Takekoshi Yosaburo

Image: Collection of the Fukuzawa Memorial Center for Modern Japanese Studies

The "Three Great Haikara (Dandies)" of the Meiji and Taisho periods referred to Mochizuki Kotaro, Matsumoto Kumpei, and Takekoshi Yosaburo (pen name Sansa). They were known respectively as "Mochikota," "Kimihira," and "Takeyosa," and were figures who attracted significant public attention. These three contemporaries shared a common career path: they wrote prolifically for newspapers and magazines and were first elected to the House of Representatives in the mid-Meiji 30s (around 1900). Takekoshi, in particular, was known for his elegant prose and close friendships with Tokutomi Soho and Yamaji Aizan. He distinguished himself as a historical theorist, producing monumental works such as "The Economic History of Japan" and "A History of Two Thousand Five Hundred Years."

Takekoshi Yosaburo was born on October 14, 1865 (Keio 1), in Honjo, Musashi Province (now Honjo City, Saitama Prefecture), as the second son of Kiyono Senzaburo and Iku. The Kiyono family was originally a clan from Niigata. In 1870 (Meiji 3), following the death of the heir to the main family, the family moved to Kakizaki (now Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture). Yosaburo studied at a newly established local school, which strengthened his desire for further education. However, he clashed with his parents, who wanted him to succeed the family business, and in 1880 (Meiji 13), he left home for Tokyo. He stayed with his maternal uncle, Nagai Ichitaro, in Saitama and studied at a private academy. Later, he entered Nakamura Masanao's (Keiu) Dojinsha and was influenced by it, but perhaps finding it insufficient, he entered Keio University the following year. In 1883 (Meiji 16), he was adopted by his uncle Takekoshi Tohei and changed his surname to Takekoshi. Invited by Fukuzawa, he joined the Jiji Shimpo newspaper, where he was in charge of translating English articles. In 1884 (Meiji 17), he began teaching English and other subjects at the Tokyo Commercial School and published a series of English translations from a young age.

During this time, Takekoshi grew dissatisfied with Fukuzawa and the surrounding Keio circle, who were advocating for harmony between the government and the people. Frustrated that his articles were not being accepted, he left Keio and deepened his ties with Christians at Doshisha, such as Niijima Jo, Kozaki Hiromichi, and Ebina Danjo. While teaching at the Maebashi English School, which opened in 1886 (Meiji 19) in Gunma—their base of operations—he was baptized by Kozaki and became a Christian. Around this time, he also met Yuasa Jiro and gained a connection to Tokutomi Soho's Min'yusha. Inspired by Soho, he decided to make a living through political commentary. He contributed energetically to magazines like "Rikugo Zasshi" and "Kokumin no Tomo," and by this time, Takekoshi's name had become widely known.

In 1889 (Meiji 22), he became a lead reporter for the "Osaka Koron" and was involved in its editing. However, when the editor-in-chief, Oda Jun'ichiro, moved to Tokyo, Takekoshi became isolated within the company and resigned at the end of the year. In 1890 (Meiji 23), he joined Soho's Min'yusha. His weapon as a journalist was his speed of writing, but his handwriting was reportedly so difficult to read that it was the bane of the printing house. On one occasion, after Soho pointed out flaws in his articles, Takekoshi expressed his intention to leave Min'yusha. Though he was persuaded to stay once, he eventually left in 1895 (Meiji 28) and returned to the Jiji Shimpo.

Takekoshi followed a rare trajectory: moving away from Fukuzawa to work with Niijima and Soho, only to return to Fukuzawa again. This suggests that his departure from Fukuzawa was not due to personal relationships or fundamental ideological differences.

Later, through an introduction from Mutsu Munemitsu, whom he revered as a mentor, he met Saionji Kinmochi and subsequently served as Saionji's close aide in a secretarial role. Saionji was also friends with the other two "Haikara" figures and promoted young men like himself who were well-versed in foreign affairs. With the support of both mentors, Takekoshi founded Kaitokusha in 1896 (Meiji 29) and launched his long-awaited magazine, "Sekai no Nihon" (The Japan of the World).

In 1898 (Meiji 31), when Saionji became Minister of Education in the third Ito Hirobumi cabinet, Takekoshi was appointed as an Imperial Appointee Councilor and Secretary. Saionji had informed the Emperor of his intention to revise the Imperial Rescript on Education and had received approval, but he was forced to resign due to a recurrence of illness, and the plan fell through. Takekoshi resigned along with him.

In 1900 (Meiji 33), "Sekai no Nihon" was suspended, and a disappointed Takekoshi set off for Europe. Despite being called "Haikara," this was his first trip abroad at the age of 35. Later, in 1902 (Meiji 35), he was elected to the House of Representatives from the rural districts of Niigata Prefecture and joined the Rikken Seiyukai (he was elected five times in total). He advocated for a Russo-Japanese entente and toured European countries on an inspection trip in 1906 (Meiji 39). During that trip, he was invited to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) general assembly being held in London, becoming the first Japanese lawmaker to participate in the assembly even before Japan had officially joined (Kaori Ito, "The Century of Parliamentary Diplomacy"). The following year, he met with Yuan Shikai and others during an inspection of China, promoting private-sector diplomacy.

Takekoshi wrote many articles about his memories of Fukuzawa. To Takekoshi, Fukuzawa was an ideal figure whose single word could become the law of the land and whose single sentence would be recited by all people. Takekoshi was invited to the celebration of Fukuzawa's 60th birthday in 1895 (Meiji 28), and upon their reunion, he was welcomed back to the Jiji Shimpo by Fukuzawa. At that time, Fukuzawa was wary of Russian movements regarding the Korean issue. To check Russia's attempt to make Korea a protectorate, Fukuzawa encouraged the Korean students he was supporting to rush into the British Legation and seek British help, which the students did. Subsequently, Takekoshi was summoned by Foreign Minister Saionji and asked if this was the work of the "Mita faction." When Takekoshi admitted it, Saionji requested that they stop because it was becoming an obstacle to diplomacy ("Kencho Kyurinshu").

Later, Takekoshi became eager to launch his own magazine and resolved to resign from Jiji Shimpo. Fukuzawa advised him against it, saying the new magazine would surely fail. He suggested it would not be too late to start after making a fortune in the business world, but Takekoshi, who had already begun preparations, would not listen. Fukuzawa reportedly struck the table in anger but gradually regained his composure and sent him off with warm words: "It will surely fail, but when it does, be sure to come back to me." Takekoshi was moved by this affection and left after promising that he would certainly return if that happened.

In Takekoshi's view, the fundamental idea of Fukuzawa's education was to create good citizens. Good citizens were those well-versed in current affairs, who applied scientific truths to their lives, valued independence and self-respect, established themselves and their families in private life, and took charge of the nation's governance in public life. Fukuzawa continued to preach common sense throughout his life, but Takekoshi says the reason he did not fall into mediocrity was his strength of spirit—his "unyielding heart"—as seen in his refusal to serve the new government until the end. Furthermore, while Fukuzawa acted boldly and daringly, he also possessed a meticulousness that paid attention to the smallest details. When writing, he would check every word and phrase to correct errors. On one occasion, when Takekoshi's persistent misuse of words would not improve, Fukuzawa even bought him an old book titled "Kana Yokaku" (Rules for Using Kana).

The Fukuzawa that Takekoshi saw was a man who sought to destroy narrow patriotism with populism, destroy worldly superstitions with materialism, instruct the narrow-minded and bigoted with common sense, attack the trend of subservience with the principle of independence and self-respect, and bring happiness to the daily lives of the people by encouraging science and industry. Though he had been refined by European civilization, he was a pure Japanese who displayed the spirit of a samurai ("Heiju Jusasanki").

Takekoshi was known for his elegant prose, but his public speaking engagements were not numerous. What were they like? His public speaking was described as having "elegance and brilliance" in its wording. His speaking speed was somewhat fast, and because he used historical terms and academic terminology, transcribers struggled to find the correct kanji. He strove to make public speaking something that was interesting to listen to as a form of literature and that would remain for posterity, rejecting the idea that it only needed to be effective for the moment. Takekoshi pointed out that Japanese public speaking was boring because the words lacked power, and he argued for the need to carefully select words with meaning and strength. He also noted that there were very few historical metaphors.

Takekoshi's habit was to frequently use the phrase "aru no de arimasu" in public speaking and "no de aru" in conversation. Other than this, he was said to have no quirks and was nearly perfect. However, he had a slight accent, pronouncing "yue ni" (therefore) as "yui ni" ("The Speaking Styles of Modern Notables"). Matsumoto Kumpei, also called "Haikara," remarked that Mochizuki's public speaking was powerful and skillful but his voice was poor; he appraised Takekoshi's public speaking as being just like his writing—having premises, conclusions, and being rich in metaphors—but noted it would be better if his voice were a bit louder.

In his daily life, when guests arrived, Takekoshi would lead them to the drawing room and, after hearing their purpose, show them to his study. Coffee would then be served, along with Western sweets handmade by his wife. Half of the bookshelves were filled with Western books, while the rest were neatly lined with Chinese and Japanese books, and a portrait of Mutsu Munemitsu hung on the wall. His home in Higashi-Okubo was a stylish Western-style building, and he had a hobby of growing roses in a rose garden he created. Unfortunately, the Western-style house was damaged in the Great Kanto Earthquake, and he moved to Nakano. Thus, his lifestyle was Westernized, making the label "Haikara" quite understandable.

It was Asabuki Eiji who provided a new project for Takekoshi after he lost his seat in a general election. Asabuki gathered many businesspeople from Keio to organize the Association for the Compilation of Japanese Economic History and entrusted Takekoshi with the central role. The association spent four years completing the eight-volume "Economic History of Japan." It is said that the English version also received favorable reviews from overseas.

Later, on Saionji's recommendation, he became the Chief Extraordinary Imperial Editor at the Ministry of the Imperial Household and was involved in compiling the "Chronicle of Emperor Meiji." Takekoshi clashed with Kaneko Kentaro over the editorial and writing policy and resigned midway in 1926 (Taisho 15). Subsequently, on Saionji's recommendation, he became a member of the House of Peers (by imperial nomination) and was appointed as a Privy Councilor in 1940 (Showa 15). After the war, he was purged from public office by the Privy Council for his cooperation with the Japanese military's entry into French Indochina. He passed away from old age at 85 on January 12, 1950 (Showa 25).

Takekoshi, the man of letters and politician, was a figure who, from a young age, never compromised easily and continued to take pride in depicting people and history with his own flowing literary style.