The Fukuzawa Portrait on the 10,000-Yen Bill and the Italian, Chiossone

2001/03/01

Published in "Juku" No. 228, 2000

Last year, the issuance of the 2,000-yen bill, the first new banknote in a long time, garnered significant attention.
This brings to mind the selection of Yukichi Fukuzawa's portrait for the 10,000-yen bill 17 years ago.
This article will introduce the connection between the portrait of Yukichi Fukuzawa on that 10,000-yen bill and an Italian who created a copperplate engraving of Yukichi Fukuzawa during the Meiji period.

Yukichi Fukuzawa became the "face" of the 10,000-yen bill in November 1984. It is still fresh in our memory that the appearance of Soseki Natsume on the 1,000-yen bill and Inazo Nitobe on the 5,000-yen bill—both internationally-minded cultural figures of the Meiji period—became a major topic in the media at the time. It is also a source of renewed pride to recall that in a survey conducted by Sanwa Bank when the new bills were issued, Yukichi Fukuzawa topped the list (49.2%) in response to the question, "Which of the three figures on the new bills do you feel the most affinity for?"

There is a photograph that is believed to have been the "model" for the portrait of Yukichi Fukuzawa depicted on the 10,000-yen bill.

Known for his love of photography, Yukichi Fukuzawa left behind numerous portrait photographs, from one taken with a photographer's daughter at a studio in San Francisco when he accompanied the Tokugawa shogunate's mission to the United States in 1860, to many others throughout his later years. The one used as a reference for the Fukuzawa portrait on the 10,000-yen bill was one of Yukichi Fukuzawa's favorites, and it is still preserved by the Fukuzawa family today.

Using the same photograph as a reference, an Italian named Edoardo Chiossone created a copperplate engraving portrait during Yukichi Fukuzawa's lifetime, using the same engraving method as was used for banknote production at the time. Edoardo Chiossone. What kind of person was he?

Born in the early 19th century in Arenzano, a small village on the outskirts of Genoa, Italy, Chiossone studied the production of reproductive copperplate engravings at an art academy in Genoa and exhibited his works at events such as the Paris Exposition. He was later dispatched to Germany by the National Bank of the Kingdom of Italy, where he mastered banknote manufacturing techniques. Then, in 1875, he came to Japan at the invitation of the Meiji government. As one of the so-called "o-yatoi gaikokujin" (hired foreign experts) at the Paper Money Bureau (later the Printing Bureau) of the Ministry of Finance, he engaged in the printing of banknotes and stamps and also provided technical guidance on copperplate production. The portrait of Empress Jingu on Japan's first banknote was also his work, and his achievements are detailed in publications such as "One Hundred Year History of the Printing Bureau of the Ministry of Finance." The modern 10,000-yen bill was produced using banknote manufacturing technology that originated with Chiossone. And the portrait depicted on it was modeled after the same photograph that Chiossone used as a reference for his copperplate engraving of Yukichi Fukuzawa... One cannot help but feel the hand of fate in this historical coincidence.

In addition to his work at the Printing Bureau of the Ministry of Finance, Chiossone also created portraits of Emperor Meiji, Takamori Saigo, Toshimichi Okubo, Takayoshi Kido, and Tomomi Iwakura in the form of conté drawings and copperplate engravings. In fact, many of the "faces" we envision today when we hear the names of these figures who colored the history of the Bakumatsu and Meiji periods were drawn by Chiossone. It is said that the portrait of Yukichi Fukuzawa was made possible through the arrangements of a Keio University alumnus who was working at the Ministry of Finance at the time.

Even after retiring from public service in 1891, Chiossone remained in Japan. He passed away at his home in Tokyo in 1898 at the age of 65 and is buried in Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo.

Incidentally, Kiyoo Kawamura, who was appointed to the Printing Bureau of the Ministry of Finance as Chiossone's successor, also painted a portrait of Yukichi Fukuzawa in later years using a photograph.

Chiossone was also known as a collector of Japanese art, and the year after his death, his entire vast collection was donated to his alma mater, the Ligurian Academy of Fine Arts. This collection was later organized and became the "Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art" in Genoa. The museum displays over 300 artifacts, including first-class ukiyo-e by artists such as Hiroshige, Sharaku, Utamaro, and Hokusai, as well as folding screens, armor, swords, ceramics, lacquerware, and Buddhist statues. Its archives hold more than 15,000 additional items, making it one of the world's foremost collections of Japanese art.

What feelings might Yukichi Fukuzawa—who aimed to build a new Japanese nation that could hold its own in international society and was dedicated to nurturing talented individuals at Keio University—have had for Chiossone, who, while bringing new technology to our country, also loved Japanese crafts and artworks and communicated their value to the West? Unfortunately, there are no records of a meeting between Fukuzawa and the Italian artist and technician.

Seventeen years have passed since the new bill was introduced. During that time, the Japanese economy has faced a truly turbulent era. And today, our country's government is burdened with enormous debt. Seeing Japan in the 21st century in such a state, what would Yukichi Fukuzawa, who detested debt throughout his life, think and say? Now, a century after his death, one feels compelled to trace the path of Yukichi Fukuzawa's clear-sighted gaze as depicted on the banknote.

The first 10,000-yen bill, with the serial number "A000001A," is permanently preserved at the Currency Museum. Subsequent bills with low serial numbers were donated by the Bank of Japan to public institutions closely associated with Yukichi Fukuzawa. Keio University received "A000002A." On the day of issue, it was handed to the then-President Tadao Ishikawa by the Governor of the Bank of Japan in a conference room at the Bank of Japan's head office. This valuable new bill is still kept under strict security in the Rare Book Room of the Mita Media Center. Additionally, "A000001B" was presented to his hometown of Nakatsu City, and "A000003A" was given to his birthplace, Osaka City.