Conversation is unreasonable.
Monday, 24 December 2012
conversation
After contemplating for a while、Shungaku agreed to Sakamoto's request、and the next morning、Mitsuoka came to the inn (for general guests) where Sakamoto was staying.
"I'm sorry for visiting you so early in the morning.
I have two companions with me、is that okay？"
Mitsuoka sat at the entrance of the room without opening the sliding door and asked Sakamoto (Mitsuoka was accompanied by two watchman from the Fukui clan).
"Yes、I don't mind.
I also received your letter last night and couldn't wait for the night to break.
Please come inside、everyone."
The two then began a conversation.
"The establishment of the Restoration of Imperial Government this time is a very happy occasion for the Empire.
But I have one big concern.
I have heard that not only the large army of Satsuma but also the large army of Choshu are gathering in Kyoto one after another.
It is possible that this spectacular feat will only serve as the trigger for a major civil war that will ultimately divide the country in two.
What are your thoughts on that matter？
Sakamoto san、please don't worry about my position.
If it doesn't bother you、I would like to know the truth."
"At present、in reality、the Imperial Court does not have any financial resources that it can prepare on its own.
Therefore、the Imperial Court is currently unable to even assemble its own soldiers."
"That's why Satsuma and Choshu are there、right？"
"In reality、that is true, but when the Imperial Court becomes someone's mistress、it means that Japan becomes someone's mistress.
This is absolutely unacceptable."
"So what should we do to overcome this situation？
This is a reality that cannot be moved."
"No、this is what I said (lol)、but I think we just need to stop thinking like that.
In other words、for example、I think it is nonsense to consider Satsuma、Choshu、and the Imperial Court as separate groups.
We are one family、a community with a shared destiny、and if one family member is in trouble、it is natural for other family members to help.
We must transform this into a political system suitable for modern times and realize it as soon as possible."
"Sakamoto-san、of course Tokugawa is included in that 'one family'、right？"
"Of course."
"In order to create a new system、financial resources on the scale of the Japanese nation are absolutely necessary.
Who currently has it？It's Tokugawa.
Those who create a new political system must receive it from the Tokugawa.
This is because Tokugawa is too large to be considered a 'family member' as it is.
Tokugawa's participation in the new system while maintaining the status quo will make all Japanese people unhappy."
"Yeah、I know.
That's why we have to hurry.
We must make things happen while Lord Yoshinobu kou exists."
"If we hurry、we will end up cutting his life even further."
"I know.
So we have to hurry.
We must make things happen while Yoshinobu kou exists、without fail."
・・・・・・・・・
Sakamoto san、I would like to ask you one thing: You said 'There are many charlatans who are willing to make advance investments in hopes of achieving this,' but are there any of your comrades who want to see chaos in this world？
"No、but there are people who are trying to plunge this world into chaos for their own desires、they are real."
"Yeah、I understand." 2024051321:49(japan time).
Tuesday, 25 December 2012
rationality and trust
"Come to think of it、was it Nasu-san？
When we left the Tosa clan together (an illegal act)、we met a Kyushu Goshi at Akamagaseki in Choshu.
He was also a ronin who had left his clan、and we were all Goshi、so we got along well、and we drank sake together at Shiraishi san -he is a wealthy merchant in Choshu、and along with Takasugi san、is the true founder of the Choshu Kiheitai- and we drank sake together at Shiraishi san's house.
At first、we were all having fun drinking together、but while I was talking to Shiraishi san、I noticed that the two of them were having a huge argument.
When I asked them why the fight started、I found out that it was because of the size of the goshi's house.
I think Nasu san's family is average for a Tosa goshi、but his family also runs a forestry business、so their family isn't that poor.
Rather than、Tosa's goshi were generally not that poor.
This is because most of Tosa's goshi were originally Chosokabe samurai who were influential people in the area.
After the Battle of Sekigahara, the Yamanouchi samurai who came to Tosa as part of the occupying force distinguished the occupied Nagasokabe samurai as ``goshi'' and thoroughly discriminated against them as being of a different class from themselves.
However、this was just a strict distinction between the two、saying、'You are not samurai,' and they highly valued goshi as the original guardians of the indigenous people.
Long story short、goshi were forced to play a dirty role in the control of the people by the Yamanouchi clan.
Therefore、the reality is that goshi are the lowest-level practitioners of government、and are generally a little wealthier than the general public.
In comparison、the word 'goshi' in his clan seemed to refer to the lowest class of people、even though they were samurai.
Apparently their house was no better than a hovel.
'There is no way a goshi could live in such a large house.
Are you making fun of me because you think I'm a country bumpkin from Kyushu？'
He got angry like that、the two men later reconciled、but I also explained to him the reality of Tosa、but he didn't understand until the end….
Oh、I'm sorry for interrupting your explanation、please continue."
"Ah、that's why、as you know、we have something called 'han-satsu' as paper currency that is not a coin.
藩 han - clan/domain
札 satsu - bill
However、this paper currency has a major fatal flaw、although it cannot be generalized because the circumstances of issuance differ depending on each clan.
This paper currency was often printed in large quantities to repay debts borrowed by the domain from merchants within the domain.
In other words、since the domain had neither the funds nor the means to repay the debts、the common practice of rulers was to print large quantities of 'magic bills' themselves to cancel the debts.
And、of course、there is no one in the territory who is stupid enough to not notice how obscene it is."
"In other words、there is a strong possibility that the people will get the impression that the 'magic note' and the paper currency we are trying to issue for the new Japan are the same thing、right？"
"The reality is、in the current situation、the two are the same.
The reason why coins issued by the Tokugawa shogunate are widely used for commercial payments is because they are gold and silver、materials that people recognize as valuable.
No matter how many paper bills are printed whose value is not backed by gold or silver、they are meaningless.
I've done a lot of research on hansatsu.
As a result、regardless of the size of the domain、regardless of the lack of gold and silver for convertibility、the hansatsu economy within the domain is functioning well due to mutual trust between the people、such cases were not rare.
However -for that purpose, the presence of the Emperor is absolutely necessary- as we are abandoning the old political system and completely converting to a completely new Western political system、we cannot hope for such a fortune.
The coming new government must promptly obtain the right to manage Japan's gold and silver、this is the natural obligation of the Japanese government."
"Is it no good to continue using gold and silver as money as before？"
"Ah、the biggest reason is that this seems to contradict what I have said so far、but in that case、the Japanese economy、which is about to expand overseas、will be completely constrained by the amount of gold and silver it owns at the time.
In such a situation、we cannot hope to become a trading nation.
And…."
"However、simply using paper currency will not be able to stop the outflow of gold and silver overseas、right？"
"That's natural.
For example、we ourselves buy Japanese gold and silver with American dollars.
The amount of gold and silver that can be exchanged at exchange offices is legally restricted to a certain number.
I can't think of a good solution at the moment、but after all、even if they see our weaknesses、we should clearly ask Western countries to change their unfair exchange rates and move to a floating rather than fixed rate system.
Even if they refuse、that's just a reaction、and we can use it as a breakthrough."
・・・・・・・・・
"To think that you would talk about betrayal and rebellion right in front of the prison guard！
Do you understand？You are still a political prisoner under surveillance."
After the meeting、Mitsuoka's watcher smiled at him.
"However、I also think that what you say is very valid.
I envy you."
※For some reason、Matsudaira Shungaku san's face pops into my mind right now(lol). 2024051412:51(japan time).
※Considering the flow of this series of "stories," I think it's Yoshinobu san who is envied by Syungaku san(lol). 2024051414:41(japan time).
※The 'goshi' part originally came up in a conversation between Yasuoka Shotaro san and Shiba Ryotaro san (I believe it was the actual experience of an acquaintance of theirs who was a writer of the same generation).
This is completely a made-up story written by me based on my its memory、but because of that、I don't actually know the relationship between the two as goshi in this 'story' (their positions may be reversed・lol). 2024051414:58(japan time).
※For example、was this established by the earliest Tokugawa shogunate？
The price of 1 koku of rice is 1 ryo.
Or、the amount of rice you can buy with one koban is 1 koku.
The value of one koban ryo was fixed like that.
However、with the agricultural technology of the time、the annual production of rice could not be controlled、for better or for worse.
In addition、the amount of gold and silver produced in Japan gradually decreased (I believe that since then、a large amount of Japanese gold and silver had flowed overseas due to import payments with Qing and the Netherlands).
Therefore the Tokugawa shogunate recast the koban and reduced the gold content of each ryo.
Due to this and that、the market could not maintain the rule that "the price of 1 koku of rice was 1 ryo of koban," and in the end、the price was quickly shifted to a floating system.
Is it the same (lol)？2024051620:38(japan time).
Wednesday, 26 December 2012
call
The Tokugawa shogunate had an organization called the Mimawarigumi、which was called the same as the Shinsengumi、as an active mobile police force for maintaining public order in Kyoto.
The members of the Shinsengumi were mainly Ronin、while the Mimawarigumi was made up of Tokugawa samurai.
(I am writing from memory、but I believe that the Mimawarigumi consisted mainly of the second son and later who were not heirs to the Edo hatamoto.)
・・・・・・・・・
One of the leaders of the Mimawarigumi was a man named Sasaki Tadazaburo.
One afternoon、several members of the Mimawarigumi were summoned by him.
"Sakamoto Ryoma is currently in hiding in Kyoto.
His hideout has already been determined、and we are currently investigating his behavior.
Last time we let him escape due to a lack of siege arrangements、but that time he shot and killed one of his catchers.
So this time we are definitely going to arrest him、and I want to leave that up to you guys.
However、there is a high possibility that he is still in possession of a handgun、and I hope that he will respond flexibly to the situation when arresting him.
"What is a flexible response？"
"It means that it doesn't matter whether he lives or dies."
"Does that mean we can prioritize our safety over any information we can extract from Sakamoto？"
"Yes."
・・・・・・・・・
"Sakamoto boldly plans to summon 5,000 ronin troops to Kyoto.
He seems to be trying to become Kusunoki Masashige、and is planning to raise the flames of rebellion all at once."
This was at a time when rumors like this were being whispered around the Kyoto area (※It was not only among Tokugawa sympathizers that this rumor was being whispered. 2024051520:45/japan time).
"This man is the same as Kiyokawa Hachiro.
When a charlatan like this、with an abnormally strong desire to show off his self、senses signs of turbulence、it is impossible to know what kind of evil schemes he will use to cause tremendous harm to society.
Before that happens、we should reap this charlatan."
And this was at a time when Sakamoto was working hard to avoid war and find a peaceful resolution (although、naturally he was aiming for a solution in the way he wanted).
※As mentioned above、the Tokugawa shogunate's police authority in Kyoto City at this time had probably expired、and their arrest of Sakamoto might be considered an act of terrorism.
Of course、from the perspective of the Tokugawa Shogunate's security maintenance organization、Sakamoto was a criminal who had committed murder and escaped in the first place. 2024051520:42(japan time).
Of course Sasaki Tadazaburo would have known that. 2024051620:43(japan time).
