Shigeaki Tabata

Image: Photo provided by The Kitasato Institute, Kitasato Shibasaburo Memorial Museum

Shibasaburo Kitasato achieved significant research results during his more than six years of study in Germany and returned to Japan in May 1892. However, the Japanese academic community was cold toward him, and he lacked a favorable environment for research. Yukichi Fukuzawa provided support, and the Institute for Study of Infectious Diseases was established in November of that same year. Furthermore, the following year, Fukuzawa consulted with Kitasato and opened "Yojoen," a hospital for tuberculosis patients. The institute expanded with state support and came under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs, but in 1914, it was suddenly transferred to the Ministry of Education.

At this time, Kitasato and others at the institute resigned en masse, believing that being affiliated with Tokyo Imperial University would prevent close cooperation with health administration and destroy academic independence. They then established an independent institute. This is The Kitasato Institute.

On January 10 of the year following the mass resignation from the Institute for Study of Infectious Diseases, Kitasato gave a speech titled "The Sanctity and Independence of Scholarship" at a memorial meeting for Yukichi Fukuzawa at Keio University. In it, he recalled Fukuzawa's advice.

"He said to me, 'Even if the government trusts you today, you never know when their minds might change or what might happen. Never let your guard down, and save as much as you can while the path ahead is clear.' (Omitted) For a scholar to research academic matters, they must devote themselves entirely to it; yet, it is an unreasonable request to ask them to accumulate as much wealth as possible at the same time. Therefore, you do not need to be directly involved in that side of things; you should focus solely on advancing your research. In exchange, regarding financial matters, I will lend you someone I have vetted myself—someone who will make no mistakes, who is no thief, and who can serve as your hands and feet to get the job done. You should leave those matters to him.' And so, he lent me one person. That person is Mr. Shigeaki Tabata, with whom I still work today."

He then stated that because "some savings had been made through the extraordinary efforts of Mr. Tabata," he was able to carry out his principles and become independent. He remarked, "I pride myself on the fact that my actions this time (omitted) were an execution of the spiritual education I had previously received from Yukichi Fukuzawa—namely, independence and self-reliance."

What kind of person was Shigeaki Tabata, who thus made the founding of The Kitasato Institute possible?

Because Tabata supported Kitasato quietly throughout his life in accordance with Fukuzawa's wishes, there are few materials that speak of him. However, a diary remains in which he recorded events meticulously every day. Spanning from 1888 to 1942, its value as historical material for understanding Fukuzawa and Kitasato is extremely high, and it deserves to be published, though unfortunately, this has not yet happened. However, since there is a paper by the late Shojiro Shoda who previously analyzed this diary, we will primarily refer to that.

Tabata was born in April 1864 in Ogawa-machi, Hiki-gun, Saitama Prefecture. In 1880, he went to Tokyo and entered Keio University. In July 1888, he graduated from the university's vocational course (bekka). Nariaki Ikeda and Tatsuyasu Kinoshita, who were featured in this series, were also in the same class.

From his student days, Tabata frequently visited Fukuzawa's private residence. In May, shortly before graduation, he was called by Fukuzawa to produce a fair copy of Fukuzawa's written opinion regarding the Ministry of Education's "Ethics Book." Additionally, in August of the same year, he visited Fukuzawa, who was recuperating in Kamakura. Fukuzawa informed Momosuke Fukuzawa, who was staying in the United States at the time, of the situation in a letter.

"During my stay here, Koshigoro Ishii and Mr. Tabata also came, and they play with the children every day; it is quite enjoyable."

Momosuke, who would later take the Fukuzawa name upon marrying Fukuzawa's second daughter, Fusa, was from the same hometown as Tabata, and they were close friends.

This was exactly a period of job scarcity, and Tabata had consulted Fukuzawa. That exchange is also in the diary.

"When I asked if there were any places dealing with foreign trade among the people the Master knew, he suddenly looked at me. I looked back at his face and said, 'If you have anyone in mind, please let me know.' The Master immediately bowed his head and said readily, 'Yes, yes, hmm, I shall speak to people and I shall also ask around.'"

At that time, Keio University was still small in scale, with only 39 graduates from the regular and vocational courses combined that year, so such intimate interactions between Fukuzawa and Keio students still existed.

Tabata eventually joined Shokyo-sha, which reported on commodity prices, and later moved to the Hokkaido Tanko Railway Co., Ltd.

In 1893, "Yojoen" was built in Shirokane. It was a hospital built for Kitasato because of the increasing number of patients visiting the institute established with Fukuzawa's support, seeking treatment for tuberculosis. Tabata moved to Tokyo after being summoned by Fukuzawa, as shown in Kitasato's recollections introduced earlier.

In a letter to Kitasato dated May 16 of that year, Fukuzawa conveyed the following:

"The person in question (Tabata) has been residing in Kyobashi until now, but as that is inconvenient for all matters, from today he will reside in the entrance hall of my house for a while. As he intends to busy himself traveling between Shiba and Hiroo every day, I would like you to consult him on even the smallest matters."

This letter also mentions that the name of Yojoen would be "Tsukushigaoka Yojoen."

This Yojoen was constructed and launched with Fukuzawa giving Tabata detailed instructions on the payment of construction costs, building drawings, and the procurement of inexpensive timber. From then on, Tabata served as the chief accountant of Yojoen and, after the founding of The Kitasato Institute, also served as the administrative director of the institute, dedicating his life to both.

The "50-Year History of The Kitasato Institute" describes Tabata's character: "He was truly diligent, industrious, and frugal. He always wore Japanese clothing, and for many years, no one ever saw him in different clothes. However, he wore a frock coat for the New Year and for ceremonial occasions, and his lifestyle was extremely simple." It also records the words of a staff member: "Mr. Tabata was feared as a 'scary old man' because he would shower us with scoldings mixed with biting irony, but he was a man of deep compassion who took good care of his subordinates. Thus, a large family-like atmosphere was created, and there were many long-term employees. He was also a man who was meticulous in all things, dutiful, and accumulated virtue." Fukuzawa likely foresaw that a person with such a character was indispensable for Kitasato's work.

Looking at Tabata's diary, he reported to Fukuzawa in great detail regarding the management of Yojoen and sought his judgment. He consulted him on a wide range of issues, not only reporting annual profit and loss statements but also discussing increases in hospitalization fees, raises in allowances for medical staff, and revisions to executive bonuses.

Regarding the buildings, he even consulted him on "matters of the garden's exterior decoration," such as wooden fences and stone walls. The land was originally owned by Fukuzawa, but Tabata and Fukuzawa consulted closely to sequentially purchase adjacent land and expand the site.

Furthermore, the same applied to future visions; Tabata consulted Fukuzawa on proposals that arose with Kitasato, such as a "hospital for leprosy (Hansen's disease) patients," a "diphtheria hospital," and a "serum manufacturing plant."

Shoda points out this arrangement: "Fukuzawa's rationalism unexpectedly gave birth to the embryonic form of modern medical management, separating clinical activities from management activities and entrusting the latter to a suitable person." It can be said that Tabata was the one who carried out those management activities.

However, Tabata was also a constant link between Kitasato and Fukuzawa outside of the management of Yojoen. Let us look at an example.

During Fukuzawa's lifetime, Kitasato lived in a house in Shiba Park rented from Fukuzawa. However, in 1897, Fukuzawa requested that he vacate the house to build homes for his children. At that time, Tabata pleaded on Kitasato's behalf so that he could continue living in the rented house. The diary states: "Regarding the matter of the eviction from the land requested by Kitasato the other day, I wish to request that the connection be maintained as before. (Omitted) In short, I spoke of the desire to keep the bond with the Master linked." The next day, he conveyed the outcome to Kitasato, and it is recorded that "the Doctor was relieved."

In other words, while Kitasato felt a strong sense of gratitude toward Fukuzawa, he also seemed to find peace of mind by constantly confirming the strength of his connection with Fukuzawa. Tabata worked hard as an intermediary there as well, but it seems that Tabata's very existence was also a presence that "linked the bond with the Master" for Kitasato.

Fukuzawa suffered his first stroke in September 1898. From the diary, we can see how Tabata moved between the doctors providing treatment to coordinate communications and how he himself provided nursing care through the night every other day. Although Fukuzawa made a miraculous recovery at that time, he suffered a second stroke at the end of January 1901 and passed away on February 3. The diary for that day records the hectic scene: "In the middle room, Nakamigawa, Asabuki, Obata, and others gathered and held various discussions regarding the funeral arrangements." It also notes that Tabata ended up "writing the drafts for the newspaper advertisements and such, and for the calligraphy on the grave marker, I wrote the inscription flag."

The year before his first stroke, Fukuzawa had stopped by Tabata's place and entrusted him with what sounded like a will. The following entry appears in the diary for February 22, 1897.

"Old Man Fukuzawa came around ten o'clock. (Omitted) He then asked to see the laboratory and spoke to me, saying he wanted me to stay and take care of Yojoen until it collapses. He left at eleven-thirty."

In fact, even after Fukuzawa's death, Tabata continued to devote himself to the operation of Yojoen as he had before.

For example, the entire site of Yojoen was land leased from Fukuzawa, and after his death, it can be seen that Tabata struggled to ensure that the original purpose continued in his dealings with the bereaved family who inherited the land.

Incidentally, Fukuzawa had written the following in the land deed:

"Although this deed uses a standard form, the fact is that leasing the ground to Mr. Kitasato was an act of academic goodwill. Therefore, while the rent may rise according to the market conditions of the time, one must never make unlawful demands such as forcibly urging eviction. Descendants, be careful never to forget this principle."

It was 13 years after Fukuzawa's death that the Institute for Study of Infectious Diseases was transferred to the Ministry of Education. Kitasato resolutely declared, "This is where human independence and self-respect lie," and founded the private Kitasato Institute on the grounds of Yojoen. Of the establishment costs, including construction costs of over 200,000 yen, more than 300,000 yen could be covered by the profits accumulated through the management of Yojoen. Since the university's School of Medicine was also made possible by the cooperation of Kitasato and The Kitasato Institute, one can see the magnitude of Tabata's achievement when considering what would have happened if there had been no savings of establishment funds.

Indeed, Tabata continued to quietly protect the mission entrusted to him by Fukuzawa upon the establishment of Yojoen even after Fukuzawa's death. And the gravestone erected in Aoyama Cemetery the year after Kitasato passed away in 1931 was also inscribed by Tabata's hand.