Hiroe Yamaguchi

2023/03/16

Yukichi Fukuzawa loathed the old customs of his hometown, Nakatsu, as he wrote in "The Autobiography of Yukichi Fukuzawa" that "the feudal system is my father's mortal enemy." It can be said that the inequality and irrational events caused by class disparities and superstitions he experienced in Nakatsu became the root of Fukuzawa's thought. On the other hand, among the high-ranking samurai and civil officials actually involved in the administration of the Nakatsu Domain, there were members of the "Fukuzawa faction" who resonated with Fukuzawa and promoted the modernization of Nakatsu. Through them, Nakatsu's education, finance, and infrastructure were developed, and Fukuzawa himself spared no effort in contributing to Nakatsu's development. Hiroe Yamaguchi, introduced here, was one of the members of this "Fukuzawa faction" in Nakatsu.

Hiroe Yamaguchi's former name was Hiroemon. Born in Nakatsu Takajomachi in 1824 (Bunsei 7), he was about ten years older than Fukuzawa. Near the Yamaguchi residence lived the Otabe family, into which Fukuzawa's sister Rei had married, and Shozan Shiraishi, Fukuzawa's teacher of Chinese classics. The Yamaguchi residence was about a ten-minute walk from the Fukuzawa residence, and it is not difficult to imagine that the two families had deep interactions. Furthermore, Hiroe's wife, Den, was the daughter of Rihachi Tojo, the brother of Fukuzawa's father Hyokusuke, making her Fukuzawa's cousin. The Yamaguchi family held the rank of Tomokosho (attendant page), with a family stipend of 15 koku and rations for three people, a social standing similar to that of the Fukuzawa family. It seems their ancestors could not maintain the household budget solely through their duties as archery instructors and earned income by establishing a tea garden and producing tea.

Hiroe's father, Chozaemon Chikanori, was said to be a person of integrity who excelled in martial arts and calligraphy. His skill with the brush led to his appointment as a Goyoshoyaku (official scribe), but his fastidiousness proved a disadvantage, making it difficult for him to fit into the world of officialdom. He was later transferred to the position of observer at the domain school, Shinshukan. However, while serving as a supervisor at Shinshukan, he demanded impartial punishment for a theft committed by the children of high-ranking samurai studying there. This resulted in a conflict with the domain's upper management, and Chozaemon himself was punished. On the charge of attempting to entrap high-ranking samurai with false allegations, Chozaemon was ordered into retirement and exile, suffering the misfortune of moving to Usa.

Hiroe, who was only 13 at the time, inherited the family headship, but the punishment included a 50% reduction in the family stipend, plunging the Yamaguchi family into extreme poverty. While performing his official duties, Hiroe worked a side job at night to help the family finances, taking on the difficult task of steering the household as its head despite his young age.

Hiroe inherited his father's talent for martial arts and calligraphy, but unlike his father, who struggled with Chinese classics, Hiroe was said to be good at academics. After being selected for the same Goyoshoyaku position as his father due to his skill with the brush, at age 17, Hiroe was appointed as a Katamebanyaku (gate guard) responsible for guarding the gates of Nakatsu Castle. The duty of a Katamebanyaku was strictly guarding; below them was a position called "Kaiheiban" responsible for opening and closing the gates, a role typically held by ashigaru (foot soldiers). However, a change was made to include the opening and closing of the gates in the duties of the Katamebanyaku, which increased the dissatisfaction of the lower-ranking samurai. Furthermore, when the name of the position was changed to "Kaiheiban," which sounded lower in rank, the dissatisfaction of the lower-ranking samurai exploded. In 1853 (Kaei 6), the "Okatameban Incident" broke out—a disturbance between high-ranking and lower-ranking samurai that resulted in Shozan Shiraishi receiving the punishment of permanent dismissal.

In the autobiography of Hiroe's son Hanshichi, "The Elder of Oita Prefecture: Mr. Yamaguchi," it is recorded that Hiroe and Fukuzawa's brother Sannosuke were also punished in connection with the Okatameban Incident, but there are discrepancies in the dates, and the details are not certain. However, it is certain that Hiroe was ordered into house arrest for two years for inciting lower-ranking samurai while serving as a Katamebanyaku. Therefore, it is thought that the tense situation surrounding the gate guard duties and class disparities continued for over a decade, likely exerting a great influence on both Fukuzawa and Hiroe.

Hiroe was placed under house arrest at home due to his young age, but during his confinement, the Confucian scholar Bussai Teshima began teaching him at his home. Teshima was the older brother of Engan Hashimoto, a Confucian scholar who married the younger sister of Fukuzawa's mother, Jun. Teshima had educated Hiroe before, but feeling pity that the 17-year-old still required education, he petitioned the domain and received permission for home tutoring. Later, Hiroe recalled that his proficiency in writing was thanks to what he learned during this time.

A few years after his house arrest ended, Hiroe became an "Accounting Clerk," his first role in financial administration. Hiroe seemed to be skilled at handling numbers and was promoted steadily, eventually reaching a position equivalent to a deputy director of a finance bureau today, called "Assistant to the Chief Magistrate," and held the actual financial power of the domain. As seen from the fact that Fukuzawa's father Hyokusuke struggled to raise funds as a rice official in Osaka, the financial situation of the Nakatsu Domain continued to deteriorate. Furthermore, amidst the chaos of the end of the Edo period, the value of domain notes plummeted, and the domain was so impoverished that borrowing money became difficult. Hiroe told the domain samurai to refrain from waste to curb spending, and he went to Osaka to persuade money changers and others. His hard work paid off and he succeeded in securing loans; he then used that money as a reserve for the exchange of domain notes, changing the previously limited exchange of notes to an unlimited one.

Through this policy, the credit of the domain notes was restored, and Hiroe's achievements were recognized, leading to his appointment as Account Magistrate. Around this time, voices began to rise within the Nakatsu Domain to remove old customs and appoint personnel based on ability, and individuals with an understanding of Western studies, such as Hozan Kuwana and Koen Tsuda, began to take charge of domain administration. Gaining their trust, Hiroe made great strides, and upon being appointed as District Magistrate, he pushed forward policies to encourage new industry. As a result of these achievements, his family stipend was increased, and he came to receive more than double his previous salary.

Hiroe used the money he earned to repay the debts from when his father lost his position and renovated his home. At that time in the Nakatsu castle town, the size of a house was determined by rank; for Hiroe's rank, a house was typically about 20 to 25 tsubo, but by 1867 (Keio 3), his house had reportedly doubled in size. This conveys how highly Hiroe was valued and how the class disparities in the Nakatsu Domain were being improved.

Even after the era name was changed to Meiji, Hiroe continued to be involved in government affairs. When the former domain lord Masayuki Okudaira was appointed as domain governor, Hiroe, as a junior councilor, handled the transfer of official duties to Kokura Prefecture following the abolition of domains and establishment of prefectures, and he reportedly conducted price negotiations for old domain notes with the Ministry of Finance. However, after the reorganization of the Nakatsu Domain was completed, he did not respond to a request for service from Kokura Prefecture, choosing instead to pursue a path as a private citizen rather than a public official. It was during this period that he changed his name from Hiroemon to Hiroe. His son Hanshichi had entered Keio University in 1869 (Meiji 2), and in 1873 (Meiji 6), Hiroe also moved to Tokyo, where he interacted with Yuteki Hayashi and Michita Nakamura and was involved with the Maruzen Company. However, in less than two years, he seems to have returned to Nakatsu at the request of Suketaro Shimazu.

Shortly after returning to Nakatsu, he became the primary advocate for the reconstruction of the Yamaguni Road, which leads from Nakatsu through Yabakei to Hita, and devoted himself to the road's completion. The shogunal territory of Hita was a commercially important point for Nakatsu, but poor transportation was hindering the development of the Nakatsu castle town and Yabakei, so he completed the road in about three years. The construction costs were covered by the pension bonds of former Nakatsu samurai and donations from Suketaro Shimazu and others, and it is said they received no government subsidies. Regarding logistics between Nakatsu and Hita, he was often relied upon even after the road's completion, and he also consulted with Hozan Kuwana, who was serving as the district head of Hita. At the Nakatsu City School, which was established in Nakatsu based on Fukuzawa's proposal, Hiroe was involved in its management as an organizer. The Nakatsu City School was operated using the stipend of the former domain lord Okudaira family and funds from an organization called Tenpo Gisha, a mutual aid society for former Nakatsu samurai. Hiroe, who was well-versed in the finances of the Nakatsu Domain, must have been an indispensable member.

Hiroe continued thereafter to devote himself to the modernization of Nakatsu through industry and banking from a private-sector standpoint. He put great effort into the sericulture industry in particular, establishing the Suehiro Company, a silk reeling company funded by Tenpo Gisha, and working to spread knowledge of sericulture in Nakatsu. Fukuzawa also reported to Hiroe regarding the acceptance of female trainee workers at the Tomioka Silk Mill, and a long letter remains at Fukuzawa's former residence in Nakatsu in which Hiroe consults with Tokujirō Obata about sericulture. In 1878 (Meiji 11), he established the 78th National Bank based on the pension bonds of former samurai and became its president. The 78th National Bank flourished by providing convenience to local merchants and industrialists, but its performance gradually declined, and it was sold to Yasuda Bank in 1888 (Meiji 21). On this occasion, Hiroe retired, and while he occasionally handled the assets of the Okudaira family, he enjoyed his remaining years indulging in calligraphy. He passed away in 1898 (Meiji 31) at the age of 71. Hiroe's tombstone still exists at Jofuku-ji Temple in Nakatsu.

Fukuzawa and Hiroe maintained a long friendship, and nearly 30 letters from Fukuzawa to Hiroe have been confirmed. The contents of the letters often involve consultations on matters concerning Nakatsu, such as the Nakatsu City School and Tenpo Gisha, and they convey a deep relationship of trust, with requests such as wanting him to settle conflicts between samurai families peacefully or to handle payments to the Otabe family on his behalf. Although Fukuzawa and Hiroe had different academic backgrounds, they shared commonalities such as their origins, their unfortunate experiences as lower-ranking samurai, and a lack of resistance to matters involving money, which was considered base in Confucian thought. It is also interesting to note that, as mentioned earlier, they both clearly chose the path of private citizens after the Restoration. It is not certain when Fukuzawa and Hiroe first met, but since Hiroe was a friend of Fukuzawa's brother Sannosuke, he may have been introduced by Sannosuke.

Many of Yukichi's letters to Hiroe clearly show Yukichi's naturally unpretentious way of speaking. In a letter dated May 18, 1884 (Meiji 17), he answers an inquiry from Hiroe about the failure of the Maruya Bank. He describes the failure of the Maruya Bank as "truly an unspeakable situation," and the letter vividly conveys his frustration as he says he is "at a loss," noting that the funds of the domain lord Okudaira family might suffer losses and that the Fukuzawa family's funds would suffer even greater damage. Regarding Hayashi, who was responsible for the Maruya Bank, he bluntly states, "Hayashi is a great fool," and writes in a strong tone, "Those who felt at ease entrusting money to this great fool were also great fools," making it easy to imagine Fukuzawa's exasperation.