Kimura Kaishu

Image: Kimura Yoshitake (Kaishu)

Yukichi Fukuzawa was a person who showed lifelong gratitude to his benefactors. Among his benefactors were Yamamoto Monjiro of Nagasaki and Ogata Koan of Osaka, who opened the door to his scholarship, and Kimura Yoshitake (Kaishu), the Commissioner of Warships, who paved the way for his overseas experience, which was difficult at the time. His relationship with Kimura, who shared the same position as a shogunal retainer, was particularly deep.

Kimura Yoshitake was born in Edo on February 5, 1830 (Bunsei 13). His father was Kimura Yoshihiko, the Commissioner of Hamagoten, and his mother was Fune. His childhood name was Kansuke. Kaishu was his pen name, and he was also called Kimura Settsu-no-kami because he was granted the title of Settsu-no-kami when he was appointed Commissioner of Warships.

As he grew older, he served as an apprentice to the Commissioner of Hamagoten from 1842 (Tenpo 13) and caught the eye of the Shogun. Around that time, he studied at Shoheiko, passed the examination in 1848 (Kaei 1), and married Hasegawa Yayoe the following year. After serving as a Metsuke (inspector) for the Nishimaru and Honmaru, he was appointed as the Nagasaki Magistrate in 1857 (Ansei 4). At that time, he changed his name to Zusho. In Nagasaki, he served as the director of the Naval Training Center and the administrator of the Medical School. The following year, he conducted a training voyage on the Kanrin Maru. In 1859 (Ansei 6), following the suspension of naval training, he returned to Edo and served as a liaison for foreign affairs and the opening of the port of Kanagawa.

When he was appointed Assistant Commissioner of Warships, he was ordered in November to arrange for the dispatch of the Kanrin Maru to the United States. The purpose was to escort the USS Powhatan, which was carrying the main envoys to Washington, D.C. to conclude the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the United States and Japan, and to provide sailing practice for the crew. At the time, the navy had only recently been established and lacked organizational discipline, and there were many things to be decided, such as rank, salary, and uniforms. Kimura suggested that these matters be settled before departure, but his proposal was not accepted.

At that time, Yukichi Fukuzawa was teaching at a Juku he had opened at the Nakatsu Domain residence in Edo. Having just switched from Dutch studies to English studies, he learned of the shogunate mission's dispatch to the United States and harbored an ambition to go there. Learning that Katsuragawa Hoshu, a famous court physician he had met since coming to Edo, was the brother-in-law of Kimura (the husband of Kimura's older sister, Kuni), Fukuzawa pleaded for a letter of introduction and visited Kimura. To Fukuzawa, who earnestly desired to accompany him as a servant to the commissioner, Kimura, who was four years older, accepted his enthusiasm and readily agreed. Although he was called a servant, he accompanied the mission at his own expense.

When the Kanrin Maru departed from Shinagawa in January of the following year, Kimura was on board as the commander, and Katsu Kaishu held a position equivalent to captain. However, Katsu stayed in his cabin due to seasickness, and when he did come out, he only said selfish things that perplexed Kimura. As a result, Fukuzawa did not have a good impression of Katsu. From their first meeting, the compatibility between Fukuzawa and Katsu was poor, and although the gentle Kimura stood fairly between the two from then on, the rift between them never closed.

Since Fukuzawa did not get seasick, he worked as usual and helped Kimura while the other servants were unable to do anything. Even in situations that the Japanese crew could not handle alone, they were able to overcome them thanks to the presence of Lieutenant Brooke of the U.S. Navy, an experienced sailor, on board. Kimura had brought 3,000 ryo of his private funds and 500 ryo from the shogunate onto the ship. The day after a great storm struck, an incident occurred where the bags containing the gold and silver were scattered around the room. Fukuzawa is said to have gathered them together with his companions. This later became an anecdote in "The Autobiography of Yukichi Fukuzawa" lamenting the samurai class's ignorance of exchange and commerce.

Before landing in the United States, Kimura issued an order to the crew warning against arbitrary actions such as private lodging. While Kimura valued discipline, he was also a person who understood the subtleties of things, distributing allowances to the crew from the money he had brought himself to reward them for their hard work. Because of various other expenses, it is said that Kimura was penniless when he returned home. In San Francisco, Fukuzawa, along with the interpreter Nakahama Manjiro, bought a Webster's dictionary and a collection of short sentences called "Hua-Ying Tong-Yu" as souvenirs. Not only that, but by buying souvenirs for Kimura, who could not go out, Kimura was able to give souvenirs to his family and save face. In the United States, Kimura's sociability and understanding of Western customs were prominent. Local newspapers also described Kimura's appearance as having a "gentle and benevolent air" and the "features of a nobleman."

According to the original plan, Kimura, who was the vice-envoy, was to leave the Kanrin Maru and accompany the mission to Washington, D.C. on the Powhatan. However, order could not be maintained on the Kanrin Maru without Kimura, and there was opposition from the crew, so Kimura had no choice but to command the Kanrin Maru on its return journey without going to Washington. On the way, they stopped in Hawaii, had an audience with King Kamehameha IV, finished resupplying, and returned to Japan in June 1860 (Man'en 1). Kimura seemed to deeply regret that he could not experience Western civilization because he had to abandon the planned visit to Washington, and even in his later years, he lamented it as a "lifelong regret," saying he "could not gain even a single benefit from observing the state of civilization in that country." On the other hand, Fukuzawa was satisfied that stepping onto the foreign lands of San Francisco and Hawaii on the Kanrin Maru and broadening his horizons was an experience that "made classroom learning real" and that he had gained a "lifelong benefit." In that respect, he felt a lifelong debt of gratitude to Kimura.

Afterward, based on his years of experience and knowledge, Kimura recommended naval reforms that would open the country and concentrate naval power in the shogunate. However, because the opinion of Katsu Kaishu, who envisioned a joint navy between the shogunate and the various daimyo, was accepted, Kimura resigned as Commissioner of Warships in 1863 (Bunkyu 3). In 1866 (Keio 2), he returned as Assistant Commissioner of Warships and later became Commissioner of Warships and Commissioner of Finance. During that time, Fukuzawa, who had returned from Europe, entrusted Kimura with a "Memorial on the Second Choshu Expedition" accompanied by "Things Western (Seiyō Jijō)," which was submitted to the Roju Ogasawara Nagamichi.

After returning from the United States, their relationship was close, partly because their houses were near each other, and Fukuzawa visited Kimura's house almost every day. Around December 1860 (Man'en 1), when Fukuzawa served as a translator for the shogunate's foreign affairs office, he would visit Kimura's house on his way home from work, carrying his salary of 50 ryo wrapped in a hand towel, and laugh loudly to Kimura's wife, Yayoe, saying, "I got this today. My courage lies here." On another occasion, Fukuzawa visited Kimura's house with his close friend, the physician Takahashi Jun'eki. The two were always saying funny things and making everyone around them laugh. When Yayoe baked and served waffles, Fukuzawa said, "This is very interesting. I want to borrow the equipment and try making one myself," so Kimura had an old servant take it to him. Fukuzawa tried mixing eggs into the flour and baking them himself, but he didn't get the egg ratio right, and it started splattering, hitting both Fukuzawa's clothes and Takahashi, who had come to watch. When Takahashi spoke sharply, Fukuzawa replied, "Just watch quietly, and I'll treat you to eel instead," and he actually treated him to an eel dinner.

It is thought that Kimura was not present at the time, but he probably heard it later as a funny story. This is an episode that conveys the close friendship between the three.

After the Meiji Restoration, Kimura did not take a position in the new government even when asked, and spent the rest of his life in retirement. During that life, in September 1881 (Meiji 14), he decided to publish a collection of essays he had written under the title "Kikusō Gūhitsu." When he consulted Fukuzawa, he took on all the printing and publishing, bore the costs, and completed several hundred copies of the booklet to give to Kimura. Also, in October 1891 (Meiji 24), when publishing "Sanjūnen-shi" (A Thirty-Year History), which summarized the history of foreign relations at the end of the Edo period, his third son Hayakichi told him, "It would be the greatest honor if Yukichi Fukuzawa could write the preface," but Kimura dismissed the idea, saying there was no need to trouble Fukuzawa, as he was known for not writing prefaces for other people's books. However, Hayakichi visited Fukuzawa with the book and pleaded with him. Fukuzawa immediately agreed and reportedly finished the preface in a single day. The preface contains a passage stating, "Master Kaishu has been rich in literary thought since his youth and possesses the insight of statesmanship. Always making a friend of his brush and inkstone, he knows not the arrival of old age," which concisely describes Kimura's character.

Fukuzawa continued to support his benefactor Kimura through gifts at mid-year and year-end, and by bearing the costs when Kimura contracted typhoid fever. Furthermore, he promised Kaishu's second son Kokichi (the eldest son died young), who had become a naval officer, that he would look after the Kaishu couple in case of emergency. On one occasion, when Kokichi, who had attained a firm position as a military officer, thanked Fukuzawa for his past kindness but said, "With all due respect, I would like to decline future gifts," Fukuzawa's expression changed, and he said with a strong tone, "I am not giving anything to you; I am simply fulfilling my heart toward your father," and became displeased. This shows that he was repaying his debt of gratitude with a strong will. While Fukuzawa is known for having deep affection for his family, it can be said that his affection for his benefactors was just as deep as that for his family. Kimura also called Fukuzawa a saint while continuing their long association as individuals.

On January 25, 1901 (Meiji 34), Kimura visited Fukuzawa, who had recovered from an illness, to check on him. The two talked about the crew of the Kanrin Maru and Ishikawa Mikiaki's "Commentary on the Theory of Fighting to the Bitter End" published in the Jiji Shinpo. Relieved to see Fukuzawa looking well, Kimura asked about his recent diet, and Fukuzawa answered clearly, "I don't eat any fish or meat at all, and I've stopped eating soba. I try to drink about two go of milk and eat a little porridge and vegetables." When Kimura left, Fukuzawa coming to the entrance to see him off was their final farewell.

Shortly after that, Fukuzawa suffered a recurrence of cerebral hemorrhage and passed away on February 3. Kimura wrote in his diary about his regret at not being able to express his gratitude while Fukuzawa was alive, saying, "My chest is torn and my heart is broken; I truly cannot stop regretting it." Afterward, Kimura also fell ill and passed away on December 9 of the same year at the age of 71, as if following him.