiming to contribute to the public interest through award, grant and subsidy activities mainly in areas of political research on a fair, equitable and strictly on non-partial basis.

Rikken Minseito was found in1927 (Showa 2) advocated diet-centered constitutionalism under monarchy and peaceful diplomatic settlements at the time turmoil prevailed both at home and abroad.
The first Party President was Osachi Hamaguchi. As Prime Minister, he concluded the London Naval Disarmament Treaty in 1930 but was fatally shot by a militant the same year and passed away the following year. Reijiro Wakatsuki followed and Chuji Machida as the 3rd Party President.
As the militarism soared, the Party was dissolved in August 1940 (Showa 15) and the country ushered into the war. Sakurada-kai remained intact and Kenzo Matsumura was appointed as the first post-war Chairman of the Foundation in 1963 (Showa 38). He was responsible for constructing the “Tokyo Sakurada Building” at the site in 1967(Showa 42) which allowed for award, grant and subsidy activities to start when the loan was paid off and the organization became self-sustainable from1982 (Showa 57) onwards.

Today’s Sakurada-kai

Today, activities extend from awards, grants and subsidies such as the Sakurada-kai Award, grants for books published the previous year and for various research activities as well.
Foundation has donated as many as 30,000 books and other documents originating from the Party’s Political Affairs Research Committee to the National Diet Library where it is kept as Sakudara-Bunko (Sakurada-Library).
Due to the urban renewal project, Tokyo Sakurada Building was demolished in 2017 (Heisei 29) and today the activities are funded by a newly acquired stake in the Toranomon NS Building located nearby.
There is a plaque commemorating the birthplace of the Foundation inside the main entrance of the Hibiya Fort Tower which was built at the former site.
※In April 2013 (Heisei Era 25), Sakurada-kai was given General Incorporated Association status by the Cabinet Office.