| Sakamoto Ryoma is one of my favorite figures | | | | he was twelve. This was a short-lived episode in |
| from Japanese history. He was a low ranking | | | | his life as he showed little scholarly inclination. |
| samurai who played an outsized role in Japan's | | | | When he was fourteen, he took up fencing, or |
| transformation from a feudal society into a unified | | | | kenjutsu, at which he excelled. He became one of |
| nation bent on modernizing itself and catching up | | | | the top swordsmen in his dojo, and an accredited |
| with the West. He appeared at a critical juncture | | | | practitioner of the discipline in 1853, when he was |
| in history and, like the Beatles, had a more | | | | nineteen. That same year, he moved to Edo and |
| profound effect on events than anyone could | | | | joined the Kyobashi Fencing Academy, the |
| have predicted--given his low stature in society | | | | respected dojo of Chiba Sadakichi, in order to |
| and the limited amount of time during which he | | | | hone his sword fighting skills. This was fateful |
| was politically active. It took the Beatles eight | | | | timing, because it was in 1853 that Commodore |
| years to change the world, it took Sakamoto | | | | Matthew Perry arrived in Uraga Harbor, near Edo, |
| Ryoma just five years to change Japan. | | | | with his "black ships," determined to pry open the |
| He made an enduring contribution to Japan's | | | | hermit kingdom that Japan at that time was. The |
| modernization through his so-called "Eight-Point | | | | sight the four American warships, two of them |
| Program," about which Marius B. Jansen, professor | | | | steam powered, made a big impression on the |
| emeritus of Japanese history at Princeton, writes: | | | | young Sakamoto--as it did on all of his |
| Almost the entire Restoration program is | | | | countrymen. |
| contained within this program of Sakamoto's. Its | | | | The kenjutsu sphere that Sakamoto existed in |
| language would be echoed in the Charter Oath of | | | | was one of hot tempers and extreme politics. |
| 1868 [Japan's first constitution], and its promise | | | | Edo's fencing academies, training students who |
| would be the basis for the complaints of Itagaki | | | | were for the most part ambitious goshi samurai |
| and Goto that inaugurated the movement for | | | | like Ryoma, were hotbeds of radicalized young |
| representative institutions in 1874. | | | | samurai eager to expel the foreign devils. As the |
| Sakamoto Ryoma's Eight-Point Program was as | | | | months and years passed, and the militarily |
| follows: | | | | inferior Tokugawa government was forced to |
| | | | make greater and greater concessions to the |
| 1. Political power of the entire country should be | | | | foreign "barbarians"--even permitting them to build |
| restored to the Imperial Court, and all decrees | | | | settlements on the sacred land of Japan--the |
| should come from the Court. | | | | radicals became ever more nationalistic and |
| 2. Two legislative bodies, an Upper and Lower | | | | xenophobic. Under the slogan, "sonno-joi", (revere |
| house, should be established, and all government | | | | the Emperor, expel the barbarians) they called for |
| measures should be decided on the basis of | | | | the expulsion of all foreigners from Japanese soil, |
| general opinion. | | | | the reinstatement of the Emperor as the sole |
| 3. Men of ability among the lords, nobles and | | | | power of Japan, and the assassination of those |
| people at large should be employed as councillors, | | | | Japanese officials whom they viewed as |
| and traditional offices of the past which have lost | | | | collaborators and traitors. |
| their purpose should be abolished. | | | | Sakamoto Ryoma held these same views, as did |
| 4. Foreign affairs should be carried on according to | | | | the great majority of the young samurai of the |
| appropriate regulations worked out on the basis | | | | times; he accused the Tokugawa Shogunate of |
| of general opinion. | | | | cowardice, selfishness and duplicity, and of being |
| 5. The legislation and regulations of earlier times | | | | "hand in glove with the barbarians." |
| should be set aside and a new and adequate code | | | | His life was changed though, when he met one of |
| should be selected. | | | | the most interesting and influential men of his era. |
| 6. The navy should be enlarged. | | | | His fateful meeting with Katsu Kaishu occurred |
| 7. An Imperial Guard should be set up to defend | | | | under slightly unusual circumstances as Sakamoto |
| the capital. | | | | had gone to Katsu's house in order to assassinate |
| 8. The value of goods and silver should be | | | | him. Katsu Kaishu was a scholar of "Dutch |
| brought into line with that of foreign countries. | | | | learning," or the study of Western knowledge. He |
| As you can see, Sakamoto's program was made | | | | had even established his own academy of |
| up of diverse elements. Taken as a whole, it could | | | | Western learning. Furthermore, Katsu had been a |
| be described as a plan for a constitutional | | | | member of the first Japanese embassy to the |
| monarchy (point 1 is problematic though, as it | | | | United States in 1860. All of this, plus the fact that |
| could be interpreted as granting absolute power | | | | he advocated an open Japan policy, meant that in |
| to the emperor. Ambiguity as to the role of the | | | | Sakamoto Ryoma's eyes, Katsu was a foreign |
| emperor was in fact a feature of the Meiji | | | | appeaser and enemy of the emperor. In |
| Constitution; a fact which played a large part in | | | | December of 1862, Sakamoto Ryoma and an |
| Japan's prewar descent into military dictatorship), | | | | accomplice went to Katsu's house with the aim to |
| which was neither particularly progressive or | | | | kill him. But, according to the account of |
| conservative for the times. On the other hand, | | | | Matsudaira Shungaku (the contact who helped |
| points 3 and 5 are quite radical, while points 4, 6, | | | | them gain entrance to Katsu's residence), as they |
| 7 and 8 deal with practical considerations | | | | entered his house, Katsu Kaishu inquired, "Did you |
| necessary for Japan's self defense, and for it to | | | | come to kill me? If you did, you ought to wait |
| emerge as a modern nation on the world stage. | | | | until we've had a chance to talk." Again, according |
| Given Sakamoto Ryoma's background, The Eight | | | | to Matsudaira, "after hearing Katsu's explanations |
| Point Program was a remarkable achievement; | | | | they were deeply impressed and full of |
| both for the fact that he was able to conceive of | | | | admiration." |
| such a forward-looking blueprint, and that he was | | | | It was a case of mutual admiration. Katsu took |
| able to get people in positions of power and | | | | Sakamoto under his wing, and Ryoma became a |
| influence to listen to him. | | | | willing disciple. Here is how he described his good |
| Sakamoto Ryoma was born in 1835, in Tosa, a | | | | fortune in a letter to his sister: |
| powerful feudal domain on the southern island of | | | | I must say that it's beyond me the way things |
| Shikoku--the youngest son of a goshi samurai. | | | | work out in a man's life. Some fellows have such |
| Goshi was the very lowest rank of samurai--they | | | | bad luck that they bang their privates on getting |
| were disparagingly called "country samurai," but | | | | out of a bath tub and die as a result. When you |
| rank and wealth did not necessarily go hand in | | | | compare my luck with that, it's really remarkable. |
| hand in Edo era Japan. The Sakamotos were | | | | Here I was on the point of death, and I didn't die. |
| descendants of a well-to-do merchant who had | | | | I really thought I was going to, and instead I am |
| made successes of a pawn shop and a sake | | | | to live. Now I have become the disciple of the |
| brewery in the mid-16th century. A century later, | | | | greatest man in Japan, Katsu Kaishu, and every |
| in 1771 to be exact, the Sakamotos entered the | | | | day I can spend on things I've dreamed about. |
| ranks of the samurai when one of their ancestors | | | | Even if I should live to be forty, I wouldn't think |
| was granted goshi status, just 64 years before | | | | of leaving this to return home. I've told elder |
| Ryoma's birth. | | | | brother about this too; he's in good spirits, and |
| Sakamoto Ryoma's family was not of high status, | | | | gives his approval. I'm giving everything I have for |
| but they were well off enough to enroll Ryoma in | | | | the province and the country. |
| a private school in the castle town of Kochi when | | | | |