It is the idea.Uegaki san Tokugawa san.ei 衛。永遠。夏。

Saturday, 5 January 2013

communicate

"If Imperial Court was to hold a meeting of the lords、wouldn't it be incomplete without Tokugawa Yoshinobu kou's participation？"

This is partly due to the wishes of Yodo、the de facto ruler of the Tosa clan、and his vassal Goto made this claim at the preparatory meetings、but it was not a strong one、and it simply felt like one of many possibilities that should be considered in the preparation stage.

"It would be presumptuous for lowly people like us to discuss such a serious issue.

Let's leave that to the will of the Imperial Court."

Goto's claim was naturally obscured quickly by other attendees、but everyone seemed relieved that Goto had brought this up.

(Sakamoto、everything takes its time、isn't it true？)

"It's exactly as you said. 

My thinking was shallow."

Goto quickly withdrew his opinion.

　

・・・・・・・・・

At that time、Goto was based at the Tosa clan residence in Kyoto、but before attending the meeting held in a room in the Kyoto Imperial Palace、he was on a business trip to Osaka.

Like Okubo、this was to discuss the upcoming stationing of Tosa clan soldiers in Kyoto with Tokugawa officials and Tosa clan officials stationed in Osaka、but there was another major reason.

His purpose was to pay a courtesy visit to Minister Parkes、who was on board the British warship Snap、which was visiting Osaka at the time.

Ever since the diplomatic problems caused by the Icarus incident、the Tosa clan and Britain had been on the contrary deepening their friendly relationship、but Goto and Parks in particular got along well、and their talks through interpreter Ernest Satow were cordial from beginning to end. 

After the meeting、Goto asked Parks: "Minister、I would like to ask Satow-kun a little question."

"Well、what is it？"

"I would like him to tell me as much about the British political system as possible."

As Ernest was translating this to Parks、Parks interrupted him and said.

"Ernest、I'm a little tired because I had so much fun talking with Goto-san、and I'm sure you're tired from interpreting as well.

I'm going to take a short rest in my room、so you can take a short rest too."

　

・・・・・・・・・

※Outtakes

"However、Satsuma has no intention of achieving military balance anymore、right？

Although、it may be that Choshu is the only country for which Satsuma is trying to maintain military balance.

Now、the Tokugawa forces gathering in Osaka are approaching 15,000 strong.

Isn't an armed conflict inevitable？

For this reason、Satsuma and Choshu have to gather their forces in Kyoto as soon as possible、which is sure to increase tensions.

Aizu and Kuwana are also in Kyoto、so Satsuma and Choshu must start the war in a situation where they will automatically be attacked from both sides.

Oh、are the Choshu forces staying in Hyogo in anticipation of this？"

Satow said and laughed.

The Choshu envoy、who was supposed to have come as an apology to the Imperial Court、did not go to Kyoto after landing in Hyogo、but instead remained there for about three weeks、and continues to do so to this day.

"I don't think it's a tactic used by those with inferior military strength.

Ernest san、you know about the details of my business trip to Osaka、right？

Besides、Ernest san、in Japanese history、a crushing defeat in the first battle of a decisive battle is never a bad sign."

"Genji no Yoritomo kou、Ashikaga no takauji kou 、that's right、Gongen-sama also suffered disastrous defeats in the Battle of Mikatagahara and the Battle of Okehazama.

But they believed they would win that battle at the time、right？" 2024061022:15(japan time). ※

※"In that case、you are nothing more than a group of history nerds、a group of epigones、not a group trying to build a new era. " 2024061408:19(japan time).

　　

・・・・・・・・・

※"But in the end、an accumulation of these kinds of efforts may be the best cure for avoiding civil war."

Ernest smiled at Goto.

The port of Hyogo was scheduled to be opened to foreign countries on January 1st, 1868 in the solar calendar (the Great Proclamation of the Restoration of Imperial Rule was to be issued on January 3rd)、and at the same time a foreign settlement was to be established in Kobe Village、adjacent to Hyogo Port、but a serious problem was now arising.

More than 2,000 Choshu soldiers are stationed at Hyogo (just a few kilometers from Kobe Village) an open port that is the reason the settlement was located in the first place.

As a result、many Westerners were hesitant to settle in Kobe、and preparations for the establishment of the settlement were delayed.

"They are currently very friendly and gentlemanly towards us.

We guarantee that there is nothing dangerous about your stay in Kobe."

Military personnel from Western countries (particularly the British)、who had many interactions with Choshu as a result of repeated conflicts、made this declaration to Westerners living in Japan、but it was difficult to change their perception of Choshu as a group of "fanatic fundamentalists".

"How long will Okami leave such a lawless group unpunished？"

Naturally、the voices of dissatisfaction grew louder and louder day by day.

However、these voices were mainly those of ordinary Osaka people、mainly merchants.

"We were happy、anticipating that the opening of Hyogo to foreign countries would finally bring us out of our long recession.

We thought that this would make our lives easier.

But suddenly Choshu has come along and is trying to ruin everything now.

Okami must wipe out this lawless group as soon as possible and prove to foreign countries that Naniwa is safe."

The number of ordinary Osakans filing such complaints with the Osaka Magistrate's Office began to become too great to ignore.

"So、was it Nanisama in Choshu？I regret to say that I have forgotten his name、but Lord Parks was approached by the Choshu Army in Hyogo to mediate a meeting with the Settlement Management Committee in Kobe、and I was appointed to act as the interpreter."

"That is an important role.

Was it Choshu who nominated you to be the interpreter for the meeting？"

"はい、そうパークス卿に聞いています、というか、その文章を訳したのはわたしなのですが(笑)。何か文章に細工をしたか？とパークス卿には笑われましたが、私は彼の通訳も担当してますし、英国人通詞アーネスト・サトーの名は良くも悪くも長州では有名ですからね。

難しい役目だが君なら日本国の歴史と天子様に名誉ある結果をもたらすだろう、と、パークス卿も激励してくれました。"

"日本国ですか？"

"日本国です。彼もこの日本という国が大好きなのですよ。ただし彼の日本語の語彙では彼という人間を知らない相手にはいらぬ誤解を招きかねませんが(笑)。

But in the end、an accumulation of these kinds of efforts may be the best cure for avoiding civil war."

Ernest smiled at Goto. 2024061123:00(japan time).

Sunday, 6 January 2013

joined

Ito Kashitaro was born as the son of a samurai in a small clan (with a territory of about 8,000 goku and strictly speaking a hatamoto status) in Hitachi Province.

※Hitachi Province is the area excluding the southwestern part of present-day Ibaraki Prefecture. from wiki.

The most representative clan in Hitachi was the Mito clan、which could be said to be the headquarters of the Imperial ideology (Yoshinobu was also from this clan)、and Kashitaro、who was called a child prodigy、also studied abroad in the Mito clan in his youth、where he thoroughly learned the essence of the Imperial ideology.

※I think he was of the same generation as Shinsengumi's Kondo、but at the time he went to study abroad、his father had gotten into a dispute with the clan's chief retainer、and his family had been stripped of their clan membership and exiled from the clan. 2024061220:46(japan time).

He then went to Edo and opened a sword-fighting dojo.

This dojo、which also had the side of a political association、quickly became very popular due to his incredible talent in both the arts and martial arts、and many talented young people flocked to him.

・・・・・・・・・

Around this time、in the tumultuous Kyoto that had experienced the Ikedaya Incident and the Battle of Hamaguri Gomon、the Shinsengumi's power was about to enter a period of major expansion (as Kyoto's mobile police、of course).

"Even if the Shinsengumi were to gather members indiscriminately、the Shinsengumi would only become a ragtag group (and it would become a nest for enemy spies).

Besides、when it comes to samurai、the samurai of the Kanto region are the best.

There is no doubt about it.

After all、I would like to find a samurai group in Edo with a single-minded soul that shares the same aspirations as us and invite them to join the Shinsengumi."

Kondo then went to Edo himself to begin searching for new members for the Shinsengumi、and soon chose Ito Kashitaro and his comrades、a senior swordsmanship to Todo Heisuke、a founding member of the Shinsengumi.

"I want to fight alongside you as someone who shares the same aspirations of revering the Emperor."

"Understood、I'll join the Shinsengumi.

However、that is just for me、and I won't know whether my comrades want to join or not until I confirm their intentions."

At first、Kashitaro was hesitant to accept Kondo's invitation、but after hearing Kondo's this words、he finally decided to join the Shinsengumi.

From the beginning、Ito Kashitaro joined the Shinsengumi along with his comrades as a group with a special status.

As a result、members of the Shinsengumi later ended up killing each other.

Monday, 7 January 2013

balance

There was a man named Yamanami Keisuke who was a senior member of the Shinsengumi.

(It is said that he was from the Sendai clan、but it seems that no one knows for sure.)

As a child of the era、he also strongly resonated with the idea of ​​revering the emperor、and it is not clear whether this was related、but he met Kondo as a ronin living in Edo、and Yamanami、who hit it off with Kondo、began living at Kondo's dojo as a sort of guest.

Yamanami then went to Kyoto with his comrades from Kondo's dojo and formed the Shinsengumi.

・・・・・・・・・

Kondo came from a farming family in Tama near Edo、and his younger friend、Hijikata Toshizo、also came from a wealthy farming family in Tama.

※I think Kondo's family was a middle-class farming family.

Incidentally、the Tama region was under the direct control of the Tokugawa Shogun.

"We are not like peasants under the control of mere feudal lords; we are the Kubou sama's peasants."

The farmers of this region、and of course Kondo and Hijikata、seem to have had a strong respect for the Tokugawa Shogun.

Of course、the idea of ​​revering the emperor was a common sentiment held by all members of the Shinsengumi.

However、there was a discrepancy in the content of that sentiment from the very start.

・・・・・・・・・

Unlike Kondo and Hijikata、Yamanami had an academic background as an intellectual.

Hijikata and Yamanami did not get along well in terms of their personalities、but like Kondo、Hijikata relied on Yamanami's knowledge、and the gears of the organization ran smoothly (Yamanami also fully appreciated Hijikata's abilities as an (※practical 2024061406:12/japan time) organizational organizer).

This was probably the ultimate optimum (which ultimately indicate the limitations of the group) that those who gathered at Kondo's dojo arrived at through choices that included interpersonal relationships.

In Serizawa's case、Yamanami also actively helped the group return to the optimal location.

"Ito-san is showing his true colors too soon.

What is he anxious about？"

But now、it seemed to Yamanami、Ito Kashitaro、the pro-imperial intellectual who could satisfy his desire for intellectual conversation、had begun to challenge Hijikata as an organizational organizer.