[No. 78] Kenzaburo Akechi

Ever since choosing the science and technology track in my third year of high school, I have devoted my life to science and technology, studying instrumentation engineering in university and graduate school, and working with computer systems at my company. However, about six months ago, when I appeared on the TBS Radio program "Shinichiro Azumi's Sunday Heaven," I was introduced as "historical researcher Kenzaburo Akechi." At sixty-three years of age, I had never imagined that I would be called a historical researcher. The reason I was introduced as such is that last year (2009), I published a book titled "Honnōji no Hen: 427 Nenme no Shinjitsu" (The Truth of the Honnōji Incident in its 427th Year).

As the title suggests, this book unravels the full story of the major historical event known as the Honnōji Incident. I wrote this book because, as a descendant of Mitsuhide, my desire to "know the truth of the incident" grew stronger, and seven years ago, I finally conducted my own investigation into the case and uncovered the truth. Therefore, I do not consider myself a historical researcher in the general sense, but rather a "historical investigator" of the Honnōji Incident. This method of investigation is similar to modern criminal investigation, but it is, in fact, the very same scientific and technological method that engineers in science and technology have cultivated over many years. Let me briefly introduce this method.

First is "thorough information gathering." This involves collecting related articles from historical materials written at the time of the incident. Many historical materials, such as diaries written by military commanders, court nobles, and monks, as well as reports written by Jesuit missionaries, have been printed, compiled, and published, allowing me to obtain far more information than I had expected.

Next is the "refinement and correlation" of this information. In terms of criminal investigation, this is equivalent to evaluating the credibility of evidence and testimony and organizing their interrelationships. Through this process, a number of "small, partial truths" came into view. This, in turn, made me aware of the information that was lacking.

I then proceeded with "reinforcement of information and addition of correlations" by gathering more information. With the materials for deduction now in place, it was time for the "overall composition and design." This is the process of reconstructing a complete picture of the truth in which the "small, partial truths" are consistent and free of contradiction. The truth reconstructed in this way was completely different from the conventional theory.

Finally, I performed a "verification of the results." I checked from various angles to see if there was any possibility of an answer other than the one I had reconstructed. As a result, I became convinced that the probability (degree of certainty) of my reconstructed answer was overwhelmingly high. The catchphrase for the book, which took four years to complete, is: "Readers will be astonished by the truth unraveled by a descendant, and in time, they will be deeply convinced."

The historical investigation procedure I have described is something I had acquired as a fundamental part of my own work; it was not newly devised for this investigation. When I traced its roots to find out where I had learned it, I found myself back in the laboratory classes of my university days.

The Department of Instrumentation Engineering had various classes in applied physics and control engineering, but the laboratory class was the one that most typified the department. It was a class where we measured an object of study, analyzed its characteristics from the data obtained, and wrote a report on the results. I remember struggling to get a passing grade from Professor Arai, who was in charge of the lab, and staying late into the night in the laboratory at the Koganei Campus (*). The procedure I followed in that laboratory class is precisely the same one I used in my historical investigation.

(*Editor's note: In 1972, the Faculty of Science and Technology (then the Faculty of Engineering) relocated from the Koganei Campus to the current Yagami Campus.)

What was drilled into me through this lab work was the principle of "no science without measurement"—in other words, that truth cannot be found without a correct grasp of the facts. At the time, I was just desperately working to pass the difficult laboratory class and didn't think deeply about its meaning or value, but now I am truly grateful that it built a solid foundation for my life as an engineer.

I belonged to the Muto and Oba Laboratories, where I conducted research on lasers, which were gaining attention at the time. I believe I chose to study lasers for the simple reason that I was fascinated by the beauty of laser light. As part of my research, I created a program to analyze laser output waveforms, and this led me to jump into the world of the computer systems business, which was still in its infancy. Something whose true nature was not well understood, something that seemed to hold potential, something where I could forge my own path—my career choice was also based on such rather simple reasons. I think I worked hard as a systems engineer so that I would have no regrets about the path I had chosen.

Some forty years have passed since then. All of my classmates from that time have been supportive of my publication. Thanks to them, I was also given the opportunity to give a lecture titled "The Truth of the Honnōji Incident as Told by a Descendant of Akechi Mitsuhide" at the Faculty of Science and Technology Alumni Association General Meeting and Lecture during the All Keio Mita-kai Convention, an all-school alumni event. I am also very grateful that the "good human connections" I have are also built upon the foundation laid during my student days.