Translation: Katsura Kogoro: Preface

Hagi Stories: Katsura Kogoro. By: Issaki, Taro. This book was given to me by Osaki Yoko, a kind lady at Hagi Museum.

Page 3

Preface

During the Bakumatsu, when Choshu Domain was facing a crisis, Katsura Kogoro lied about his identity and for 10 months remained hidden deep in the mountains of Tajima (in the north of present-day Hyogo Prefecture). The people of Tajima, with their long history of rescuing the defeated, took Kogoro in with great generosity. Before long, Kogoro’s name, changed now to Kido Takayoshi, would become known all over Japan as one of the prominent Genkun* of the Meiji Restoration. The people of Tajima who had helped Kogoro would take pride in their role in history. Even today, the stone memorials to Kogoro scattered throughout the Tajima region are proof of this affection.

Particularily notable are the words “Place of Resurrection,” carved into a stone monument which stands on the ruins of the store Kogoro ran in the lower castle district of Izushi. These words are not so unusual. Kogoro unabashedly fled from an impending crisis and was ridiculed as “Runaway Kogoro.” Yet he would return to accomplish many great things. In this way, he was indeed “resurrected.”

I think that it’s necessary for today’s politicians to have, in the same vein as Kogoro, this “shrewdness” coupled with good intentions. For example, in the case of “No wars” or “Don’t get involved in wars.” The Genkun exhibited their shrewness by crawling under the pandemonium that engulfed Japan. If, during the times they faced defeat, they had listened to impressive-sounding words, Japan would have run amok and ended up in ruin. Listening to speeches of current politicians, it seems that either shrewdness is combined with bad intentions or only a very small impression is made, and this is a terrible thing.

Now, of all times, I think Japan’s politicians should study and learn from Kogoro’s shrewdness, and with this in mind, I wrote this small booklet. Although the main feature of this book is Chapter 3: “Hiding in Tajima,” it is not possible to understand Kogoro’s career with this alone, so I have also included events before and after. I have also undertaken a critical biography about Kogoro/ Kido Takayoshi separate from this with plans to publish it some time next year. If you read both together, you will have a better understanding of the person.

I would like to offer my most humble thanks to Ms.Horikawa Taeko of Izushi Construction Public Corporation and Mr. Toritani Ryujiro of Kiosaki Onsen Tsutaya, both of whom were particularly helpful to me at the time I was collecting data.

* Genkun: a dignified, revered person who lived a (relatively) long time and gained some amount of power; an elder statesman.