Personality is important.
Saturday, 8 December 2012
the secret instruction
There was a man named "Iwakura Tomomi'' who was a lower class aristocrat in Kyoto.
At the beginning of this period of great change in Japan、he suggested to the Imperial Court a series of measures aimed at harmonizing the two sides、stating that "the Imperial Court should cooperate with the Tokugawa Shogunate to overcome this difficult situation,'' and some of these measures were put into practice.
As a result、he was seen as a threat by the Choshu clan、which was trying to expand its influence in the Kyoto political world、and in the end he was confined to a house on the outskirts of Kyoto.
After that、the Choshu clan was effectively expelled from Kyoto due to a coup-like political change、but this did not change his situation at all.
"Cooperation with the Tokugawa Shogunate."
He was already forgotten by the political world as a man with outdated ideas.
・・・・・・・・・
However、at this time、his home on the outskirts of Kyoto had become the epicenter of a conspiracy to overthrow the Shogunate.
The final conspiracy for this purpose was planned around Okubo of Satsuma and him.
"Defeat the Tokugawa shogunate."
He had now become a symbol of this idea (although it was not publicly known).
"In the name of the Emperor, overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate.
We will have the Emperor issue us an edict (secret command) with this content."
When Tosa was making efforts to realize the policy of restoring imperial rule、they were proceeding with this plan in secret.
And finally、this secret directive was issued to Satsuma (not only the public、but even most of the aristocrats did not know about this fact right after that).
The new emperor was still young.
Therefore、his grandfather assisted him in his official duties、and naturally his intentions as a confidant greatly influenced the "will of the emperor".
Therefore、it was possible to issue this "secret edict" against Satsuma (he was already a comrade with Iwakura).
・・・・・・・・・
However、later Iwakura said.
"He had nothing to do with this plan.
I just borrowed his name."
Create a situation.
Conspiracy was in the final stages.
Sunday, 9 December 2012
reverence for the emperor
"Imperial order to hunt down the Tokugawa shogunate."
However、in reality、this secret order of the Emperor was not carried out.
This is because on the same day, the Tokugawa Shogunate returned Japan's administrative power to the Emperor.
In other words、his followers did not carry out the formal orders given by the Emperor、but perhaps that doesn't matter much.
This is because the Emperor was not involved at all.
Iwakura created it himself and buried it in the darkness at his own discretion.
Therefore、at that time、the Emperor's own will was probably not that important to the leading class of his followers.
His presence was all that mattered.
"錦旗/Kinki - The flag as symbol of army of the Emperor's army."
Around the same time、Iwakura was secretly making a "forgery'' of the legendary flag that was the symbol of the Emperor's army during the former dynasty era (before the samurai took over the hegemony). - The design was also thought out by him and his staff.
Of course that was mere flag.
"Reverence for the Emperor."
However、this was common sense at the time (especially for the samurai class).
Therefore、this fabricated flag will have an important meaning later.
※I think it will be mentioned later、(probably・lol) Neo-Confucianism、a school of Confucianism whose basics were established during the Southern Song Dynasty、a dynasty in what is now southeastern China、was common knowledge among the Japanese reading class at the time.
The Song Dynasty、which was the Han Chinese Dynasty throughout China (at that time)、lost its northern part to the Jin Dynasty、which was a different ethnic group.
As a result、in the Southern Song Dynasty、ideas such as "sonking and expulsion of foreigners," "who is the legitimate emperor who appointed by the Heavenly Emperor and who is the false emperor？" and "who is the loyal subject and who is the traitor？" became widespread. 2024040908:46(japan time).
※Sōsō、by the way、it was the Blue Wolf Mongol who destroyed both the Northern and Southern dynasties. 2024040912:36(japan time).
・・・・・・・・・
When Yoshinobu officially announced the policy of restoring the imperial government、which had been publicly rumored for some time、as the official policy of the shogunate、the confusion among the nobility of Kyoto reached its peak.
"We now fully understand the loyalty of the Tokugawa shogunate to the imperial court.
We cannot afford to create a vacuum in the politics of the Empire、and the Imperial Court should immediately reappoint Yoshinobu Tokugawa as Japan's administrator."
Many aristocrats began to pass such opinions on to nobles in important positions in the imperial court.
"In order to avoid chaos、the Tokugawa shogunate should continue to run the Japanese government as before."
Komatsu of Satsuma clan、although this was said in an informal setting、also had no choice but to tell Yoshinobu that (he was involved in Iwakura's conspiracy).
Of course、Yoshinobu must have calculated that such a situation would arise.
※I don't think there was any behind-the-scenes manipulation by Yoshinobu himself (although there may have been political considerations、of course・lol). 2024040908:58(japan time).
Monday, 10 December 2012
my master
A while ago、I watched a TV program (a rebroadcast of a program aired in the 1980s) in which Japanese novelist Shiba Ryotaro san appeared.
In the program、he was talking about Japan in the early 20th century.
Japan's constitution at the time was the "Constitution of the Empire of Japan," (but this constitution was amended after Japan's defeat in the war in 1945 and became the "Constitution of Japan").
By the way、some people say that the current constitution was "the United States、the occupying force that feared the revival of the Japanese Empire、forced upon us the constitution they had created with that intention".
"Now is the time for us to abandon this distorted constitution and enact the constitution we truly need."
"However…."
Shiba san said.
"I still remember the refreshing feeling I had when the new Constitution came into effect, as if the previously cloudy skies had suddenly turned bright blue.
I'm sure I wasn't the only one who felt that way at that time.
In short、the Japanese Constitution is the one that truly matches the sentiments of the Japanese people and is the one that we truly desire.
I believe so."
"However…."
"When I read the Constitution of the Empire of Japan、it certainly has some flaws from today's perspective、but it also recognizes individual human rights such as separation of powers、freedom of career choice、freedom of religion、and freedom of communication.
Yes、this constitution is not that bad.
If this Constitution had been enforced normally、there is no way that it would have led to the situation in which not only foreign countries but all Japanese people were occupied by the Japanese military at the end of the Japanese Empire.
But it certainly appeared."
There was one article like this in this constitution.
'His Majesty the Emperor commands the army and navy.'
"Only the Emperor has the right to command us、and in other words、we military personnel are His Majesty's direct subjects.
Therefore、there is no need to listen to other people's opinions、such as cabinet ministers."
As the years passed and the number of so-called Meiji Restoration elder statesmen decreased、the military upper echelons gradually began to rebel against the wishes of the government and parliament.
"Under the will of His Majesty the Emperor、we are working tirelessly every day to fight for His Majesty the Emperor、for the Japanese people、and by extension for world peace.
You outsiders have no right to disturb us."
They carried out their own ambitions in the name of the Emperor.
※This may simply be a typical example of "the third generation ruining the company"(lol). 2024041022:43 (japan time).
By the way、the current Emperor of Japan is called "Tenno(u)/`ten'nō".
Of course it's the same at that time.
"At that time、and even now、the Japanese people called him 'Tenno-Heika'.
Of course Prime Minister in Japan also called him like that.
※Heika is 'Your Majesty'.
However、only the upper echelons of the Japanese military at that time called the Emperor 'Okami'.
'Okami' in this case roughly means 'my master'."
※I think 'o-kami' is usually written as '御上' in kanji、in my literal translation this is 'Mr upper side'.
Perhaps it was initially '御神'、this 'kami 神' is an ancient Japanese pronunciation (even in modern Japanese pronunciation)、it mean is 'God'.
By the way、I don't know when the name was first established、another homonym for 'Okami' is '女将' (this usage may be the most common usage in modern Japan).
Literally translated、'女将' means 'female general,' but nowadays it is used as a general term for the proprietresses of inns and shops.
This word is also sometimes used to express familiarity to someone else's wife.
'Okami-san'.
By the way 'Ookami'、'Oukami'、'Ōkami'、this means wolf.※
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
i have no idea
Historically、it was the aristocrats of Kyoto who called the emperor 'okami' (I don't know when this started).
※"In the first place、this word was used as an honorific title for the Emperor by the court ladies who served him."
I think Shiba san said so.※
As the head of a clan group in Japan's patriarchal system、Kyoto's aristocrats may have affectionately called the Emperor this way.
In this case、'okami' may mean 'father' rather than 'my master'.
・・・・・・・・・
Iwakura Tomomi、one of such aristocrats、was about to suddenly jump onto the center stage of history as a central figure in the anti-shogunate forces.
By the way、Tokugawa Yoshinobu、other feudal lords、and their vassals naturally had a strong sense of reverence for the Emperor.
Needless to say、it was exactly the same on the anti-shogunate side.
In the first place、the driving force behind this anti-shogunate movement was a strong sense of reverence for the emperor (and hostility towards the shogunate that was 'oppressing' him).
※There is also a theory that the death of the late emperor, who turned the anti-shogunate movement around, was an assassination (he contracted smallpox and his condition suddenly deteriorated and he died).
It may be that Iwakura had a strong sense of awe for the existence of the Emperor as a symbol of the head family of these aristocrats、but he may not have had any special feelings towards the Emperor as an individual.
"I want to create an ideal society ruled by the Emperor in this country.
Therefore、we will use everything available for this purpose."
He carried out one conspiracy after another based on this idea.
※After the Meiji Restoration、Iwakura held a personal memorial service for the many comrades who died during this revolutionary movement.
The beginning of the 20th century.
That action was clearly a mistake.
Middle of the 19th century.
Was the action clearly a mistake？
I have no idea.
※I learned the word "gerrymander" in Akashi sanjin san's book.
"To(u)jyu(u)sai Sharaku is no longer in existence."
東洲斎写楽はもういない
とうじゅうさいしゃらくはもういない
さい とうじゅう ろべえ
sai toujyuu robee
saito(u)-jyu(u)robee
These are the only factors that make me think that he is the same person as Sharaku.
👇
In order for him to be Sharaku、he must clear all these questions (present only that factors).
