#2976 [2006-09-24 22:54:37]
Assassin, Shinsengumi and Professor: The Story of Takagi Teisaku
by
secretarytocapt3
shinsengumihq.com is still undergoing format conversion by the
professionals at http://www.Ai-dax.com
We have many updates however we cannot add them to the site until the
conversion is complete. We feel that the following bio will be of
great interest in showing an unknown dimension of Shinsengumi
demographics and "what happened" to the survivors.
The article was written mostly by HIrotada Tokugawa and with the
assistance of secretarytocapt3
Some of you may be familiar with Saitou Hajime's wife, Takagi Tokio.
Tokio was the daughter of a senior retainer in the service of Lord
Matsudaira Katamori of Aizu, who was Shinsengumi's Shogunate-
appointed patron and supervisor.
The following biography is of another Takagi who entered the
Shinsengumi. At this time we cannot prove a family relationship
between this Takagi and Takagi Tokio. Due to the complex family
relations of these samurai bloodlines, there is no way to determine
if there is a connection to the Takagi family of Aizu which was
posted in Edo (Tokio's family) and this Takagi.
Takagi Teisaku was a retainer of Matsudaira Katamori's brother,
Matsudaira Sadaaki. While Matsudaira Katamori was the Kyoto
Shugoshoku, Matsudaira Sadaaki was the Kyoto Shoshidai.
Sadaaki, as lord of the Kuwana domain, had many capable retainers in
Kyoto, just as his brother did. One of them was Takagi Teisaku. Born
in Kuwana in 1848, he came from good background-- he was a cousin
both to senior councilor Sakai Magohachiro, as well as assistant
senior councilor Hattori Hanzo (descendant of the famous ninja
leader).
In 1868, following the battle of Toba-Fushimi, Sadaaki ordered
Teisaku, then 21 years old, to accompany fellow Kuwana retainer
Yamawaki Hayatarou to assassinate Yoshimura Gonzaemon, the senior
councilor who had taken residence in Kuwana's detached territory in
Echigo Province and had pledged loyalty to the Satsuma-Choshu army
which now called itself the Imperial Army and labeled their
opposition as enemies of the throne.
The two men succeeded in their deadly goal, and then joined the
former Shogunate's Shouhoutai, heading northward to Aizu-Wakamatsu,
where they joined the remainder of the Kuwana force, which had
gathered there. Together with the Kuwana force, they fought their
northward, surrendering in Shomai. However, faced with reprisal at
the hands of the Yoshimura family were they to return to Kuwana, they
headed northward, where they joined Sadaaki in Hakodate.
The two of them joined Shinsengumi there, and served under Hijikata
Toshizo. Therefore, Takagi Teisaku's story demonstrates how the
term "Shinsengumi" although specific to Kyoto, (note that the
Shinsengumi changed their name later) may encompass the KYoto period
and even up until 1869 Hakodate.
Surviving the defeat, Teisaku was taken to Tokyo, where he was
imprisoned until 1872, however, in order to avoid responsibility for
the murder of Yoshimura, he again fled, this time to America.
Studying business in New York under William C. Whitney [1], he
returned in 1875.
In a rather interesting turn of events, this man, a former assassin
and Shinsengumi officer, became a professor of business and economics
at Hitotsubashi University [2], which he helped to found. He was also
a colleague of Tsuda Sen [3], who was associated with former Aizu
retainers such as Yamakawa Kenjiro [4] and Takamine Hideo [5].
Supplementary Info:
[1] William Cogswell Whitney (1825-1882) ideas were transplanted to
Japan via Takagi. The following books illustrate Whitney's influence:
William C. Whitney and his influence on the early development of
bookkeeping in Japan / Kojiro Nishikawa1959 English Book 17 p. (on
double leaves) ; 21 cm. Tokyo : Moriyama Book Store,
Zasetsu no kirisutosha : Hoittoni-ke no hitobito /
Terujiro Shibusawa 1978 Japanese Book 96 p. ; 21 cm. Kawasaki :
Shibusawa
[2] Hitotsubashi University http://www.hit-
u.ac.jp/EnglishVersion/english/
Hitotsubashi is also the name of the branch of the Tokugawa house
which Yoshinobu headed, and in order to differentiate him from other
branches of the Tokugawa house, he was often called "Hitotsubashi
Yoshinobu" or "Hitotsubashi Keiki".
Hitotsubashi was an area in Tokyo which became a hub for education.
Even Tokyo Women's Normal School was located in Hitotsubashi in the
1880s. Many Meiji educators belonged to clubs and organizations, one
of which was called the "Hitotsubashi Group"
The University went through a series of phases and names (like many
public and private schools in the Meiji era) "Tokyo Shogyo Gakko
(Tokyo Commercial School) in 1884; as the Tokyo Koto Shogyo GAkko
(Tokyo Higher Commercial School) in 1885; as the Tokyo Shoka Daigaku
(Tokyo Commercial University) in 1920 and as Hitotsubashi University
in 1949." (Hall 256) Ultimately, Mori Arinori, Meiji Japan's most
high profile Minister of Education is still looked upon "as the
original founder of [this] school." (Hall 256)
[3] Tsuda Sen may best be known through his daughter, Tsuda Ume, a
influential female Christian educator during the Meiji Era. She was
a lifelong friend of Aizu's Yamakawa Sutematsu (later known as the
Marchioness Oyama) and younger sister of Yamakawa Kenjiro. Tsuda Ume
was also a friend and co-worker, briefly, of Takamine Hideo who also
sent her to Oswego Normal School in New York State.
[4] Yamakawa Kenjiro was the younger brother of Yamakawa Hiroshi.
Kenjiro was a graduate of Yale University, physicist and President of
Tokyo Imperial University. He was also a close friend of the Fujita
family and it was Kenjiro who left us anecdotal stories of Fujita
Goro. Kenjiro also wrote Aizu Boshin Senshi an important work
addressing the domain's role in the Boshin war.
We first learned of this mysterious member of the Shinsengumi from a
fan page devoted to Yamakawa Kenjiro!
http://fukushima.cool.ne.jp/ykcome/index.htm
although it is not clear how Takagi Teisaku was connected to Yamakawa
Kenjiro.http://www.shinsengumihq.com/AizuBeyond1868.htm
[5] Takamine Hideo http://www.TakamineHideo.net
Family friend and co-worker of both Mr. and Mrs. Fujita. He was
Tokio's cousin. Takamine was the director of the Tokyo Normal
School, Tokyo Women's Normal school which later became the Tokyo
Higher Women's Normal School. Takamine and his close students had
many connections to the Hitotsubashi group and a related
publication. As a very young man, he was the page of Matsudaira
Katamori, the daimyo of Aizu.
Something to think about
How does both Yamakawa Kenjiro and Takamine Hideo, both of whom knew
Fujita Goro's Shinsengumi career *not* mention yet another member of
the Shinsengumi, Takagi Teisaku, to their friend Goro
Without understanding these complex Aizu connections with the Fujita
family we simply would not have found this fascinating member of the
Shinsengumi, Takagi Teisaku.
Sources:
Hall, Ivan Parker. MORI ARINORI. Cambridge, Massashussetts:
Harvard University Press, 1973.
[Next #2977]
#2977 [2006-09-24 23:07:20]
Re: Assassin, Shinsengumi and Professor: The Story of Takagi Teisaku
by
secretarytocapt3
[Previous #2976]