Lots of stuff in the works for Shinsengumihq.com but once everything
is online and totally done then the updates will appear on the
homepage....
The following post will deal with a book which will shed light on:
1) WHY FUJITA GORO & TOKIO adopted out their third son to the Numazawas
2) It explains the Numazawa family history---very tragic
3) [PERHAPS] this book WAS read by Fujita Goro, Tokio and there third
son Numazawa Tatsuo...I assure you this volume held the interest of
many survivors from Aizu
I must humble myself before our mysterious and omnipotent fandom.
SEC ::grovels::
Thank you to Onigiri-chan and Shimizu Hitomi for their assistance in
obtaining a book deemed RARE by even serious Japanese fans.
"Fandom" is often underestimated---but as we have seen from fandom in
Japan it's the "little" people who manage to focus all their obsessive
powers on rare history--and preserve it.
[Recap for new members]
Takagi Morinosuke 1854-1919
(sometimes spelled Morinusuke, formerly Takagi GORO)
younger brother of Takagi Tokio (Fujita Tokioko, wife of Fujita Goro)
Takagi Morinosuke was part of the last generation to complete a feudal
education at Nisshinkan (Aizu's school for samurai).
During 1868 he was a scout and messenger as the domain was attacked by
the Imperial Army. He later accompanied former Aizu retainer Yamakawa
Hiroshi to the Seinan War (Satsuma Rebellion) in 1877. Morinosuke
eventually became a Chief Prosecutor and collaborated with other
prominent Aizu men in various efforts to develop their home and
preserve history.
More info and pic of his grave here
http://www.shinsengumihq.com/AizuBeyond1868.htm
The book NUMASAWA MICHIKO-KUN DEN was printed in **1913** by Numasawa
Kohachiro (or Shichiro).
Tokio was 67
Fujita Goro was 69
Numasawa Tatsuo (born Fujita Tatsuo) was 26 (secretly adopted out to
Numasawa Shichiro/Kohachiro as an infant).
The book was written by Takagi MOrinusuke and SAIGO TANOMO (one of 2
retainers who had warned MATSUDAIRA KATAMORI from accepting the post
of "Protector of Kyoto").
Saigo Tanomo died in 1905 thus this book seemed to primarily be the
effort of Takagi Morinusuke.
Numasawa Michiko was the aunt of TOKIO.
Numasawa Michiko, her mother in law and daughters committed suicide
during the attack by the IMperial Army leaving Numasawa Shichiro to
fight at the age of 15.
Thus the scans are of a book Tokio would have read...surely these
words took her back to 1868 and brought tears to her eyes.
just sample pages
https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/tnamwong/web/TakagiM.zip
1.20 MB
Something to consider---did TOKIO herself assist in the preparation of
this book? I know that another major historical book prepared by
Yamakawa Kenjiro came about through interviews at the Matsudaira
estate in Kyoto...did this book undergo a similar process?
To many of us just "adopting out" a son is jarring to our modern
sentiments---however our job is to understand WHY. Numasawa Shichiro
and his wife requested Fujita Goro & Tokio's child (if it was a girl
they would keep her) but the Numasawas needed a BOY to continued their
lineage. Have an heir to the family name was crucial to many 19th
century Japanese. Numasawa Tatsuo somehow became suspicious about his
parentage and learned the truth in college from an aunt Ibuka Saku.
Understandably the news devastated him.
Takagi Morinusuke and Numasawa Shichiro were close.
We know that Fujita Goro often stayed at Morinusuke's home when
visiting his family's grave. Was that how Fujita Goro and Tokio kept
track of their third son? Did Numasawa Tatsuo's career in the field
of law come from his uncle Morinusuke's mentoring?
Lastly, perhaps this book wasn't enough...Tokio did write a letter to
her last son 1 month before Fujita Goro died in 1915.