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Waseda University Archives
Hisanori Ito

Peng Pai (from “The History of Waseda
University’s Kensetsusha Domei”)

In the early summer of 1918, a young student from Haifeing County of Guangdong Province, China, passed through the gates of Waseda University. His name was Peng Pai (1896-1929). For Pai, during a time when democratic ideals were in full force, the three years spent at Waseda were a decisive period in his life.

In fall of the following year, students Iwao Wada, Inejiro Asanuma, and Shoichi Miyake formed the “Kensetsusha Domei,” a group dedicated towards “building a new, rational society.” From democracy to socialism, this group examined the latest ideologies and quickly focused their attention on farming communities, where they conducted surveys and research on various issues. It was not long before Peng Pai, yearning to expand his knowledge for the sake of his home country, learned of the group’s activities and applied for membership.

Members of “Kensetsusha Domei,” even after the war, recalled the “tall, gentle” Peng Pai “sitting under the sun with three or four colleagues discussing Chinese affairs.” Pai’s path after his time at Waseda surely left a strong impression on other members.

After graduating, Pai returned to his home town where he partitioned off his own land to local farmers and formed a farmers union. He was a pioneer of the Chinese agrarian movement. Pai’s actions in some ways were a continuation of his dedication to farmer movements in Japan as a member of “Kensetsusha Domei.”

Members of Kensetsusha Domei. Peng Pai is standing, third from left (from “The History of Waseda University’s Kensetsusha Domei”)

In 1923, Pai was overcome with sorrow after learning of the premature death of his Waseda comrade Iwao Wada. Pai would meet a similar fate when on August, 30, 1929,  as a soldier of the Communist Party of China during the height of the civil war, he was captured and executed. He was 33 years old.