Bakumatsu Picture Contest/Dramatis Personae Discussion

[Dash101]

[heron]

I have a book about Keiki's children and grandchildren with several photos and it's amazing how many of them have that distinctive look.

[Dash101]

[heron]

There is one family photo but I don't think it's the one you are referring to. It was taken in Showa 4 (1929) many years after Keiki's death. The book is written by Kisako, the fifth child of Keiki's seventh son. The photo in the link you gave is in the book but it also includes this son (Yoshihisa?) and his wife.

[heron]

Here's the photo of Keiki in old age

[heron]

This is the family picture

[Dash101]

Fantastic images Heron. Where were these sourced from originally?

[heron]

This is the book



amazon.co.jp site

http://tinyurl.com/ydgb78h

[Dash101]

Ah I see. The studio portrait you posted is obviously the basis which the National Diet Library image I linked was based on.

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing that.

[Tatsunoshi]

How about we keep the channels open for Yoshinobu one more day and then Friday morning start on the poisoner of Emperors, Iwakura Tomomi?

Heron, including Okubo as a subject is no problem-after all, I know he's in that book! We'll tack him on after we finish up with all the photos. If anyone else has someone they want to bring up, let us know, and we'll include them in the 'bonus round' as well.

[Tatsunoshi]

[Obenjo Kusanosuke]

[heron]

From the introduction by Frank Gibney to The Last Shogun:

"The facts Shiba provides us in this account of Tokugawa Yoshinobu are unquestionably true. Yet The Last Shogun, when published in Japan, was, like the rest of Shiba’s multi-volumed historical narratives, published as a novel. If Shiba lived in the United States, his book would be regarded as straight history, in an era when Americans seem to have lost the distinction between fact and fiction. The Japanese are more meticulous in these matters. To their mind The Last Shogun remains a novel because Shiba has used a few of the novelist’s narrative devices. In its accuracy however it is a faithful depiction of events of that now far-off time, and can safely be called history for all practical purposes."

I think you will enjoy it

[Sophia]

I see Yoshinobu as a bit of a wasted talent. Even though he was said to be a capable man, he couldn’t/didn’t show his true ability.
While reading Shiba’s book I became an admirer of him, but when the effects of the Yoshinobu-cool aid wore off, I became less enthusiastic.
What makes me a bit sad, it’s his withdrawal from public after the restoration. He could have used his knowledge and talent helping the country, if not in politics then in some kind of arts, or one of his hobbies.

[Tatsunoshi]

So today's personality is Iwakura Tomomi (1825-1883). I find Iwakura interesting since he was one of Ii Naosuke's biggest opponents in the Imperial Court, organizing opposition to the Shogunate-but then became a supporter of the kobugattai movement and was seen as a Shogunate supporter by the Loyalists (perhaps following the lead of his friends in Satsuma). Proving that nobles could be every bit as treacherous as samurai, he among other things issued bogus orders authorizing force to be used against the former Shogunate forces at the Battle Of Toba-Fushimi (along with authorizing the usage of equally bogus Imperial Banners prepared by Okubo) and was rumored to have poisoned the Emperor Komei (ostensibly for not being more enthusiastic about Iwakura's plans for the Court to take a more active role in politics).

He played a major part in the early Meiji government, promoting both the Gokajō no Goseimon (the "Oath In Five Articles" which Kido Takayoshi wrote the final draft of) and the abolition of the han system (he showed those uppity samurai!). Most importantly, he embarked on the Iwakura Mission, an around the world tour that visited scores of countries. While it failed in its primary mission of renegotiating the unequal treaties with many foreign countries, the information it gathered on foreign cultures, societies, and technologies was to have far-reaching effects in Japan.

There's a lot to say about Iwakura. Perhaps some of you would like to discuss his shenanigans in the Bakumatsu, particularly the poisoning of the Emperor.

Was Iwakura just a tool of Satsuma, or did he use Satsuma's power to help achieve his goals?

What about the Iwakura Mission? What types of effects did it have on the political and economic landscape of Japan?

[Tatsunoshi]

[Dash101]

[Dash101]

[heron]

Donald Keene has an anecdote that Iwakura’s family rented out their home as a gambling den, using their immunity as nobles from police regulations. Like most of the nobility in Kyoto they were not wealthy and the Iwakura was not of as high rank as the Sanjô family, for example. Iwakura entered Emperor Kômei’s service and knew the future Meiji Emperor from the time Mutsuhito was two years old. He had a close and confidential relationship with both emperors and always put their role at the centre of his negotiations. He supported kôbu gattai and Kizonimiya’s wedding in order to give the Court a voice in government affairs, but this was construed as support for the Bakufu and led to threats from loyalists in Kyoto (Iwakura received an unwanted gift of a severed ear at one stage), and the decision by the Court that it might be prudent if he took some years off. He was ordered to shave his head and live in retirement. However he did not give up his negotiations and intrigues, particularly with Ôkubo and Saigô in Satsuma, nor did he cease from writing memorials, including one in 1866 urging Kômei to give up his life of “pools of sake and forests of flesh” and think seriously about politics.

He tried to take advantage of the confusion after Iemochi’s death, attempting to get rid of two of Kômei’s close advisors, Nijô Nariyuki and Prince Asahiko, in a petition to the Emperor. Kômei was furious and his intransigence was increasingly seen as counter-productive, yet there is little evidence that Iwakura, or anyone else, poisoned him (with arsenic). Death from small pox seems the most likely explanation for his sudden demise. Iwakura stood to gain nothing from his death, and indeed is recorded as being thrown into grief by the news, saying “I am finished”. His younger sister who was suspected of administering the poison had in fact taken Buddhist orders and was no longer at Court.

Iwakura was released from his house arrest early in 1868 and proved his diplomatic skills by winning over the meeting to decide what must be done with the Tokugawa family. It was he who suggested the Imperial pennants should be made from red and white damask and that one should be bestowed on Prince Yoshiaki, head of the Imperial army. I am not sure that these can really be called ‘bogus’: there is a precedent for example in Chôshû when Takasugi fought under the domain banners against a ‘false government’ not against his daimyô. In a similar fashion in all his actions Iwakura was always supporting the Emperor. Mutsuhito seems to have concurred in the banners – there is less evidence that the subsequent Imperial edict was issued with his consent.

After the return of the Iwakura mission, which failed in its attempt to redress the unequal treaties problems but was otherwise a considerable success, Iwakura found himself in the middle of the crisis around the proposed invasion of Korea, which he was strongly opposed to. He was attacked in Akasaka by supporters of Saigô and Itagaki Taisuke, and though wounded, was able to crawl out of the moat where he had fallen and hide among the bushes. He survived, much to the relief of the Emperor and Empress.

Like Itô Hirobumi he was a gradualist with regards to the constitution and I think it is interesting that he and Itô worked so well together despite their differences in background. Iwakura was also a bit of a hit with Ulysses Grant on his visit to Japan, and on Grant’s suggestion made a huge effort to preserve Nô theatre.

John Russell Young who travelled with Grant wrote: "Iwakura has a striking face with lines showing firmness and decision." He certainly is 'tetsu no ishi' - a man of iron will.

[onnamusha]

Wow, great info on Tomomi and Yoshinobu, Dash ,heron and Tatsunoshi! I suppose I can agree partially with you, Sophia, on the wasting of Yoshinobu's great talents, but then again, he struck me at least partially as an offered-up sacrifice to the Meiji Restoration.

As for Iwakura, the head spins! Anyway, here's a lovely photo courtesy of Wikipedia of Tomomi and his compatriots who headed the halfway ill-fated Iwakura Mission of 1872-3:
You might recognize some other famous faces in this picture, including a pre-flapwing Okubo Toshimichi (maybe he picked those up on the trip...)

Also, Iwakura was targeted by the followers of Sagara Souzou after he issued the definitive orders that the Sekihoutai was defintely NOT a real Imperial unit (after apparently they had been sent out under the auspices of the Imperial forces). Another Iwakura, Tomosada, the commander of the Imperial forces on the Nakasendo, was responsible for carrying out Tomomi's condemnation of the Sekihoutai. Ochiai Naoaki and Gonda Naosuke, followers of Sagara, were apparently "talked out" of assassinating target Tomomi, although no one actually knows how Tomomi talked his way out of it.
_________________
"It is largely left to her (Nature) own natural bodily perfection, and she has no special need to resort to artificial coloring and powdering to look beautiful." -Takeda Shingen's "death poem," borrowed from Zen literature.

[heron]

What a shame Iwakura doesn't have his top hat on his head - now that would have been an interesting look

[Dash101]

Here's one more image courtesy of Gakken's Bakumatsu 199.

[Tatsunoshi]

Thanks to all of our Bakumatsu diehards for their posts on Iwakura. Dash, your post gives a nice concise overview of Iwakura's career. Heron, the bit about Iwakura's family running the gambling den is great-just the type of thing that really fleshes these figures out. You excel at finding that kind of stuff! I loved the pic of the mission, too, Onna.

[Tatsunoshi]

And inevitably, it's time for Hijikata Toshizou (1835-1869). Hijikata might be the second most popular (in modern Japan) figure of the Bakumatsu, with only Ryoma eclipsing him. Why this is the case continues to puzzle me, although I assume it's for his 'samurai spirit' in fighting to the end (ostensibly) for the Shogunate and bakufu.

Hijikata seemed to be a nasty sort while growing up, said to have only cared about his friends and family. The son of a farmer, he traveled about as a medicine peddler selling his family's brand, 'Ishida Sanyaku'. Hijikata enrolled at the Tennen Rishin-ryu school of swordsmanship and it was here that he met Kondo Isami. Isami, Hijikata, and several other Tennen Rishin members joined the Roshigumi. This was a group of ronin and samurai wannabes enlisted by the bakufu to protect the Shogun when he ventured to Kyoto, a novel idea considering most of the men recruited embraced Sonno Joi and opposed the bakufu's policies. The group showed its true colors when, upon arriving in Kyoto, leader Kiyokawa Hachiro declared that they would now be serving the Emperor directly and most of the group returned to Edo (this was a bit of a mess, with the bakufu making the most of a bad situation by telling the Roshigumi they could best serve the Emperor by going back to Edo and standing watch over the foreigners, getting them out of the Kyoto political arena and back to where the bakufu could watch them). Kondo, Hijikata, and a handful of others from the Roshigumi refused to go along with the plan and stayed in Kyoto, eventually renaming themselves the Shinsengumi and gaining the nominal support of Aizu han.

The antics of the Shinsengumi have been a prime topic of conversation here over the years, so I won't bother going into detail. It's enough to say that they proved to be disproportionately effective at rooting out and negating Loyalist activity in Kyoto. Their high point came during the Ikedaya Incident where a small group of Shinsengumi routed a much larger group of Loyalists planning to torch the city of Kyoto (either an incredibly ballsy act of bravery, or a display of rank stupidity, depending on how you look at it). They also proved to be at times every bit as ruthless when it came to their own membership and the people and temples of Kyoto. Hijikata, reflecting his early years, seemed to be one of the more bloodthirsty members and was the instigator of many assassinations and purges within the group (including its initial leader, Serizawa Kamo). As one of the few bakufu groups that seemed to have martial ability, many of the Shinsengumi's members were rewarded by being made hatamoto of the Shogun. For a farmer's son to be made hatamoto was a sign of the Shogunate's desperate position, and Hijikata was not able to enjoy his position for long. The Shinsengumi left Kyoto with the other Shogunal forces when Yoshinobu returned power to the Emperor, and the group was routed by the 'Imperial Army' at the Battle Of Toba Fushimi.

Nevertheless, Hijikata soldiered on, continuing to take part in assaults againt the Loyalists (and at times being misled by their own allies as to the role they were playing). Fighting their way through the Edo area (and losing their leader Kondo) and up through Aizu, Hijikata ended up in Ezo (modern day Hokkaido) where he and other Shogunal diehards formed the Ezo Republic. Hijikata met his end, being killed during the Battle Of Hakodate when the new Imperial Government moved against the last of the old order (well, the last remnants of the Shogun's old order, anyway).

That's the bare bones of Hijikata's life, but there's plenty to talk about. It might be interesting to contrast him to Ryoma, these two popular figures having completely different approaches and plans of action during the Bakumatsu. I'm sure there are aspects of his Shinsengumi career we haven't discussed. His time in Ezo is also something we haven't explored much of. Was Hijikata a patriot or just someone who saw his fortunes inextricably tied to the Shogunate and couldn't let go? And did that medicine of his work ? I might even get Ayame to post a photo of her 'Hijikata Toshizo Pepsi Cell Phone Hanger' that's currently attached to her cell...

[onnamusha]