2. The Essay's Perspective

As can be seen from the Battle of Hakodate, Enomoto seems to have gone against the trend of the time, when the new government is established and starts modernizing.

However, at the same time, he has modern aspects; for example, what he attempts to do through the battle of Hakodate is to establish ”the Ezo Republic* ”,to provide a presidential election system similar to the American system, to conduct diplomatic negotiations with France and Britain for neutrality between the Ezo Republic and the new Meiji government to fight under International Law, while also using guerrilla war methods.
Throughout his life, he has mindset of an engineer but at the same time he is a tough negotiator who skillfully uses five languages*. For example, the Russian Czar of that time, Alexander the Second respected him greatly. Then, despite having better negotiation skills than Hirobumi Ito*,Enomoto does not do well in politics. Perhaps because he feels indebted to the Choshu or Satsuma clan leaders and the Meiji government after he decided to team up with the Bakufu side.

I would like to focus on the view from the side of Enomoto and of Tokugawa Bakufu, because modern Japanese history in school’s textbooks has been written unfairly, only from the point view of the Satsuma-Choshu side. I would like to introduce him as a character that could be living among us in the 21st century, as someone who isn’t a common Japanese.
Also, I would like to use this as reference to think about how we should educate schoolchildren today.
At the same time, I will compare him with Kaishu Katsu, who studied in the Nagasaki naval training center and is one year senior to Enomoto, and try to find out why the two differ sonmuch in their activities at the end of the Bakufu.
Although a biography is normally written chronologically, here, in order to focus on the comparison with Katsu, I would like to start with Enomot’s days at the naval training center.

Enomoto’s activities after the Meiji Restoration will be described later in detail.
In addition, considering his works during Meiji era, I would like to think about the topic
“If he had been sentenced to death, what would have become of the Meiji Restoration and of Japan?”

( p.3 )

The Times and Life of Takeaki Enomoto

Chapter I Introduction　


For about a year, I have been researching Takeaki Enomoto from various perspectives. Through this study, I would like to introduce him to non-Japanese as the relatively unknown last true Samurai, who embodied the true Samurai spirit with an international outlook and by doing so, help to change the image of the real Samurai spirit and the Japanese people.

Several years ago, a film called “The Last Samurai” was released, and
received a wide audience. One of the most memorable scenes in the movie is of the last Samurai as a tragic hero thrusting forward through the bullets,holding his sword. I believe that this depiction was hardly rational and was overly simplified, making the Samurai seem reckless rather than brave. I was disappointed because of the above reasons.

While it may be true that there were in fact some Samurai that fought in that manner, I would like to highlight some of the true Samurai, such as Enomoto and Kaishu Katsu*. This might help to change the readers’ views of the Samurai and the people associated with the last of the Samurai culture. Katsu was Enomoto’s superior of the Bakufu* around the end of Tokugawa Bakufu*.

In these chapters, I would like to describe not only Enomoto but make a comparison between Enomoto and Katsu in order to stimulate thought about what a true Samurai is.

( p.1)

1. Why Takeaki Enomoto?

First, I would like to introduce Takeaki Enomoto briefly since he has also been largely forgotten by the Japanese themselves, and give a very quick overview of his life:
*He was born into a Samurai family and studied abroad.
*He fought against the new government and lost.
*He turned to the new government and served as minister of foreign affairs and became an accomplished statesman.

When he is 18 years old, Enomoto becomes the assistant of Toshihiro Hori* who is working for the Bakufu in charge of Ezo(Hokkaido) and Sakhalin. Later, Hori becomes a negotiator to the Prussians who are asking the Bakufu to open the country up to trade because he speaks good Dutch and possesses impressive knowledge of European affairs. Later, in 1860 he commits suicide due to differences over thoughts and opinions between him and Nobumasa Ando*,the Bakufu’s chief councilor. Alongside Hori, Enomoto goes to places such as Ezo (in Hokkaido) and Sakhalin. Through this exploration, Enomoto recognizes the importance of homeland security especially the protection of Japan from Russia.

In order to contribute to strengthen the Japanese navy, Enomoto enters the Nagasaki naval training center and subsequently goes to Holland for further study.

After his return from Holland, despite bringing back his knowledge of foreign cultures, he joins the old Bakufu regime, helping to fight the new Meiji government. This fight is called the Boshin War and then following the Battle of Hakodate. Enomoto and his troops are defeated and he and his five commanders are imprisoned, but with the help of Kiyotaka Kuroda*, his wartime enemy, and Yukichi Fukuzawa*, the founder of Keio university, Enomoto and his five commanders manage to survive.

After his release, Enomoto turns over a new leaf and takes part in the pioneering of Hokkaido on Kuroda’s proposition. Later on, when Kuroda established a new government cabinet, Enomoto is welcomed into the Cabinet, where he works as Minister of Education, a general diplomat and also as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Enomoto is entrusted with all of the negotiations with Russia due to his language ability and his personality. After making agreements with Russia, he returns to Japan from Saint Petersburg through Siberia by horse-drawn carriage. (This seemingly relates to his activity and interest in surveying the North in his early years.)

Probably the period needed a modernized person like Enomoto’s another character but Samurai, after the new Meiji government was established. I would like to look further into Enomoto’s traits and flaws, by introducing some of his works, talents, his achievements as a technician and battle leader, and his impressive diplomatic skills. After doing so, I would like to explain his decision to support the old regime (as opposed to Kaishu Katsu) and also to give some suggestions about education inspired by Enomoto’s example.

( p.2 )