Ritsuan Kinoshita

2019/12/27

Image: Ritsuan Kinoshita (from "Nihon no Tetsudo-ron")

In October 1972 (Showa 47), the history of Japanese railways reached its 100th anniversary. To commemorate this, Japanese National Railways compiled a 100-year history. At the end of the general history published last, there is a 66-page appendix. Most of it is dedicated to introducing the people who developed the railways, and Ritsuan Kinoshita appears as one of the engineers from the founding period.

Ritsuan Kinoshita was a figure who combined a career as a newspaper reporter with railway management. Leveraging that experience, he launched Japan's first railway information newspaper, "Tetsudo Jiho" (Railway Times), and is known as a pioneer of railway journalism. Its pages are still referred to today as first-class primary sources for railway history and related research.

Ritsuan Kinoshita was born in November 1866 (Keio 2) into a family of physicians in Naka-ifuri Village, Ito District, Kii Province (now Katsuragi Town, Ito District, Wakayama Prefecture). From an early age, he studied Chinese classics and English at a private school in his hometown, and also went to Kyoto to study at Kanen Ishizu's Juku. From that time on, he was a great lover of travel, and it is said that he used his spare time from his studies to visit famous scenic and historical sites four or five times a year, observing human nature and customs with a meticulous and thorough eye while befriending nature. Kii Province originally had deep connections with Keio University, with many students including Yoshiro Wada, Nobukichi Koizumi, and Eikichi Kamada. In Ito District, there was also the Ito Jijo School, founded by Shobe Morita and others who had returned home after studying at Keio University.

In May 1886 (Meiji 19), Ritsuan entered Keio University at the age of 19 and was enrolled in the Bekka (Special Course), a curriculum for older students. In February 1888, an incident occurred where Keio students in the Seika (Regular Course) and Yoka (Preparatory Course) went on a strike to protest a revision of grading standards. Ritsuan proposed that the Bekka students act as mediators for this incident, and this triggered the situation to move toward a resolution. In July 1888, he graduated from the Bekka, noted as an honor student among the 24 students in the course. Upon graduation, Ritsuan was given the words "Those who lack the idea of numbers are useless" by Fukuzawa.

After graduation, he joined Jiji Shinpo-sha and worked at the head office, the Yokohama branch, and the Osaka branch. In 1891, Fukuzawa sent a letter to Ritsuan, who was stationed in Osaka, requesting an investigation into the market conditions for Shirashime-yu (refined rapeseed oil). The main use of Shirashime-yu was for food, but according to an advertisement in the "Tetsudo Jiho" mentioned later, its distribution as a substitute for machine oil at the time was viewed as a problem because it damaged machinery.

In 1892, Ritsuan moved to the Hokkaido Tanko Railway Company and took up a post as the head of the Otaru Temiya Coal Sales Office. The company had significant ties to Fukuzawa; not only was he one of the investors at its founding in 1889, but Momosuke Fukuzawa (the husband of his second daughter), who had returned from an apprenticeship at the Pennsylvania Railroad in the U.S., had also joined the company. Additionally, Kakugoro Inoue became the senior managing director in 1893. Ritsuan's tenure there was temporary, and after returning to Jiji Shinpo-sha, he was in charge of the economics department, and articles were sometimes published under his title as a reporter.

In 1895, Ritsuan resigned from Jiji Shinpo-sha to become the manager of the Kiwa Railway Company (which now forms part of the JR Wakayama Line and was the first railway to reach the foot of Mount Koya), which was under construction in his hometown.

In April 1898, the Railway Association was established for the purpose of railway research and mutual friendship among members, centered on Kyoichi Murakami, Chief Engineer of Hoshu Railway, and Kiyoshi Minami, President of Hankaku Railway (who had studied at Keio University for a period), with the support of influential private railway figures. The office was located within the Railway Engineering Office (Wakamatsu-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka), which Murakami and Minami had founded two years prior. Minami began his career as a railway engineer as an appointee of the Ministry of Industry, and after moving to Sanyo Railway as Chief Engineer in 1890, he was involved in difficult construction work under the first president, Hikojiro Nakamigawa (Keio University alumni).

Takuzo Ushiba (Keio University alumni, Senior Managing Director of Sanyo Railway) served as the President of the Railway Association, Minami as Vice President, and Murakami, Takenori Kikuchi (Keio University alumni, General Manager of Kyushu Railway), and Enosuke Nishino (Keio University alumni, Transportation Manager of Sanyo Railway) served as councilors. Kikuchi was a person who graduated from the Bekka one year earlier than Ritsuan and entered society starting with Jiji Shinpo-sha. Nishino graduated in the same year as Kikuchi and joined Sanyo Railway at the time of its establishment.

In October of its founding year, the Railway Association began publishing its organ, "Tetsudo Kyokai-shi" (Railway Association Journal), every other month. The content consisted of research papers and construction reports related to railways, but at a council meeting the following November, an opinion was raised that a magazine should be published that would interest and enlighten many railway personnel. Many councilors agreed, and Ritsuan, who had experience in both the newspaper and railway industries, was proposed as the person in charge. Ritsuan, for his part, had long felt the need for this type of magazine in the railway industry and happened to be free after resigning from Kiwa Railway. Thus, the Railway Association resolved to establish a Railway Times Bureau within the association and publish "Tetsudo Jiho," entrusting the publishing administrative work entirely to Ritsuan.

On January 15, 1899 (Meiji 32), the first issue of "Tetsudo Jiho" was published just a short time after its conception. The size was roughly a 16-page tabloid (with an additional 4-page appendix), priced at 4 sen, and released three times a month.

The title logo on the front page is surrounded by the logos of railway operators of the time. In the margins of the main text, promotional slogans such as "Japan's Only Specialized Railway Magazine" are lined up. Aside from the title logo and table of contents, almost the entire page is occupied by advertisements. This layout was occasionally adopted by "Jiji Shinpo." The second page is also a full-page advertisement.

Pages three and four are dedicated to the purpose of publication, congratulatory messages, and editorials. The purpose of publication stated that it would cover all matters related to railways and report them accurately and minutely, reflecting Ritsuan's gentle yet fair personality that would not tolerate even a speck of dishonesty. This consistent approach and practice are why the archival value and reputation of "Tetsudo Jiho" were further enhanced. A congratulatory message was contributed by Saburo Obata, a Bachelor of Laws. There are two editorials. One is by Kikuchi, titled "The Pros and Cons of Railway Nationalization," listing the key points for each side. Kikuchi had experience traveling to the U.S., and his foresight can be glimpsed in his inclusion of examples from various European and American countries. The second is by Nishino (written under the pen name W.F. Sei), who appealed for the necessity of a long-distance diminishing fare system in "Long-distance Passenger Fares Should be Greatly Reduced."

From page four onward, there are sections for lectures, interview records, current events, commentary, foreign reports, statistics, technical basics (technical explanations), personnel matters, school guides, stocks, Railway Association news, travelogues, and conversation. "Conversation" was billed as practical English conversation for railway employees, initially starting with lists of words, with actual conversations added from the fourth issue onward.

Pages fourteen to sixteen are again dedicated to advertisements, occupied by railway operators such as Kansai Railway, Osaka Railway, Sangu Railway, Nankai Railway, and Sanyo Railway, as well as manufacturers involved in rolling stock and banks.

The 4-page appendix contains timetables. The layout using right-side binding, vertical text, and Chinese numerals is similar to Japan's first monthly railway timetable, "Kisha Kisen Ryoko Annai" (Train and Steamboat Travel Guide, first published in October 1894) by Koshin Shinshi-sha, which was created by Takemasa Tezuka (Keio University alumni). Tezuka graduated from the Bekka one year after Ritsuan.

The Railway Association merged with the Imperial Railway Association of Tokyo in July 1899, and the office was located in Tokyo. Along with this, the Railway Times Bureau also moved from Osaka to Tokyo. Following the merger, the number of readers increased dramatically, and the accounting became independent from the association. In September of the same year, it also began a publishing business, starting with the "Teikoku Tetsudo Yokan" (Imperial Railway Handbook), and in June 1901, it established Koekisha within the bureau and published the "Gekkan Saishin Jikanhyo" (Monthly Latest Timetable) and others in succession. In 1914 (Taisho 3), three influential timetable publishers that were in competition, including Koshin Shinshi-sha, merged to establish Ryoko Annaisha, and this timetable was rebranded as the Railway Board-authorized "Konnin Kisha Kisen Ryoko Annai." Tezuka became the president and Ritsuan became the senior managing director. This timetable ceased publication after its last issue in March 1944 (Showa 19), transferring its publishing rights to the Toa Kotsu Kosha (now JTB Group).

"Tetsudo Jiho" became a topic of conversation not only in Japan but also in the United Kingdom, the birthplace of railways. In the issue published on April 15, 1900, it was reported with original quotes that two magazines, The Railway Times and The Railway News, had covered it with surprise and praise. In April 1901, marking its second anniversary, it became a weekly publication. Then, in 1909, to commemorate its 10th anniversary, "Nihon no Tetsudo-ron" (Treatise on Japanese Railways) was published. It contains over 90 carefully selected editorials, lectures, and interview records that had appeared in "Tetsudo Jiho." In the preface, Ritsuan stated, "Is it not worth raising a glass of sake to commemorate ten years? However, a banquet is a momentary splendor, while a book is an eternal light. All the more so in this industry's reading world, where the lack of books is most felt. This is why I have chosen to forgo the flowery for the substantial and publish this book in place of a banquet," showing his pride as an editor. The table of contents is broadly divided into the origins of railways, railway management, operations (general theory, passengers, freight), accounting, electricity, and personnel, which suggests the wide range of content in "Tetsudo Jiho."

His journey was not always smooth sailing; he recalled times when management failed and his own household goods were seized. However, Ritsuan continued to conduct interviews and write himself, visiting and reporting on every new railway line that opened. In 1923, he published "To the Dry Country: A Trip to Manchuria, Korea, and China."

The magazine ceased publication with issue No. 2239 in December 1942 (Showa 17) under wartime newspaper controls, a loss lamented by many involved. The "Kotsu Shimbun" (Transportation News), a trade paper for those in the transportation industry that began publication the following year in 1943 by the Land Transport Cooperation Association (now Kotsu Shimbunsha) and continues to this day, is considered to have succeeded "Tetsudo Jiho." Meanwhile, the Railway Times Bureau itself acquired two publishing companies and reorganized into Riko Tosho Co., Ltd., which continues today as a publisher specializing in books on architecture, civil engineering, and home economics.

Ritsuan's activities sometimes extended beyond "Tetsudo Jiho." For example, in December 1906 (Meiji 39), he became a promoter and established the Tokyo Underground Electric Railway Co., Ltd. along with Momosuke Fukuzawa, Raita Fujiyama, and others, applying for licenses for two routes (Takanawa–Ginza–Asakusa and Ginza–Shinjuku). This was the first application for a subway construction license in Japan.

In his later years, he spent his retirement in Atami, and in June 1953 (Showa 28), he ended his life of over 86 years.