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Dash101
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 Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 10:13 am Post subject: Researchers claim find of Tokugawa Yoshinobu Letter |
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An article in the Daily Yomiyuri says that researchers may have found a handwritten message by Tokugawa Yoshinobu.
The article is as follows:
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20100103TDY03301.htm
| Quote: |
A handwritten message believed to have been put to paper by Tokugawa Yoshinobu (1837-1913), the 15th and last shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, the year before his death, has been found at a house in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture.
The brief kanbun writing, comprising 16 kanji in Indian ink with Yoshinobu's signature, is thought to epitomize his frame of mind of "standing to reason" during his closing days as he looked back on the vicissitudes of life, according to historian Rei Matsuura.
The last shogun's writing was found in the storehouse of the home of Keiichi Wani, 61, in the Kozu district of Odawara. He is a grandson of Shinichi Wani, a physician who made house calls to Yoshinobu in his later years.
An entry in Yoshinobu's diary titled "Kafu Nikki" reads that on July 29, 1912, the day before the death of Emperor Meiji, Yoshinobu had a servant at the shogun's home in Koishikawa in today's Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, send his writing to Wani.
That entry proves Yoshinobu wrote the message, according to Hiroshi Nagai, chief researcher at the Ibaraki Prefectural Museum of History.
Toward the end of his life, Yoshinobu, who was also known as Keiki, would reflect on his experiences in response to questions posed by such figures as Eiichi Shibusawa, a leading industrialist of the Meiji era (1868-1912).
Commenting on the newly found writing, historian Matsuura, 78, said Yoshinobu might have intended to leave to posterity a message to the effect that he felt nothing to be ashamed over the course of "his checkered life," reflecting pride as a man of principle.
Among major incidents in Yoshinobu's life were the return of political rule in January 1867 from the Tokugawa shogunate to the Emperor and the Battle of Toba-Fushimi in January the following year, in which Tokugawa loyalist forces were defeated decisively by anti-Tokugawa troops led by Satsuma (today's Kagoshima Prefecture) and Choshu (today's Yamaguchi Prefecture).
The writing says that whatever one does, whether moving forward or stepping back, it must always be as a result of reason. It also notes a politician's decision on whether to be in office should be firmly based on his own beliefs. |
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onnamusha
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AJBryant
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| Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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| onnamusha wrote: |
Thanks for posting this, Dash! I find it odd and perhaps telling that the article calls Yoshinobu's writings "Scribblings." Was he really that bad at penmanship?  |
Have ya *seen* any sosho? 
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heron
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| Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 2:22 pm Post subject: |
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There's an example of Yoshinobu's penmanship on the Japanese version of the article:
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/culture/news/20091229-OYT1T00027.htm
I think the English headline referring to "Scribblings" is rather misleading. I find his writing very beautiful, not that I know a great deal about sosho. |
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Obenjo Kusanosuke
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| Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 3:00 pm Post subject: |
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I agree with Heron. I have also seen examples of Keiki's penmnship in museums and it is quite nice. I don't think Nariaki would allow any of his sons to have anything but excellent penmanship. 
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onnamusha
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| Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:51 pm Post subject: |
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I took a look at the Japanese version, and indeed, the penmanship is exquisite. It looks like an art piece as a matter of fact. Tony, I'm assuming that sosho is the method of brush writing that is *totally* unrecognizable as the characters being represented; if so, I've probably seen it! As for "scribblings," maybe that translator ought to take a look at Ryoma's letters sometime!
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shin no sen
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| Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 5:27 pm Post subject: |
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Kaisho and gyosho, not so bad. Sosho needs a day to day use and even then a lot are incomprehensible unless context can help a bit especially when some writers really debase their characters. And some think doctors write badly on their scripts. I agree, well written sosho is artistic. John
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AJBryant
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| Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:07 pm Post subject: |
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One of my old profs once talked about taking a special graduate course in reading sosho *in Japan* (you think we teach that HERE? ) and spending a semester or two slowly dissecting historical letters and documents. She pointed out that she could no longer do it, though, as it really is a skill that one needs to keep up with, and trying to get back to reading sosho would almost be like learning it all over again.
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