The 100th Anniversary of the visit of Crown Prince Hirohito to Europe Overlapping Sense of Nationhood of Japan and China
NISHIKAWA Megum / Journalist
July 27, 2021
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Emperor Showa’s visit to 6 European nations as Crown Prince. Just before the Crown Prince arrived in Britain, a book about Japan had been published: “A Diplomat in Japan”. The author was Earnest Satow, a former British Minister to Japan. This is an excellent historical document for research on the end of the Edo era and the Meiji Restoration, but its publication was forbidden in Japan until the end of the Second World War.
It was the 28th of April 1921, when this book was published by a London publisher, which was 11 days before Crown Prince Hirohito landed in England. The author, Satow (1843-1929) first arrived in Japan as a young interpreter at the end of the Edo era, and served as a diplomat in Japan three times, 25 years in total. He was the Minister to Japan during his third posting in Japan for five years until 1900, during which he laid the groundwork for the Anglo-Japan Alliance (1902).
This book is an account of his experiences and observations in Japan with the Meiji Restoration (‘68) occurring in the middle, during his first stay over a period of six years and four months between September 1862 and January 1869 when he returned home, Right after his arrival in Japan, he encountered the Namamugi Incident where feudal retainers of the Satsuma Domain killed and injured British merchants. He was also present at the Satsuma-British War over reparations for the incident (’63), and the artillery attack on Shimonoseki against the Choshu Domain by a fleet of four nations including Britain and France (’64). He was targeted by anti-foreign exclusionist swords and witnessed bloody incidents such as beheadings and harakiri.
In the midst of such situations, Satow’s fluency in Japanese, his name that sounded Japanese (“Satow” is the family name of his father’s side from Sweden and has nothing to do with Japan), and his abundant curiosity helped him build a network both with the Shogunate and the anti-Shogunate forces. While France supported the Shogunate until the end, Britain judged that the emperor would be the real power and succeeded in building a strong relationship with the Meiji government. Satow’s contribution was immense as he built on the close contact he had cultivated with people like Hirofumi Ito, Takamori Saigo and Toshimichi Okubo, since the days when they wereRnothing more than young patriots aspiring to overthrow the shogunate.
More than the historical events, the charm of this book is that it vividly depicts the manners and customs of the time and the feelings of everyday people. The conservative Samurai mentality, a cheating maid who pockets small changes, a quick-witted geisha; all stand out and give a tactile feel of Japan, a feudal society with different social classes.
But this book was banned in Japan until the end of the war. It was translated into Japanese by the Restoration Historiographic Bureau of the then Ministry of Education and Culture as “A Confidential Report on Japan’s Diplomacy at the Meiji Restoration”, with access permitted to only a limited number of researchers. Countless parts were deleted and some whole chapters were dropped entirely.
It was translated and published in its entirety 60 years after the war from the Iwanami Paperback Library. The late Mr. Seiichi Sakata (former professor at Takushoku University), the translator, commented that the book had been banned because it revealed some truths that were inconvenient for those in power who tried to make unadulterated praise for the glory of the Meiji Restoration the foundation of Japan’s national spirit. However, I am inclined to feel that it had much to do with Japan’s swelling sense of national pride in those days.
After the First World War, Japan achieved a major power status. The Crown Prince’s visit was an opportunity to demonstrate Japan’s national dignity and prestige to the European countries exhausted by the Great War. It is not difficult to imagine that this book was not aligned with the images of Japan that the Japanese government wished to project, as it depicted extensively the Japanese society which had lagged behind under the feudal system.
After the Meiji Restoration, Japan invited and hired foreigners, imported foreign documents, and tried to catch up with powerful countries. Having won the Sino-Japanese war and the Russo-Japanese war, it emerged out of the First World War almost unscathed as a victor. Behind the fact of banning a book of a former British Minister to Japan, who had once been Japan’s valued advisor with abundant expertise on East Asia, lurks a hubristic mindset of Japan at that time that there was nothing more to learn from foreign countries.
Japan of that era reminds me of China today. China opened its door to the world with its Reform and Opening-up policy in 1978 and walked on the path of hiding one’s light under a bush and accumulating power within to humbly accept foreign aid. With the rapid growth of national power in the 21th century, Xi Jinping’s administration has abandoned that policy and become more assertive and overbearing.
In April this year, China ordered that the books “worshipping western ideas”, and “embracing all foreign things” to be removed from school’s recommendation book lists and libraries. It seems that biographies of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are included. Furthermore, the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China will publish a monthly list of recommended books for adults to learn about “the Communist Party’s glorious 100 years”.
Remembering pre-war Japan which walked on a militaristic path, there are politicians and researchers inside and outside of Japan who call attention to overbearing China, because it resembles Japan in the past that excluded foreign writings. It may also smack of a psychological shift to the idea that “there is nothing more to learn from foreign countries”.
So, what happened to Japan afterwards? The Washington Naval Conference was convened about 2 months after the return of Crown Prince Hirohito from the European tour, and it was agreed to limit the construction of battleships in February 1922. The Japan-Britain alliance was abrogated as having served its purpose, and Japan, which had hoped to extend the alliance, felt it was being left high and dry. Looking back, the book banning was a milestone on Japan’s journey of being contained and isolated. I am sure that there is much for China to learn here.
Megumi Nishikawa is a contributing editor of Mainichi Shimbun
It was the 28th of April 1921, when this book was published by a London publisher, which was 11 days before Crown Prince Hirohito landed in England. The author, Satow (1843-1929) first arrived in Japan as a young interpreter at the end of the Edo era, and served as a diplomat in Japan three times, 25 years in total. He was the Minister to Japan during his third posting in Japan for five years until 1900, during which he laid the groundwork for the Anglo-Japan Alliance (1902).
This book is an account of his experiences and observations in Japan with the Meiji Restoration (‘68) occurring in the middle, during his first stay over a period of six years and four months between September 1862 and January 1869 when he returned home, Right after his arrival in Japan, he encountered the Namamugi Incident where feudal retainers of the Satsuma Domain killed and injured British merchants. He was also present at the Satsuma-British War over reparations for the incident (’63), and the artillery attack on Shimonoseki against the Choshu Domain by a fleet of four nations including Britain and France (’64). He was targeted by anti-foreign exclusionist swords and witnessed bloody incidents such as beheadings and harakiri.
In the midst of such situations, Satow’s fluency in Japanese, his name that sounded Japanese (“Satow” is the family name of his father’s side from Sweden and has nothing to do with Japan), and his abundant curiosity helped him build a network both with the Shogunate and the anti-Shogunate forces. While France supported the Shogunate until the end, Britain judged that the emperor would be the real power and succeeded in building a strong relationship with the Meiji government. Satow’s contribution was immense as he built on the close contact he had cultivated with people like Hirofumi Ito, Takamori Saigo and Toshimichi Okubo, since the days when they wereRnothing more than young patriots aspiring to overthrow the shogunate.
More than the historical events, the charm of this book is that it vividly depicts the manners and customs of the time and the feelings of everyday people. The conservative Samurai mentality, a cheating maid who pockets small changes, a quick-witted geisha; all stand out and give a tactile feel of Japan, a feudal society with different social classes.
But this book was banned in Japan until the end of the war. It was translated into Japanese by the Restoration Historiographic Bureau of the then Ministry of Education and Culture as “A Confidential Report on Japan’s Diplomacy at the Meiji Restoration”, with access permitted to only a limited number of researchers. Countless parts were deleted and some whole chapters were dropped entirely.
It was translated and published in its entirety 60 years after the war from the Iwanami Paperback Library. The late Mr. Seiichi Sakata (former professor at Takushoku University), the translator, commented that the book had been banned because it revealed some truths that were inconvenient for those in power who tried to make unadulterated praise for the glory of the Meiji Restoration the foundation of Japan’s national spirit. However, I am inclined to feel that it had much to do with Japan’s swelling sense of national pride in those days.
After the First World War, Japan achieved a major power status. The Crown Prince’s visit was an opportunity to demonstrate Japan’s national dignity and prestige to the European countries exhausted by the Great War. It is not difficult to imagine that this book was not aligned with the images of Japan that the Japanese government wished to project, as it depicted extensively the Japanese society which had lagged behind under the feudal system.
After the Meiji Restoration, Japan invited and hired foreigners, imported foreign documents, and tried to catch up with powerful countries. Having won the Sino-Japanese war and the Russo-Japanese war, it emerged out of the First World War almost unscathed as a victor. Behind the fact of banning a book of a former British Minister to Japan, who had once been Japan’s valued advisor with abundant expertise on East Asia, lurks a hubristic mindset of Japan at that time that there was nothing more to learn from foreign countries.
Japan of that era reminds me of China today. China opened its door to the world with its Reform and Opening-up policy in 1978 and walked on the path of hiding one’s light under a bush and accumulating power within to humbly accept foreign aid. With the rapid growth of national power in the 21th century, Xi Jinping’s administration has abandoned that policy and become more assertive and overbearing.
In April this year, China ordered that the books “worshipping western ideas”, and “embracing all foreign things” to be removed from school’s recommendation book lists and libraries. It seems that biographies of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are included. Furthermore, the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China will publish a monthly list of recommended books for adults to learn about “the Communist Party’s glorious 100 years”.
Remembering pre-war Japan which walked on a militaristic path, there are politicians and researchers inside and outside of Japan who call attention to overbearing China, because it resembles Japan in the past that excluded foreign writings. It may also smack of a psychological shift to the idea that “there is nothing more to learn from foreign countries”.
So, what happened to Japan afterwards? The Washington Naval Conference was convened about 2 months after the return of Crown Prince Hirohito from the European tour, and it was agreed to limit the construction of battleships in February 1922. The Japan-Britain alliance was abrogated as having served its purpose, and Japan, which had hoped to extend the alliance, felt it was being left high and dry. Looking back, the book banning was a milestone on Japan’s journey of being contained and isolated. I am sure that there is much for China to learn here.
Megumi Nishikawa is a contributing editor of Mainichi Shimbun
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
裕仁皇太子欧州歴訪１００年 重なる日中の国家意識
西川 恵 / ジャーナリスト
2021年 7月 27日
今年は昭和天皇が皇太子時代に欧州６カ国歴訪を行って100年だが、皇太子が英国に着く直前、日本に関する本が上梓された。『A Diplomat in Japan』（邦題『一外交官の見た明治維新』）。著者は元駐日英公使アーネスト・サトウ。幕末・明治維新研究に超一級の史料だが、日本では終戦まで禁書扱いされた。
この本がロンドンの出版社から出されたのは1921年４月28日。裕仁皇太子が英国に上陸する11日前のこと。著者のサトウ（1843年～1929年）は若き通訳官で幕末に来日したのを皮切りに、計3回通算25年、外交官として日本に勤務した。３回目の1900年までの５年間は駐日公使で、日英同盟（1902年）の下地を築いた。
本書は第１回目の、1862年9月から明治維新（68年）を挟んで、帰国する69年１月までの6年４カ月の日本での体験・見聞記である。来日直後、薩摩藩士が英国人商人などを殺傷した生麦事件に遭遇。この賠償をめぐる薩英戦争（63年）、英仏など４国艦隊による長州藩に対する下関砲撃（64年）などにも同行。攘夷の白刃に狙われ、斬首刑や切腹など血なまぐさい場面にも行き合う。
そうしたなかサトウは流暢な日本語と、日本人になじみある名前（サトウはスウェーデン出身の実父の姓で、日本とは無関係）、好奇心旺盛な性格もあって、幕府と討幕派の双方に人脈を築く。フランスが最後まで幕府を支援したのに対し、英国は天皇を実権者と見定め、明治政府と太い関係を築くのに成功するが、まだ一介の討幕の志士だったころの伊藤博文、西郷隆盛、大久保利通らと相通じていたサトウの貢献は大だ。
この本の魅力は、歴史的出来事もさることながら、当時の風俗、風習、市井の人々の人情が生き生きと描かれている点にある。お堅い武士気質、小金をちょろまかす小間使い、利発な芸者など、身分制の封建制社会の日本が手触り感をもって伝わってくる。
しかし日本では同書は終戦まで禁書扱いになった。文部省の維新史料編纂事務局が「維新日本外交秘録」として訳出し、限られた研究者だけに閲覧を許したが、削除箇所は無数に上り、全章落とされたところもある。
これが翻訳出版されたのは戦後の60年、岩波文庫からだった。訳者の故坂田精一氏（元拓殖大学教授）は、明治維新の大事業賛美を国民精神の基盤としようとした当時の為政者に都合が悪かったのだろうと、発禁理由を挙げている。しかし主たる理由は、膨れ上がりつつあった日本の当時の国家意識と密接に絡んでいると私は思う。
日本は第一次世界大戦後、大国としての地位を獲得する。皇太子の欧州歴訪はそうした日本の国威と威信を、大戦で疲弊した欧州各国に示す機会でもあった。そうした時に封建制度下の遅れた日本社会を克明に描いた同書は、自国のイメージにそぐわないと日本政府に映ったことは想像に難くない。
明治維新後、日本はお雇い外国人を招き、外国の文物を入れ、列強に追いつこうとやってきた。日清、日露の戦争に勝ち、第一次大戦で日本はほぼ無傷で戦勝国となった。かつての日本のよき助言者で、東アジア通の元駐日公使の著作の発禁扱いには、もう外国から学ぶものはないとの傲慢な心理が覗く。
私にはこの当時の日本は、いまの中国と重なるところがある。1978年の改革開放によって中国は門戸を開き、謙虚に外国の支援を受け入れる韜光養晦（とうこうようかい＝才能を隠して、内に力を蓄える）路線を歩んできた。しかし21世紀に入って急速な国力の増強とともに、習近平政権は韜光養晦を捨て去り、自己主張と威圧的態度を強めている。
今年4月には「西洋思想を崇拝」し、「外国のものをすべて受け入れる」ような書籍を、学校の推薦図書リストや図書館から排除するよう命じた。ビル・ゲイツやスティーブ・ジョブズなどの伝記も含まれるようだ。また中国共産党の機関紙「人民日報」は、大人向けに「共産党の輝かしい100年を学ぶ」ための推薦図書リストを毎月発表するという。
軍国主義路線を歩んだ戦前の日本に重ねて、威圧的な中国に注意を促す政治家、研究者は内外でいるが、外国の著作の締め出しという点でも、当時の日本と似てきている。「外国に学ぶものはもうない」という心理的転換でもあるかも知れない。
その後の日本はどうなったか。裕仁皇太子が欧州歴訪から戻った約２カ月後に始まったワシントンで軍縮会議は、翌22年２月、戦艦等の建造に制限を設けることで合意。また日英同盟は役割を終えたとして破棄され、同盟の延長を望んでいた日本はハシゴをはずされる。振り返れば、かの本の発禁処分は日本が封じ込められ、孤立の道を歩んでいく節目だった。中国が参照することは少なくないのではないか。
筆者は毎日新聞客員編集委員
この本がロンドンの出版社から出されたのは1921年４月28日。裕仁皇太子が英国に上陸する11日前のこと。著者のサトウ（1843年～1929年）は若き通訳官で幕末に来日したのを皮切りに、計3回通算25年、外交官として日本に勤務した。３回目の1900年までの５年間は駐日公使で、日英同盟（1902年）の下地を築いた。
本書は第１回目の、1862年9月から明治維新（68年）を挟んで、帰国する69年１月までの6年４カ月の日本での体験・見聞記である。来日直後、薩摩藩士が英国人商人などを殺傷した生麦事件に遭遇。この賠償をめぐる薩英戦争（63年）、英仏など４国艦隊による長州藩に対する下関砲撃（64年）などにも同行。攘夷の白刃に狙われ、斬首刑や切腹など血なまぐさい場面にも行き合う。
そうしたなかサトウは流暢な日本語と、日本人になじみある名前（サトウはスウェーデン出身の実父の姓で、日本とは無関係）、好奇心旺盛な性格もあって、幕府と討幕派の双方に人脈を築く。フランスが最後まで幕府を支援したのに対し、英国は天皇を実権者と見定め、明治政府と太い関係を築くのに成功するが、まだ一介の討幕の志士だったころの伊藤博文、西郷隆盛、大久保利通らと相通じていたサトウの貢献は大だ。
この本の魅力は、歴史的出来事もさることながら、当時の風俗、風習、市井の人々の人情が生き生きと描かれている点にある。お堅い武士気質、小金をちょろまかす小間使い、利発な芸者など、身分制の封建制社会の日本が手触り感をもって伝わってくる。
しかし日本では同書は終戦まで禁書扱いになった。文部省の維新史料編纂事務局が「維新日本外交秘録」として訳出し、限られた研究者だけに閲覧を許したが、削除箇所は無数に上り、全章落とされたところもある。
これが翻訳出版されたのは戦後の60年、岩波文庫からだった。訳者の故坂田精一氏（元拓殖大学教授）は、明治維新の大事業賛美を国民精神の基盤としようとした当時の為政者に都合が悪かったのだろうと、発禁理由を挙げている。しかし主たる理由は、膨れ上がりつつあった日本の当時の国家意識と密接に絡んでいると私は思う。
日本は第一次世界大戦後、大国としての地位を獲得する。皇太子の欧州歴訪はそうした日本の国威と威信を、大戦で疲弊した欧州各国に示す機会でもあった。そうした時に封建制度下の遅れた日本社会を克明に描いた同書は、自国のイメージにそぐわないと日本政府に映ったことは想像に難くない。
明治維新後、日本はお雇い外国人を招き、外国の文物を入れ、列強に追いつこうとやってきた。日清、日露の戦争に勝ち、第一次大戦で日本はほぼ無傷で戦勝国となった。かつての日本のよき助言者で、東アジア通の元駐日公使の著作の発禁扱いには、もう外国から学ぶものはないとの傲慢な心理が覗く。
私にはこの当時の日本は、いまの中国と重なるところがある。1978年の改革開放によって中国は門戸を開き、謙虚に外国の支援を受け入れる韜光養晦（とうこうようかい＝才能を隠して、内に力を蓄える）路線を歩んできた。しかし21世紀に入って急速な国力の増強とともに、習近平政権は韜光養晦を捨て去り、自己主張と威圧的態度を強めている。
今年4月には「西洋思想を崇拝」し、「外国のものをすべて受け入れる」ような書籍を、学校の推薦図書リストや図書館から排除するよう命じた。ビル・ゲイツやスティーブ・ジョブズなどの伝記も含まれるようだ。また中国共産党の機関紙「人民日報」は、大人向けに「共産党の輝かしい100年を学ぶ」ための推薦図書リストを毎月発表するという。
軍国主義路線を歩んだ戦前の日本に重ねて、威圧的な中国に注意を促す政治家、研究者は内外でいるが、外国の著作の締め出しという点でも、当時の日本と似てきている。「外国に学ぶものはもうない」という心理的転換でもあるかも知れない。
その後の日本はどうなったか。裕仁皇太子が欧州歴訪から戻った約２カ月後に始まったワシントンで軍縮会議は、翌22年２月、戦艦等の建造に制限を設けることで合意。また日英同盟は役割を終えたとして破棄され、同盟の延長を望んでいた日本はハシゴをはずされる。振り返れば、かの本の発禁処分は日本が封じ込められ、孤立の道を歩んでいく節目だった。中国が参照することは少なくないのではないか。
筆者は毎日新聞客員編集委員
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟