Shimpotō

Not to be confused with Japan Progressive Party.

Shimpotō 進歩しんぽ党とう
Founded	March 1, 1896 (1896-03-01)
Dissolved	June 20, 1898 (1898-06-20)
Merger of	Rikken Kaishintō Rikken Kakushintō Chūgoku Progressive Party Teikoku Zaisei Kakushin-kai Ōte Club
Merged into	Kenseitō
Headquarters	Tokyo
Politics of Japan Political parties Elections

Shimpotō (進歩しんぽ党とう, Progressive Party) was a short-lived political party in Meiji period Japan.

The Shimpotō was founded by Ōkuma Shigenobu in March 1896, as a merger of the Rikken Kaishintō and minor political parties to offset a temporary alliance between Ōkuma's rival, Itō Hirobumi and the Liberal Party of Japan (Jiyutō).

In June 1898, the Shimpotō merged with the Jiyutō to form the Kenseitō.

Election results

Election	Leader	Seats	Status
March 1898	Ōkuma Shigenobu	105 / 300	Governing coalition

References

• Sims, Richard (2001). Japanese Political History Since the Meiji Renovation 1868–2000. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 0-312-23915-7.