Shichihakushi Ikensho (seven doctors opinion) (七博士意見書)

Shichihakushi Ikensho was a written opinion submitted to the then Prime Minister Taro KATSURA, Minister of Foreign Affairs (Japan) Jutaro KOMURA and so on as of June 10 1903, just before the start of Russo-Japanese War.

It was written by 7 people consisted of professors at Tokyo University, Hirondo TOMIZU, Masaakira TOMII, Kiheiji ONOZUKA, Sakue TAKAHASHI, Noburu KANAI and Toru TERAO and a professor at Gakushuin University, Shingo NAKAMURA ('Tokyo University's seven doctors').

It condemned the foreign policy of the First Katsura Cabinet as wimpy and pressed the Cabinet to take a hard line on the Russian Empire advocating war and saying 'Invade as far as lake Baikal,' to which the public reaction was huge.

It is said that Hirobumi ITO said, 'No idiot to the learned idiot' when he read this opinion.

In addition, applying the ordinance on the status of civil servant Minister of Education Yuzuru KUBOTA temporarily suspended Tomizu in August 1905 because at the end of Russo-Japanese War Tomizu insisted that peace terms should be 3 billion yen as reparation, cession of Sakhalin, Enkai shu (Maritime Provinces), Polustrov Kamchatka. However, Kubota virtually replaced President of Tokyo Imperial University Kenjiro YAMAKAWA in the form of dismissal at his request because Tomizu submitted a report against Treaty of Portsmouth in the joint names with Kanai and Terao to the throne. This caused all the professors at Tokyo Imperial University and Kyoto Imperial University to proclaim their resolve to resign protesting this was the usurpation of autonomy in a university and academic freedom. Consequently, Tomizu was allowed to return in next January ('Tomizu Incident').

[Original Japanese]