大村藩勤王三十七士 The Omura 37 Samurais

チューリップ祭り開催中のハウステンボスに行ってきました！
The tulip festival in HUIS TEN BOSCH!



ハウステンボスでの私の一番のお気に入り　シーボルトの館(?)です。壁にセミがとまってますよ。
I love the Siebold Museum. Do you make out a cicada on the white wall?
　




NHKの　”その時歴史が動いた”http://www.nhk.or.jp/sonotoki/　時々観ます。
面白いですね。見応えありますね。

昨年 大村市の歴史案内人養成セミナーで　市役所の講師の方が　松平定知ばりに楽しく語ってくださった　幕末における大村藩の活躍。江戸幕府側につくか？倒幕か？ この貧しい小さな大村藩も悩んだそうです。

当時　大村藩の財政は厳しく　今なおポピュラーな経費節減とか行政改革とかやってたらしく　しかし例のごとくうまくはいかないもので・・・　
そうこうしてる内に　”ペリーの黒舟”がやってきて　”ヤバイ！！　アメリカの植民地にされるかも！”　と日本中が騒ぎだし・・・。
実は以前から長崎にはオランダから船がくるので　長崎周辺にいた人々は　おおかたの世界の動向を知っていました。
　
ペリーの約５０年前　１８０８年に長崎港にやってきたイギリス船による　フェートン号事件。鎖国下　日本が長崎でオランダとの貿易を行っていたとき　フェートン号が出島のオランダ領を攻撃しにやって来たのです。イギリス人たちは出島に立てこもり　日本に食料の供給を要求しました。　日本は鎖国をしているので　イギリス人との間で物の流通はありえません。なんだかんだで結局　当時の長崎奉行が責任をとって切腹をしたそうです。
もう鎖国は長くは続かないと長崎の人は思ったはずです。開国には弱腰だった江戸幕府。大村藩は左幕派と勤王派に分裂します。　
大村藩勤王三十七士は幕末に倒幕を目指し結集した藩士達でした。中心人物の一人　松林飯山は非常に頭の良かった人で大村藩に勤王思想を広めましたが　１８６７年　左幕派によって暗殺され　それは大村騒動とよばれる大捕り物へと発展します。結果として左幕は一掃され　大村藩は一丸となって倒幕へと動きはじめます。
幕府軍と新政府軍による戊辰戦争では京都、江戸、福島、秋田などで新政府軍として戦争に参加しました。
当時　薩摩藩と長州藩は仲が悪く　大村藩は両藩と仲良しでした。間にたって薩長同盟を結ばせ　倒幕を行うべく画策しました。　三十七士の一人　渡辺清は西郷隆盛と勝海舟によって行われた江戸城の無血開城の会談に同席したといわれます。倒幕を果たした後は　大村藩は　薩摩、長州、土佐に次いでその功績は高く評価されたそうです。

大村藩勤王三十七士　なんか新撰組みたいですね。
その中で有名なのは・・・渡辺清の弟　渡辺昇は剣の達人で　ゆうたんの通った剣道場の先輩です。

あと　楠本正隆は芝公園などの大きな公園を日本で初めて作りました。

あと　長岡治三郎　ですがその子供さんが素晴らしい。長岡半太郎といいますが　物理学者です。世界で初めて原子の構造を発見したそうです。今なら誰でも知ってるでしょうが　原子は原子核とそれを取り巻く電子から成りますね？当時は誰も知らなかったんですって。すごい！　実は　たぶん大村で一番有名な人は　大村純忠ではなく　長岡半太郎だそうです。近所に生家があります。写真を見たければ　写真希望の旨コメントしてください。”わざわざ”撮りに行ってあげます。

あと三十七士ではありませんが　医師の長与俊達は当時日本人をかなり悩ませていた天然痘の治療と予防に貢献し　

あと　その孫　長与専斎も医者となり　医師免許制度をつくり　日本で初めて”衛生”という言葉をつくり　上下水道の普及に着手したといわれます。
　　
”初めて”なにかをした人多いですね。当時　鎖国下でも長崎は海外からの情報が多く集まる場所で　人々は当時の日本になにが必要か比較的早い段階で分かっていたのでしょう。

長いです。

Well, I'm pretty unsure if I can write this long post in English. Give it a try, noriko! ...thank you...but, hey, why don't you start on learning Japanese language? Not in a million years? Okay. I've just recalled that this is nothing but my English exercise.

I like the NHK program of "Sonotoki rekishi ga ugoita" in English, maybe it's like "That was the very moment the history made a drastic change." That program is exciting, I sometimes watch it with a great deal of interest. I admire the great host, Matsudaira Sadanobu for his character if he wasn't it wouldn't be the same. Last year, one of my history instructors once lectured about the Omura clan's dramatic movement in the end of the Edo period. The instructor was a great story teller, I'd thought he could compete with Matsudaira Sadanobu.

At the end of the Edo era, overall Japanese political system had changed in line with the Tokugawa shogunate's collapse. Until then, in the entire Edo era, Japanese people had a registration in the local temple under the supervision of the local feudal lord. The local feudal lords were supervised by the Tokugawa Shogunate. There were strict rules and the caste system. The all foreign commerce was confined in Nagasaki and prohibited except with Netherlands and China. One day, it was actually in 1853, Adm. Perry came to Japan to demand Japan to open trade. The incident caused a tremendous turmoil and that looked all of a sudden to most Japanese people except ones in Nagasaki. About fifty years ago, in 1808, there once was the same kind of occurrence in Nagasaki. A British warship named by the Phaeton broke in to the Nagasaki Port to attack the Dutch territory on the Dejima Island. It's called like "The Phaeton Rage." The troops landed and holed up on the Dejima. They demanded Japan to supply them foods and other necessaries. Under the Sakoku system, the national isolation system, there was no way those requests could be accepted. As a result the Nagasaki Bugyo, the head of the Nagasaki Official was executed for the responsibility by Seppuku or should I say Harakiri. Don't you think such consequence is completely outrageous? This case wasn't that big thing for the whole Japan but at least Nagasaki people must have figured out the Sakoku system had many problems such as the international isolation and the poor military capability and the Sakoku wouldn't last long.
After the Perry's approach, America forced Japan to open up to the world. Sakoku was ended by the foreign country. The Tokugawa shogunate came across as a weak leader of Japan. That's when the new movement was emerging as the principle of reverence for the Emperor and the elimination foreigners. They needed to end the Edo era and start the new one with the Emperor. Sure the other side resists to protect the Tokugawa shogunate's stability. Those two movements split Japan into two and the same thing was going on in the Omura clan.

In Omura, a group of young people was studying about the new movement. They were mulling over some problems. Which should lead Japan, the Tokugawa clan or the Emperor? Which choice would be nicer, opening up Japan or eliminating foreign countries? The group was called like "the Omura thirty-seven warriors" and the leader was Matsubayashi Hanzan. Hanzan was admired by people for his wisdom and had taught about the theory at the Gokokan, a primary school. Unfortunately, he was murdered by someone from the opponent group. In Omura, there was a conservative group which attempted to pull down the new movement. Ironically, the conservative group was accused of the case of murder, ended up the conservative principal was gone. From then on, the whole Omura clan dedicated to end the Edo era and to start the new Meiji government showing loyalty to the Emperor. In 1868, the Boshin War was fought between the Tokugawa shogunate and the Emperor side and it was raging in Japan. The Omura clan devoted their force to the war, the new Meiji government praised and gave them many important posts to 37 warriors and others. If you let me, I'll brag about them.

Kusumoto Masataka, one of the thirty seven warriors( definitely not worriers ) became the President of Parliament and he was the first person who created the massive public park such as the Shiba Park just nearby the Tokyo Tower.

Watanabe Nobori, one of the 37 members became a Governor of Osaka and he was Kendo( sword thing ) master. He was from the Kendo club which Yutan belonged to. His brother, Watanabe Kiyoshi, worked with the big names like Katsu Kaisyu and Saigo Takamori.

Nagaoka Hantaro was supposed to be the most famous and worldwide person from Omura. He was a great physicist who found the structure of atom. That just blew my mind. I've heard many people come visit his old house. If you wanted to see it, I wouldn't mind taking a photo of it. It's just in my neighborhood.

Nagayo Syuntatsu was a doctor who dedicated himself to research a vaccination to cure smallpox which had been raging out of control in Japan.

Nagayo Sensai, Nagayo Syuntatsu's grand son, was a doctor likewise who made the first Medical Licence system. He build the systems of waterworks and sewage.

They were originated from this tiny town and did pretty well!

Thanks for reading. Have a good day!

大村護国神社 The Omura Gokoku Shrine

長崎県大村市内にある私のお気に入りの場所です。

この神社は　江戸時代のある時　跡継ぎ問題のために大村家が取り潰しの危機にさらされ　その後　許されたのを感謝して　そのときの将軍　徳川家光を祭るために建立されたといわれています。

春に美しい桜を見たいなら　ココでしょう。超オススメ桜名所です。

早く咲かないかな・・・サクラ。

写真の鳥居をくぐって左右に月の池、日の池があり　長い階段を上がると　枯山水のお庭　旧円融寺庭園があります。　長い間忘れられ草むらに埋もれていた石のオブジェは　マジで語りかけてきますよ。

上の写真の大きな鳥居に隣り合うように　ちょっと奥に　下の写真の鳥居があります。　

Here is one of my favorite places in Omura City. The Omura Gokoku Jinjya was established by the Omura family for honoring Tokugawa Iemitsu, third tycoon of the Tokugawa shogunate. The Omura Clan had made a tiny mistake such as just forgetting to apply to the Edo shogunate for the next heir of the Omura family. I think that was an insignificant teeny-weeny thing but at that time that wasn't. Missing one communication with the Edo shogunate deserved an enough reason to condemn the Omura Clan to be destroyed. However the Omura Clan struggled and thought over how to go through the crisis, as they always did, and those ideas did work. Tokugawa Iemitsu shrugged off the mistake and the Omura Clan was grateful for that. The Omura Gokoku Shrine was built to represent their gratitude to Iemitsu.  

If you visit Omura in spring, it would be a good idea to come and see cherry trees in here. I believe here is the best place for the wonderful cherry blossoms. If you passed through the gate, Torii, you'll make out two pools on the both sides of the pass. One is called the Moon Pool and the other is the Sun Pool. Rising up the long steps, there is an old, serene and stunning Japanese dry landscape garden, Kare-Sansui. The garden had been forgotten for a long time, as a matter of fact an old man was saying that he didn't know there was a wonderful garden in here, this place was just a bush as he was a child. I love the combination of three stones that represents hill, fall and stream. I can tell you, the rocks would even speak to you something. 

この道路は長崎街道の一部です。街道の曲がり角には神社がよく見られます。長崎街道もここまでまっすぐ来て　神社の手前で左に折れます。

私はこの静かな美しい神社が好きです。　

でも私にとっては謎だらけの場所です。歴史セミナーで教えてもらっても　敷地内の看板の説明を読んでも　今でも　わからない。　枯山水のお庭とお墓がある神社。

Pretty close to the torii in the first pic, there is another little torii and long narrow steps. And the paved road in the foreground of the second pic, is part of the Nagasaki Kaido which will take a left just before the shrine. Apparently on the most corners of the Kaido, shrines were there. I can only guess but maybe to pray for tourists.

For me, this place is nothing but being mysterious and incomprehensive. No matter how much an instructor explained or the sign spelled that out, I don't understand. My questions are; why is it there are the tombstones in the shrine or why is it there is a Japanese rock garden in the shrine NOT in the temple and why is it there are two different entrances in the same place and why is it the shrine has some different names?    

第２１海軍航空廠本部跡 The Factory for Battle Plane

３年前　長崎県に引っ越してきてまずビックリしたのは　こんな小さな町に自衛隊の基地が３こあることでした。

緑色の平たい大きな車の車列とか　ヘリコプターが斜め一列になって飛んでたり。ゆうたんの学校にも　お父さんが自衛隊の子多いです。運動神経よさそうです。

第二次世界大戦中、大村には東洋一の大きさと言われた　戦闘機工場がありました。　第２１海軍航空廠です。　長崎だけでなく周辺の県からもたくさんの人が動員され働かされていました。　その規模の大きさゆえに１９４４年秋　アメリカによる激しい空襲を受け、３００から４００人の方々が亡くなりました。

写真は　第２１海軍航空廠本部跡です。壁に残るのは爆撃の跡。大村市歴史案内人養成セミナーで訪れました。　セミナー参加者の中にもここで　学徒動員として働かされていた方々がいて口々に体験を語っておられました。　

・・・大村大空襲の時、各地から集められたたくさんの若い人が犠牲になった。近くの海辺にある燃料タンクを攻撃されたために　被害は甚大だった。空爆当時、子供だったので　砲撃のなか工場からかなり離れた家まで危険をかえりみず帰った。　その時　地面にミサイルが落ちて穴ができるのでその穴に隠れて砲撃をかわした。　不思議に爆撃音は聞こえず　爆撃の震動が激しかったことと火薬の匂いを鮮明に覚えている。

私の母も福岡大空襲を生き延びました。福岡市の中心部に住んでいたので大変な思いをしています。　母は今でも戦時中を思い起こさせる芋や南瓜を食べません。 

I moved in here about three years ago. I distinctly remember when I felt strange to know this fairly little town had three Japan Self-Defense Forces' bases. As I had not known a bond between Omura City and the military, that fact struck me as a pretty odd thing. However I am always delighted to see the somewhat green and big and flat vans pass by making a long line, or three or four helicopters are going away in a diagonal line in the sky. Well, I'm not like that. Sometimes I look at them just with curiosity. In Yutan's school or his former Kendo Club, many many kids' father are working for the Self-Defense Forces. Judging from their genes, the kids must be athletic. I'm not sure.

During the World War II, in Omura, there once was the most massive factory in the eastern world, as they said, to build battle plane. At that time, numerous number of people were deployed by the government from some prefectures let alone Nagasaki to construct the planes. In the fall of 1944, the huge factory was devastated by a bomb attack, as a result 300 or 400 people were killed.  The picture shows a remain of the head quarters in the Navy facilities. Only this part of walls is left there. Can you find the bullet marks in the wall? It's disturbing. I visited there when I took part in a seminar which was organized by Omura City. Perhaps nearly 80 attendees were there some of those had a distinct memory of the bomb attack by the US. Most of them were little children and had been forced to work for the factory during the WW II. Some seniors were telling the personal account about the tragic incident. 

... The bomb attack on Omura killed many youngsters. The bombs hit fuel tanks on the bay area and tremendously damaged the facility. The man who was telling this anecdote was just a little boy and somehow he went back home fairly far from the factory in the rain of bombs. He said he fled to home hiding in hollows that were made when missiles hit the ground. He clearly remember the shock came from bomb hitting and the smells of black powder. Oddly enough he didn't recall a sharp explosion.  

My own mother survived the bomb attack on Fukuoka. She was an only seven-year-old little girl. The bombs hit straight her dwelling, her father's photo studio and neighborhood. Her school got to be the place to pile up uncountable dead bodies.  Even now, my mother never eat sweet potato and pumpkin that remind her of the war. Back then, people had been suffered from starvation, the food was nothing but potato and that sort of things.

野岳湖 Lake Nodake

日本人は昔から鯨を食べますね？　

海に面した彼杵では鯨にちなんだものをよく見かけます。　五島沖でよく捕れた鯨の肉は　まず彼杵に荷揚げされ各地に流通したからでしょう。

大人数で命をかけて捕った巨大な鯨は　解体チームの素早い作業により一時間で解体されたといいます。

肉は塩漬けにして食料に

その他は大釜で煮て油に

骨は肥料に

血は薬に

丈夫な筋は弓や竹刀のツルに

歯は髪をとかす　くしに。

鯨は余すところなく利用され　「鯨一頭七浦栄える」といわれました。

その鯨産業で　莫大な富を築いた深沢義太夫という人が波佐見にいました。

長崎県大村市の小さな山の上に　野岳湖という人工湖がありますが　この湖は彼の寄付によって造られました。

In Japan, it was usual to eat whales. People never ate beef nor pork because eating them was a big no-no. In the past, whale was a good source of protein for Japanese people.

I see many things that are supposed to do with whales in Sonogi, the waterside of the Omura Bay, where once was a lively dock for the whale industry. Off the Goto Islands were great fishing grounds for catching whales.  The whales were unloaded on the Sonogi dock.

A whale is huge, numerous whalemen fought with it which could kill many of them by just one slap with its tail. It is said that a whale was cut into some parts by numerous butchers within only one hour.

The meats were preserved in salt.

The blood made good medicine.

The bone made good fertilizer.

The strong nerves made good strings for bamboo swords and bows.

The teeth made good combs.

And the other parts were boiled to make good oil.

As you can see, people made the most of whales and nothing was dumped. Back then, one whale made seven villages rich.

Gidayu Fukazawa made a tremendous fortune by catching whale. He contributed his money to make the man-made Lake Nodake in Omura City.

He was originated from Hasami Town.

けっこう大きな湖です。まわりにはキャンプ場や資料館があります。

１６６１年に着工し２年で完成したそうです。

それまで　その地方では干害、水害を繰り返し農民はとても困っていました。大村藩は対策としてダムを作ればいいのはわかっていたけれども　なにぶん貧しい小さな藩だったのでお金がありませんでした。

深沢義太夫は他にもたくさん寄付をして社会に貢献した人でした。

人造湖のおかげで　水害知らずとなり　今では田んぼ、畑、果樹園が広がるのどかな野岳。　海を見下ろす日当たりの良い野岳は　私のお気に入りの場所です。

私にいろいろ教えてくれる　大村史話の本には　鯨漁のようすが生き生きと描かれています。　ちょっとクジラさん　可哀相な気がするけど　漁師達も命がけでした。

クジラの油は重要な除虫剤になり　畑や田んぼを青々とさせ　飢餓を減らしたと本には書かれています。

子供の頃　父のお酒のおつまみのクジラシリーズはどれも美味しそうだった。

とくにクジラベーコン。

Lake Nodake is big, beautiful and has camp sites and a museum. Construction began in 1661 and after two years, it was completed. The man-made lake was constructed, and therefore many farmers in that area were no longer suffered from any flood nor drought. The Omura Clan acknowledged that some infrastructure was needed to take care of water problems in that area, though, they couldn't afford it. The Omura Clan was such a small and needy one.

Gidayu Fukazawa also contributed many other public things for Omura locals to help people.

The completion of the infrastructure led farmers to make good rice paddies, farms. That area is called Hill Nodake and that's my favorite place. It's sunny, serene and has a stunning view of Omura Bay.

The Omura history book tells me a lot and what I'm so impressed was about how to hunt the huge whale. Hey, whales, I feel so sorry but in the book, it's described details so lively that I can't help but think it's just exciting. Not to mention,  the whalemen were catching them running risks losing their lives. 

The book adds that the whale oil was used by farmers as pest control for their crops . As a result lots of lives were saved from starvation.    

In my childhood, Dad sometimes had some sliced whale meats as a snack. That looked way yummy.

海に住んだ人々 Sea-dwellers

This is a photo of  a view of Omura bay from Higashisonogi bank. The view is always stunning.

いつもきれいな大村湾。東彼杵から見た景色です。

一般的に　多くの人々は陸に住んでますが　昔　長崎の海に住む人々がいたそうです。　彼らは家船（えふね）と呼ばれる船に住み　めったに陸にあがることはなかったそうです。　独自の社会をもち一生を海で暮らしたといいます。

ハウステンボスに遊びに行く時にいつもこの道沿いを通るたび　彼らはここにいたのかなーと思ったりします。

彼らは　漁がとても上手で　決して網や釣り糸は使わず主に鉾で突いて魚をしとめることを　誇りとしていました。時折そうして得た海産物を陸の農産物と交換したそうです。

彼らが陸にあがるのは　そうして物々交換する時とお正月　お盆　それととても微笑ましいと思うのですが　子供たちが鞠つき・・・ボール遊びをしたがる時だと本には書かれています。家船はそんなに大きなものではなかったから鞠つきは無理だったのでしょう。

In the past, there used to be people who lived on the boats. I understand people normally live on the land, just like me, but there once were some groups of people who lived their whole life on the boat. It is said that those, should I call them sea-dwellers, people were on the open sea above the Sea of Japan. Apparently those sea-dwellers had existed around Nagasaki and Omura bay too. Whenever I pass by this Higashisonogi area to get to HUIS TEN BOSCH, I ponder over how they were. They were always on their boats carried the whole necessaries and had their own society. They didn't have any house or property on the land, but friends who invited them for the New Year's holidays and Bon vacation. The boat-people were catching marine products for a living and what I took it unique was its principle about how to fish. They never used a net nor a line and used mainly lance to catch any marine products.. Sometimes they landed to exchange their marine stuff for produce with farmers, and to let their kids play with ball. Not to mention but the boats were too small to play with a ball but, you know, kids like to play with it. Aren't they just sweet?

 １４８０年　領地を侵略され唐津あたりに逃れていた当時の大村藩主　大村純伊（すみこれ）は　大村の地を奪還すべく舞い戻ります。その水先案内人を務めたのが　この海に住んだ人々でした。　純伊は大村領を取り戻し　海夫に感謝して姓を与えました。領民も良い領主が戻ってきてくれて　とても喜び　”大村寿司”　をつくってお祝いをしました。

In 1480, they had rescued the Omura's feudal lord, Sumikore Omura, to lead him to come back and he  fought back over his land against his enemy. Some years before, Omura land was invaded by the neighbor feudal lord and Sumikore Omura had fled to somewhere outside of Omura. As Omura people loved Sumikore so much, they were grateful for his comeback　and cerebrated it with "Omura-sushi". The unique pressed sushi turned out to be the Omura's specialty. Sumikore was grateful to the boat-people and gave them some good second names. The boat-people must have felt honored by that.     

 今ではその海辺を電車が走ります。

江戸の末期　時代は大きく変わりますが　海夫たちもお金をもうけたり　炭鉱ができたので鉱夫になったり。　でも　またしても微笑ましいのは　きっと彼らが何より生活を変えたかったのは　子供達の教育のためでした。　陸に上がって学校に通わせたかったのでしょう。

そうして　海に住む人々は姿を消しました。

Nowadays, trains go along the bay. At late the Edo period, as Japan made drastic changes in many ways, those boat-people changed their life-styles too. Some made a fortune and got some property on the land and some quite living on the boat and became a miner. However most of all, I'm so impressed to know they really cared about their kids and wanted them to be educated at school. The boat-people were aware of the necessity of education for kids' future. Again, it's sweet, isn't it?

Now that there is no people who live on the boat.

This is the Chiwata Station.