Yamada Sueji

2025/06/18

Image: Fukuzawa Memorial Center Collection

March 22, Meiji 30 (1897). On this day, the first full-scale English-language newspaper by Japanese people, The Japan Times, was founded. Yamada Sueji, the subject of this article, was the man who became the first president of that spirited newspaper company.

Sueji was born in Kaei 1 (1848) as the third son of Matsuguchi Shokichi. When he was two years old, his father ran away, and the family was taken in by his uncle. His uncle was Toki Tarohachi, a Nakatsu Domain official stationed in Edo. His daughter, Kin, would later become the wife of Fukuzawa Yukichi. Sueji, who grew up with Kin (who was three years older), became the adopted son of Yamada Chuemon, a Tottori Domain samurai, through Toki's arrangements. Although there is no record in the "Keio University Enrollment Register," it is said that he studied at Fukuzawa's Juku for a period.

In Meiji 6 (1873), Sueji became the principal of an elementary school in Aoya Village, Ketaka District, Tottori Prefecture, and in Meiji 8, he moved to the government-run Aichi English School. The principal there was Yoshikawa Taijiro, a graduate of the Juku. The school had 27 to 33 hours of classes per week depending on the grade level, and except for three hours of reading in Japanese and extracurricular gymnastics, five foreign teachers taught everything in English. Sueji called out to his elementary school students, saying, "Those of you with spirit, come out. It's no good staying in the countryside," and five young men who responded to this call enrolled in the Aichi English School.

When the Satsuma Rebellion broke out in Meiji 10 and the country's finances deteriorated, the government decided to close government-run English schools across the country as part of austerity measures. Aichi English School was transferred to Aichi Prefecture and continued as Aichi Middle School. Sueji served as an English teacher and dormitory warden there, and the five young men from Aoya continued their studies at the school. There were also new enrollees from Tottori.

After being involved in English education, Sueji next moved into the world of business. The aforementioned Yoshikawa had previously left the education world and become the Yokohama manager of the Mitsubishi Mail Steamship Company. When Yoshikawa visited Fukuzawa's home, Sueji became the topic of conversation. Perhaps concerned about Sueji's future, Fukuzawa asked Yoshikawa to facilitate Sueji's career change to the Mitsubishi company. This plan was realized, and Sueji joined the company's Kobe branch in Meiji 13 (1880). The following year, he moved to Korea and became the manager of the Wonsan and Busan branches.

When the Mitsubishi company and the Kyodo Unyu Kaisha merged in Meiji 18 to form Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line), Sueji served as the manager of various branches, starting with the Nagasaki branch. During this time, Sueji was also involved in the development of the areas where he was stationed. In Nagasaki, as a member of the Chamber of Commerce, he was a promoter of the waterworks project and the railway construction project between Nagasaki and Sasebo. In Meiji 22, while serving as the manager of the Nemuro branch office, he established the Nemuro English School. This school merged an English training course (a night English school) opened by Matsuoka Yuki, a close friend of Fukuzawa from his Tekijuku days and then the director of the government-run Nemuro Hospital, and employed two foreign teachers to teach English to the youth of Nemuro.

After supporting the company while moving around various parts of Japan, Sueji resigned from Nippon Yusen in December of Meiji 29. This was to realize the publication of The Japan Times, as mentioned at the beginning.

March 2, Meiji 30 (1897). An advertisement announcing the founding of The Japan Times appeared in the Jiji Shinpo. "The Japan Times is an independent newspaper with no affiliation to any political party. Its purpose is to express the will and feelings of the Japanese people without hesitation in English regarding various events in our country and the Far East." "By hiring experienced foreign journalists to handle the editing and correction of manuscripts, it is a must-read newspaper for those who wish to study English and English composition."

In addition to President Sueji, this powerful declaration listed Zumoto Motosada as editor-in-chief, Takenobu Yoshitaro as assistant editor, and Nakanishi Mijuzo as manager.

Among them, Zumoto entered from Tottori when Sueji was a teacher and dormitory warden at Aichi Middle School, and later went on to Sapporo Agricultural College. At that school, which excelled in English education, he studied alongside Nitobe Inazo and others. It is said that while talking with Nitobe, Zumoto resolved to publish an English-language newspaper in the future to introduce Japan's national situation to foreign countries. He then became the editor-in-chief of The Japan Times after serving as a secretary to Ito Hirobumi.

Takenobu and Nakanishi were two of the group of five who went from the Aoya elementary school to the Aichi English School. After graduating from the Aichi English School, both worked hard at their studies with financial support for tuition from Sueji. Takenobu graduated from Sapporo Agricultural College, and Nakanishi graduated from Eureka Business College in California.

In this way, Sueji's former students gathered at The Japan Times. His character, described privately as "noble and honorable" and as a person who "places his sincere heart in the bellies of others," attracted these brilliant young men who were proficient in English and brought them back to him. Furthermore, Sueji called 20 talented young men from his hometown of Aoya to Tokyo and welcomed them into The Japan Times factory. Thus, under a lineup that could be called "Team TOTTORI," the first English-language newspaper by Japanese people took its first step in history.

As stated in its inaugural advertisement, one mission of The Japan Times was to communicate the will and thoughts of the Japanese people to foreign countries.

Until then, it was English-language newspapers published by foreigners in the settlements that had conveyed the situation in Japan to foreign countries, and their tone had a significant influence on the formation of foreigners' views of Japan. In the Japan of that time, which was trying to show that it was also a member of the civilized nations, the establishment of an independent information dissemination organization that did not depend on foreigners was sought both inside and outside the government.

Under such circumstances, what further drove Yamada and the others was the change of the times—the lifting of the ban on foreigners living in the interior of the country, scheduled for Meiji 32 (1899). While there were still deep-rooted exclusionary discourses within the country, the editorial of the first issue, "Our 'Raison d’Etre'," looked ahead to the increase in foreigners living in Japan and appealed as follows: Japanese is extremely difficult for foreigners, and conventional Japanese media cannot sufficiently convey necessary information. That is precisely why the raison d'être of this newspaper is to carefully explain Japan's systems and culture in English and remove the walls between Japanese and foreigners.

The Japan Times, founded by sharply capturing the momentum of the times, also had a promotional slogan stating it was a "must-read newspaper for those who wish to study English and English composition," which strongly reflected the educational enthusiasm of the era.

There were already voices calling for newspapers to play a role as English teaching materials. For example, on January 8, Meiji 20, a letter to the editor titled "A Request to Newspaper Companies" was published in the Jiji Shinpo. It stated that in those days, when opportunities to interact with foreigners were increasing, mastering English was essential, and it requested that English text be included in newspapers. On the 31st of the same month, a letter supporting this was also published, offering specific suggestions such as, "I pray that first, nouns for daily household items be inserted into the miscellaneous news section, and gradually, various daily words be included."

This enthusiasm for learning English rose even further after the victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, and it was right in the midst of this that The Japan Times appeared. Aware of these expectations, the paper also launched a service offering a 20% discount on subscription fees for educational institutions and students.

In establishing The Japan Times, Sueji used his retirement pay from Nippon Yusen as capital. However, that alone was far from enough, and it was Fukuzawa who scrambled to raise funds. In July of Meiji 29 (1896), Fukuzawa sent a letter to Iwasaki Yanosuke explaining the importance of publishing an English-language newspaper, saying, "The time is now ripe, or perhaps it is already late," and secured his cooperation. Subsequently, it is said that investments were also obtained from Mitsui, Mitsubishi, the Bank of Japan, Yokohama Specie Bank, and Nippon Yusen. The preparation of the printing presses was also due to Fukuzawa's support.

Fukuzawa continued to support the management of The Japan Times thereafter. The month after its founding, he had the paper take over the special contract that Jiji Shinpo had with Reuters, setting up a system where various newspaper companies would purchase Reuters articles through The Japan Times. He also had his late-life works, such as the Foreword to the Collected Works of Fukuzawa, Fukuzawa Zenshū (The Collected Works of Fukuzawa), and The Autobiography of Fukuzawa Yukichi, printed by the company to provide financial support.

Why, then, did Fukuzawa support The Japan Times to such an extent? It was because he himself felt a strong necessity to use English to communicate "Japan" to the world.

For example, in January of Meiji 17, Fukuzawa proposed to his second son, Sutejiro, who was studying abroad, that his book Transition of People's Way of Thinking be translated into English and published in the United States. In that letter, he wrote the reasons for deciding on the translation and publication: "First, to make foreigners aware of the situation in Japan; second, to show the thoughts of Japanese scholars; and third, if Japanese people write books not just for a Japanese audience but to appeal to the reviews of foreigners, I believe that even unlettered Japanese people will gradually develop a heart that values learning."

Although this attempt was not realized, in a letter addressed to Hihara Shozo in November of the same year, he spoke of his vision for an English-language newspaper, saying, "If I only had the money now, I would like to go to San Francisco in North America and create a foreign-language newspaper that depicts the situation in Japan."

Furthermore, on August 30, Meiji 20, an editorial titled "A Japanese Newspaper Should Be Published in Western Characters" was published in the Jiji Shinpo. It appealed that "The reason people in Western countries carelessly despise our Japan is not because Japan is light, but in truth, it should be called the sin of not knowing Japan," and therefore, "For us Japanese to publish a Western-character newspaper and clarify the situation of Japan to the eyes of people in civilized countries would be the easiest expedient, and its effectiveness would surely be great."

In this way, Fukuzawa continued to advocate for the necessity of an English-language newspaper for many years. That aspiration eventually pushed Sueji into action and bore fruit in the form of the founding of The Japan Times. When Fukuzawa passed away on February 3, Meiji 34, The Japan Times published a memorial tribute two days later, quietly recording its respect for the benefactor of its founding.

Although The Japan Times set out with many expectations, it was unable to sufficiently capture the intended foreign readership because many resident foreigners preferred The Japan Advertiser or The Japan Chronicle, which were published by foreign editors. Due to sluggish subscription fees and advertising revenue, management gradually became more difficult.

It was the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which needed an external communication organization, that tried to save it from that predicament. In May of Meiji 42 (1909), Sueji visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and secured the continuation of the financial assistance he had already been receiving.

Sueji stepped down as president two years later and ended his life in December of Taisho 5 (1916) at the age of 68. However, the newspaper that aspired to be a bridge between Japan and the world did not cease to exist even through the upheavals of the pre-war, wartime, and occupation periods, and this year marks the 128th anniversary of its founding.