Goto Shojiro

2017/07/07

Image: From "Count Goto Shojiro" (Fuzanbo, 1914)

It is said that the politicians with whom Fukuzawa Yukichi shared the deepest friendship were Okuma Shigenobu and Goto Shojiro (Biography of Fukuzawa Yukichi, Vol. 4, p. 744). While his relationship with Okuma is well known, it is less known that Fukuzawa highly evaluated Goto and actually supported him deeply. Why did Fukuzawa value Goto, an elusive figure described as "the great elephant of the previous world" (Omachi Keigetsu, "Count Goto Shojiro")?

Born in Tosa on March 19, 1838, as the eldest son of Goto Sukeemon Masaharu. His childhood name was Hayata, later Ryosuke. He was close friends from childhood with Itagaki Taisuke, who lived nearby. He acquired the foundations of scholarship under the tutelage of his uncle-in-law, Yoshida Toyo. Iwasaki Yataro, the founder of Mitsubishi, was a fellow student. Later, he entered and studied at the Kaiseijo in Edo. He gradually rose to prominence, eventually wielding power as a Great Inspector (Daikansatsu) of the Tosa Domain. During the Restoration, he is famous as the merit-holder who persuaded Yamauchi Yodo to adopt the policy of union between the court and the shogunate (Kobu Gattai) and persuaded Tokugawa Yoshinobu to realize the Restoration of Imperial Rule (Taiseihokan) in 1867 (he was later created a Count). After the Restoration, he held various important posts in the new government (Governor of Osaka Prefecture, Senior Vice Minister of Public Works, Chairman of the Sain, Councilor, etc.). In 1873, he resigned from the government over the Seikanron (debate on invading Korea). The following year, he submitted the "Petition for the Establishment of a Popularly Elected Assembly" to the Sain along with Itagaki and others, and formed the Aikoku Koto (Public Party of Patriots). Around that time, he established the Horai-sha company for political funding and managed it, but struggled. In 1875, he became a member of the Genroin (Chamber of Elders) and was elected Vice Chairman.

The catalyst for the close relationship between Fukuzawa and Goto was the issue surrounding the transfer of the Takashima Coal Mine (Nagasaki Prefecture), which produced high-quality coal. On November 10, 1874, Goto received the sale of the Takashima Coal Mine from the Ministry of Finance for 550,000 yen. However, due to a lack of funds, he borrowed the entire 200,000 yen for the immediate payment from the foreign-capital firm Jardine Matheson & Co., and began operations with the remaining 350,000 yen to be paid in installments over seven years. The contract was structured so that the profits from the mine went to the firm in the form of interest and high commissions rather than to Goto, and heavy debts began to accumulate. In 1878, the firm filed a lawsuit against Goto seeking an injunction against coal sales and machinery use, and payment of a $1.26 million debt (eventually settled with a $1.1 million payment). According to Fukuzawa, Goto's total debt reached 1.3 million yen, leaving him unable to conduct political activities.

Fukuzawa, wishing to prevent foreign capital from effectively controlling the mine and to save Goto—whom he highly valued as a politician—from debt, worked tirelessly on the transfer negotiations even though he had not been asked. From October 1878, he lobbied Iwasaki Yataro's Mitsubishi to acquire the mine through Ishikawa Shichizai, Shoda Heigoro, and Sando Naoto. In October of the following year, he conveyed his evaluation of Goto to Iwasaki, stating, "Though his natural talents may be unsuitable for commerce, his noble and open-hearted character is exactly what is needed for the great affairs of today's society, a point on which public and private opinion does not differ" (Collected Letters of Fukuzawa Yukichi, Vol. 2, p. 275), and earnestly proposed the acquisition. Iwasaki did not initially agree, but Fukuzawa continued to persuade him alongside Okuma. In July 1880, Iwasaki finally decided to make the purchase. Fukuzawa rejoiced unreservedly, calling it "truly one of the great happy events of recent years" (Collected Letters, Vol. 3, p. 6).

In March of the following year, 1881, Mitsubishi acquired the Takashima Coal Mine for 971,600 yen and agreed to pay Goto 1,000 yen per month (later resolved with a lump-sum payment of 100,000 yen). Ultimately, as Fukuzawa had anticipated, Goto was able to clear his debts and secure a monthly income, while Mitsubishi also gained significant profits from the high-quality coal of the Takashima mine.

This occasion led to frequent visits between Fukuzawa and Goto. Fukuzawa seems to have been charmed by Goto's bold and open-hearted personality and his philosophy of unfettered freedom, which was indifferent to traditional customs. According to Miyake Hyozo, a Keio University alumni who served as Goto's secretary, Goto's house was always lively, in contrast to Fukuzawa's quiet household. However, Fukuzawa would relax when he came to Goto's house, while Goto would instead sit formally and show respect. When Goto visited Fukuzawa's house, their conversation lasted long and they had dinner together. Goto was extravagant with food and loved ice cream, often "denouncing those who eat ice as savages," but when Fukuzawa personally shaved ice and served it after the meal, Goto reportedly ate it with a "delicious-looking face" (Biography of Fukuzawa Yukichi, Vol. 2, p. 533).

Later, in October 1881, Goto became involved in the formation of the Jiyuto (Liberal Party) and became a standing committee member. The following year, he planned a study tour of Europe with Itagaki, but internal strife broke out within the Liberal Party (the Overseas Travel Issue) due to the poor timing so soon after the party's founding and suspicions that the funding might have come from the government. As a result of the series of disturbances, core party members such as Baba Tatsui, who were at the forefront of the criticism, resigned as standing committee members. In November 1882, the two departed for Europe. Goto traveled through France, Germany, and Britain, returning in June 1883. Little is clear about Goto's actions in Europe or what he spent the funds on, other than records of him meeting Ito Hirobumi in Berlin and purchasing a Louis Vuitton bag in Paris. The Liberal Party eventually dissolved in 1884 due to factors such as the failure of its financial plans.

Around that time, Fukuzawa was generously supporting the Korean Enlightenment Party, including accepting Korean students into Keio University. He introduced Goto, who was then out of office, to one of them, Kim Ok-gyun. Kim planned for foreign loans and Goto's appointment as a government advisor, but these plans vanished when the Enlightenment Party was crushed in the Gapsin Coup of December 1884. It appears that not only Fukuzawa but also Goto provided considerable financial support to the Enlightenment Party. During the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894, a plan arose to dispatch Goto as an advisor to the Korean government, but this also did not materialize. Whenever Goto lost his place, Fukuzawa always tried to set up opportunities for him to be active. This likely shows how much he recognized Goto's political qualities.

In 1887, three years before the opening of the National Diet, the movement to petition for the three major issues developed into the Daido Danketsu (Great Coalition) Movement, gaining momentum nationwide.

Mishima Michitsune, who served as the Superintendent General of the Metropolitan Police, was wary of this movement and used secret detectives to gather information. He was particularly sensitive to the movements of Fukuzawa and Goto, whom he regarded as anti-establishment. According to intelligence reports, when Goto spoke at a convention of the Kojunsha, a social club for Keio-related individuals, he criticized the government and called on Kojunsha members to prepare for the opening of the Diet. He showed his ambition to seize power, stating, "Though I am already old, I wish to take the helm once more and restore the fortunes of our country" (Osamu Terasaki and Takeyuki Tokura, "Secret Detective Reports / Movements of the Fukuzawa Faction, etc.," Keio University Fukuzawa Memorial Center for Modern Japanese Studies Yearbook, 31). Mishima likely suspected that if the Fukuzawa faction gathering at the Kojunsha became a political party before the opening of the Diet, and if Goto, who had emerged as a leader of the Daido Danketsu Movement, linked up with them, they would have the power to topple the government. Ito Hirobumi was also wary of Goto's public speaking, stating, "He will surely include needles within his words through smooth means" and "Great caution is essential" (Letter from Ito Hirobumi to Ito Miyoji, Reference Bibliography Research, 47, p. 9).

To calm the movement, the government enacted the Peace Preservation Law (Hoan Joryei) in December, which allowed for the expulsion of those feared to disturb public peace or plot insurrection to a distance of three ri (approx. 12km) from the Imperial Palace or temporary residences. Mishima, wary of the link between Fukuzawa and Goto, listed the two in the heaviest category of "full 3 years" on the list of those subject to removal. Ultimately, after a complaint that the punishment was too severe was issued by Prime Minister Ito Hirobumi through a secretary, the two were removed from the list (Osamu Terasaki, "The Peace Preservation Law and Fukuzawa Yukichi," Keio University Fukuzawa Memorial Center for Modern Japanese Studies Yearbook, 22). This shows that Fukuzawa and Goto were most strongly mistrusted by the government during this period. However, within the government, there were not only hardliners but also forces like Ito who sought to avoid a definitive conflict.

Goto was approached to become the Minister of Communications in the Kuroda Kiyotaka cabinet. He consulted with several people, including Itagaki, and joined the cabinet with Itagaki's approval. Democratic activists were bewildered by the sudden news, and the movement, having lost its symbol, split into pro-party and non-party factions. While voices arose criticizing Goto's ambition for advancement, Fukuzawa evaluated in the Jiji Shinpo that the government was Goto's "hometown" and that his joining the cabinet was natural. Furthermore, he expressed hope that Goto would "exclude clan cliques and debate based on the principles of bold and open politics" (Complete Works of Fukuzawa Yukichi, Vol. 12, pp. 82-84). Goto, who remained in office in the Yamagata Aritomo cabinet and the first Matsukata Masayoshi cabinet, engaged in majority-building in the Diet alongside Mutsu Munemitsu by utilizing political party networks. He moved his close associates such as Oe Taku, Oishi Masami, Inoue Kakugoro, and Takeuchi Tsuna to serve as a bridge between the government and political parties. This political method of seeking room for compromise while avoiding a definitive break with the government resonated with Fukuzawa's theory of harmony between the government and the people. In 1892, he became the Minister of Agriculture and Commerce in the second Ito Hirobumi cabinet. However, corruption within the ministry became an issue, and after a motion for an imperial address on the discipline of officials—questioning his supervisory responsibility as minister regarding the collusion between the vice-minister and merchants—was passed in the Diet, he resigned as minister in 1894.

Thereafter, from around the summer of 1896, Goto suffered from heart disease and entered a period of recuperation. A concerned Fukuzawa asked his secretary Miyake about Goto's condition and had him convey that it was essential to remain strong-willed.

Ultimately, Goto passed away on August 4, 1897, at the age of 59. Fukuzawa mourned Goto's death and published a condolence message in the Jiji Shinpo. It included the following passage: "If this man had been placed in the position of Prime Minister and entrusted with the full power of the government, regardless of long-term national plans for a hundred years, one would surely have seen the refreshing decisiveness of his vigorous spirit sweeping away all obstacles before him and renewing the attention of the world for a time" (Complete Works of Fukuzawa Yukichi, Vol. 16, p. 69). Fukuzawa had hoped that Goto would become Prime Minister and revitalize the stagnant political scene. Considering that the Kambo Cabinet (the first Okuma cabinet) was formed the following year in 1898, Fukuzawa's dream might have been realized had Goto lived a little longer.

In later years, a plan arose to erect a bronze statue of Goto in Shiba Park. When the organizers consulted Fukuzawa, he was angry, saying, "Goto is a hero, a meritorious servant... To turn him into a single small bronze statue is preposterous" (Biography of Fukuzawa Yukichi, Vol. 4, p. 747). The statue was eventually built, but it was removed due to metal collection during World War II and no longer exists.