[5] Shinkigen was the organ of the reformist socialist group, dominated by Christian social democrats.
Shinkigen was edited by personalities such as Abe Isoo, Sen Katayama, Sanshiro Ishikawa, and Naoe Kinoshita.
[1][4][6] Shinkigen argued in favour of universal suffrage and social reform (through parliamentary means).
[1] The first issue of the magazine included an article by Uchimura Kanzō, which stated "Though I am not a socialist, I cannot refrain from the greatest sympathy for this gentemanly work.
The magazine frequently featured (Christian) religious motifs, with imagery such having an angel or a shining cross depicted on the cover page or with article titles such as 'The Revolutionary Thought of Mother Mary'.