Thomas Glover and the Young Men of Chōshū, Five Individuals

Glover Garden, Nagasaki · Lee Song-eun · Yonsei University

Glover Garden, the Starting Point of Japan's Modernization

The scenery of Glover Garden (グラバー園), arrived at dusk, was peaceful and beautiful. Glover Garden is a place that holds the lives and emotions of foreign merchants who crossed the Atlantic waves in the late 16th century with dreams in their hearts. This place, where many people from Europe and China arrived, became the starting point for Japan's development into its largest trading port with the opening of Japan in the 19th century. Nagasaki, along with Yokohama and Hakodate, was one of Japan's major treaty ports and is also a place visited by many tourists as a splendid yet exotic location in Japan. On the hill overlooking Nagasaki Port, Western-style buildings covered with Japanese tiles were built alongside the Nagasaki Foreign Settlement. Glover Garden, which etched a new history on that land, allows visitors to see the residence of Thomas Blake Glover (1838-1911), a Scottish merchant, along with three nationally designated Important Cultural Properties and valuable Western-style buildings in Nagasaki city. The three nationally designated Important Cultural Properties—the Glover Residence, the Orto Residence, and the Ringer Residence—are valuable heritages preserved as they are for over 150 years. All three are nationally designated Important Cultural Properties and are registered as components of the "Meiji-era Industrial Revolution Heritage Sites in Japan" (Glover Garden Official Website, December 25, 2018).

Glover Garden is Japan's

Although it is known as a beautiful and scenic tourist destination with Western merchants' grand residences, if one looks at it with knowledge of its history and hidden stories, it can be seen as a vast mansion encompassing various fields such as politics, society, culture, and economy. Now, shall we take a step-by-step walk through Glover Garden, the starting point of Japan's modernization, and explore the stories hidden within this vast mansion? From that point, through the encounter between the 12th cohort of Sarangbang, Korean youths, and the Chōshū Five (長州五傑), Japanese youths, we aim to listen together to the story of Japan's modernization and the youths standing at its crossroads.

From a Samurai Nation to an Industrial Nation: The Meiji Restoration

From a Samurai Nation to an Industrial State: The Meiji Restoration

In 2018, Japan marked the 150th anniversary of the Meiji Restoration (明治維新). Events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Meiji Restoration were being held throughout Nagasaki, where our 12th cohort of Sarangbang visited. The Meiji Restoration is a reform in Japan that is emphasized in various fields such as Japanese society, politics, and culture, and it serves as a central axis for understanding Japanese society as a political foundation. The Meiji Restoration refers to the process of great political and social transformation that occurred in Japan, overthrowing the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603-1867), which held real power, and establishing a modern nation. It is known to have had a significant impact on East Asian society, to the extent that various Asian countries, such as Joseon's Gapshin Coup and Vietnam's Dongyu Movement, sought to benchmark it. So, what is the significance of the Meiji Restoration in Japanese society?

To understand the meaning of the Meiji Restoration, let's first examine the historical background of the time. In the early 17th century, the Tokugawa Shogunate maintained a policy of isolation for over a hundred years. However, when Commodore Perry of the U.S. East India Fleet demanded the opening of Japan through a show of force in 1853, the Shogunate's policy began to waver. The wavering of the Shogunate regime, which was believed to be firmly maintained, can be seen as the beginning of change in Japanese society. The Shogunate could not make unilateral decisions in this situation and sought advice from the Imperial Court and the regional lords (daimyo). The Imperial Court and most daimyo opposed the opening of the country.

However, the highest-ranking official of the Shogunate at the time, Ii Naosuke (井伊直弼), suppressed the anti-opening faction in 1858 and concluded trade treaties with Western powers without the Emperor Kōmei's (孝明) imperial sanction.

the Shogunate's late period

In a crisis, it is natural for there to be backlash against a government that forcefully pursues policies. In response to the Shogunate's actions, the "Revere the Emperor and Expel the Barbarians" (尊王攘夷) movement, which aimed to exalt the Emperor and expel foreign powers, began to emerge, centered around the Chōshū domain (domain: an administrative unit commonly used during the Edo period). The Shogunate, in an effort to suppress the "Revere the Emperor and Expel the Barbarians" faction, carried out punishments such as executions and exiles, but this only increased animosity towards the Shogunate government. In this situation, when Ii Naosuke was assassinated by the "Revere the Emperor and Expel the Barbarians" faction, the political situation fell into chaos, and the conflict of opinion between the "Revere the Emperor and Expel the Barbarians" faction, which shared the same aspirations as the Imperial Court, and the Shogunate intensified. The Shogunate then proposed the "Union of Court and Bakufu" (公武合体論) theory to unify the dual political structure of the Imperial Court and the Shogunate. Nevertheless, Emperor Kōmei declared, "If the Shogunate abandons the policy of expelling barbarians, the Emperor himself will personally rule to expel barbarians," strongly demanding that the Shogunate implement the policy of expelling barbarians. Eventually, on May 10, 1863, the Shogunate promised to implement the policy of expelling barbarians, which even included expelling the Western countries with which trade treaties had already been concluded (University Newspaper, April 8, 2018).

In reality, the Shogunate had no intention of actually implementing the policy of expelling barbarians, and the Chōshū domain unilaterally opposed the opening of the country. During this process, major Japanese wars such as the Satsuma-Britain War and the Shimonoseki War occurred, but they were ultimately defeated.

In this context, why did Japan need modernization? The transformation of a nation in half a century to lay the foundation for an industrial country is a very rare event in world history, both geographically and temporally. Thus, what was the reason for Japan's transition from a samurai nation to an industrial nation? The desire to "defend Japan from the threat of great powers" became the driving force behind modernization, accelerating the pace of modernization and leading to the implementation of the Meiji Restoration. Furthermore, news of China's defeat in the Opium War in 1840 quickly reached Japan, delivering a great shock. This event prompted Japan to feel a strong sense of crisis.

The news that "even a great power like China cannot defeat an opponent that possesses steamships that sail freely on the sea and can attack from afar" (Nagasaki Tourism Promotion Division, 2018, 2) instilled a strong sense of crisis. Moreover, after the Opium War, Wei Yuan's (魏源) "Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms" (海國圖志), which explained maps, history, and Western technology of China and the West, was introduced to Japan, further intensifying the sense of crisis and the movement for reform in various Japanese domains. These events are known to have had a profound impact on intellectuals (志士) active in the late Edo period, such as Yoshida Shōin (吉田松陰), Sakuma Shōzan (佐久間象山), Katsu Kaishū (勝海舟), and Sakamoto Ryōma (坂本龍馬), and from this period onwards, Japan's modernization rapidly accelerated.

steamships that sail freely on the sea and can attack from afar

If even a great power like China cannot defeat an opponent that possesses them, Japan will not be able to withstand it for long.

(Nagasaki Tourism Promotion Division, 2018, 2)

This instilled a strong sense of crisis. Furthermore, after the Opium War, Wei Yuan's (魏源) "Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms" (海國圖志), which explained maps, history, and Western technology of China and the West, was introduced to Japan, further intensifying the sense of crisis and the movement for reform in various Japanese domains. These events are known to have had a profound impact on intellectuals (志士) active in the late Edo period, such as Yoshida Shōin (吉田松陰), Sakuma Shōzan (佐久間象山), Katsu Kaishū (勝海舟), and Sakamoto Ryōma (坂本龍馬), and from this period onwards, Japan's modernization rapidly accelerated.

At the center of this was Thomas Blake Glover, who introduced British technology to Japan. For the samurai who strove for industrialization with the help of books such as Dutch learning texts (蘭學書), a powerful supporter emerged. Although Glover was only 21 years old, his innate talent as a merchant led him to establish Glover & Co. at the age of 23. This place, where ships could be seen coming and going and the Nagasaki Ironworks, built right in front, was a popular destination for many foreigners, and it became an important place for samurai aiming for industrialization to obtain information on the latest technologies.

Glover's Realization Amidst Japan's Turbulent Period: The Importance of "Kenbun Kakuchi" (見聞覚知)

The Importance of "Perception, Cognition, and Knowledge" (Mun-gak-ji)

In 1859, Japan opened three ports: Kanagawa, Nagasaki, and Hakodate. This was a result of the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce signed in 1858. The Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce was a treaty concerning trade between Great Britain and the Edo Shogunate. This treaty was one of the unequal treaties Japan signed, and it was on this occasion that Glover arrived in Nagasaki as a subordinate merchant of Mackenzie in September of that year.

What was Japan like when the young British man Glover arrived? Nagasaki was already transforming into a vast trading market at the time of its opening, and about 150 foreigners resided there. Most of the foreigners were British, and Glover gained experience as a merchant during this period.

"Glover in 1859"

He established Thomas Glover & Co. as the Nagasaki branch of the company. He also signed agent contracts with major trading companies such as Dent & Co. and Sassoon & Co., and in 1862, he entered into a partnership agreement with Arnold & Co. and Brereton & Co. Later, changing the name to Glover & Co., he operated a tea processing plant and made tea exports his main business. From around 1863 to 1865, Glover & Co. accounted for 20-30% of tea exports from Nagasaki, laying the foundation for its development. When Glover came to Japan, several Mason-affiliated trading companies already existed. Since they all had close dealings with the Shogunate, there was no room for Glover & Co. to enter, so he started his business with tea exports as a private enterprise. At this time, Glover faced many difficulties and hardships in carrying out his business due to various obstacles. However, later, this political entanglement of Glover became a decisive turning point that changed his life. Eventually, in connection with the late Edo period intellectuals, he shifted to selling weapons and ammunition and warships to other domains that were anti-Shogunate. Active as an arms dealer, Glover accumulated immense wealth through active trade and cultivated the Freemason ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity among the pro-Imperial loyalists. Sakamoto Ryōma is the one who most deeply embodies these ideals.

Establishment of Glover & Co. and the Glover Residence Glover's Relationship Map Furthermore, in 1866, Glover married Tsuru, a Japanese woman. Tsuru is also well-known as the model for the opera Madame Butterfly. It is said that she dedicated her life to her husband, Glover, as a Japanese wife in a kimono. It is said that thanks to this good wife, Glover, who was from Scotland, was able to make surprisingly diverse contributions to Japan's modernization.

Against this backdrop, Glover expressed the necessity for young Japanese people to embrace Western culture through his diary.

Glover believed in the importance of getting the brightest young

Japanese to the West to see for themselves the technical and other

advances; it is clear that he felt this the best way forward, that on their

return the rebels would be the best advocates of change and be listened

to more than any foreigner(Alexander Mckay 2014, 48)

Under this belief, Glover played a significant role in sending the now-famous young Japanese men, the "Chōshū Five," to study in England.

Glover's Strategy: Interaction with Young People Amidst Complex Realities

So, how did Glover send the five young Japanese men of Chōshū to study in England? And who were these five individuals?

First, the "Chōshū Five" (長州五傑) refers to the five individuals from the Chōshū domain who went to study at University College London in England in 1863: Endō Kinsuke (遠藤謹助), Inoue Masaru (井上勝), Itō Hirobumi (伊藤博文), Inoue Kaoru (井上馨), and Yamao Yōzō (山尾庸三). At that time, Japan was under a national seclusion policy, and it was forbidden to leave Japan and travel abroad. In England, they studied under the guidance of Alexander Williamson.

Alexander Williamson

Kinsuke, Inoue Masaru, studied, and two of them became prominent politicians in Japan: Inoue

Itō Hirobumi. From left to right in the front row

Inoue Kaoru, and Yamao Yōzō

Inoue Kaoru, Yamao Yōzō

(Source: Wikipedia) Kaoru and Itō Hirobumi. At that time, due to Japan's national seclusion policy

At that time, due to Japan's national seclusion policy

Travel abroad from Japan was prohibited. They studied under Alexander Williamson in Britain, and two of them became influential politicians in Japan: Inoue Kaoru and Itō Hirobumi. Glover's residence, overlooking Nagasaki Port, also served as a hideout for pro-imperial activists. Glover, in particular, supported these Chōshū Five activists and later entrepreneurs, who became key figures in shaping Japan's future and played a behind-the-scenes role in realizing the Meiji government. It has been revealed that all of them frequented Glover's residence.

According to historical records, in September 1863, in retaliation for the Namamugi Incident, the British fleet invaded Kagoshima Bay, and when the Anglo-Satsuma War began, the Chōshū Five were also hiding in Glover's residence. At this time, the Chōshū Five, along with Matsuki Kōan (Terashima Munenori), had three steamships under their command confiscated and burned, and were taken prisoner. Enraged by the situation and targeting the lives of the Toppansha, the Chōshū Five reportedly hid behind the roof of the newly built Glover residence for a time.

In this context, Glover began to support the activists promoting the restoration movement at the end of the Edo Shogunate, and started interacting with "talents who will carry the future of Japan" (明日の日本を担う逸材). Glover arranged for five young elites from the Chōshū domain to study in Britain: Itō Hirobumi (then 23 years old) and Inoue Kaoru (29 years old). He also interacted with Mutsu Munemitsu and Kuroda Kiyotaka. He secretly facilitated the emigration of a 19-member inspection group from the Satsuma domain, centered around the Chōshū Five, and provided financial support. According to Alexander McKay, he left for Shanghai to arrange for the clandestine departure of young Satsumans, and Gotō submitted a petition to the domain following Iieno Ōmatsu of the Satsuma domain. Komatsu was a close friend of Glover, and the domain immediately decided to send students abroad.

1863: Young men departing "for the future of Japan"

What were the feelings of these young Japanese men who decided to study abroad? Among the Chōshū Five, Inoue Masaru (井上 勝) documented his experiences and the process of his study abroad in Britain in his diary. Born in 1843, Inoue Masaru was adopted by the Nomura family in his childhood and called himself Nomura Yayokichi. At the age of 16, he was sent to Nagasaki by his domain to study Western medicine from the Dutch, and the following year, he went to Edo Castle to study artillery and Western sciences. After about a year and a half, he returned to his hometown, but wishing to continue his studies in Edo, he went back to Edo. He also studied English in the foreign settlement in Yokohama. Therefore, it can be seen that his interest in foreign countries was stronger than that of other domain retainers (藩士: samurai belonging to a feudal lord).

The dream of Inoue Masaru (井上勝)

Inoue Masaru (井上勝), who would later become known as the father of Japanese railways, was one of the Chōshū Five. As a prominent figure in the Meiji government, Inoue Masaru was deeply involved in politics. What dreams did he harbor in his youth? In March 1863, sailing ships purchased by the Chōshū domain from the Masson Company in Yokohama arrived in Hyōgo. At this time, Masaru was ordered by the domain to be the captain, and Yamao Yōzō (山尾 庸三) was in charge of surveying. Both had been attending the academy of the Western scholar Takeda Ayasaburō (武田 斐三郎). During this period, the two became eager to learn Western science and technology in earnest, and they discovered that Katsura Kogorō and Inoue Fumita (井上聞多) also shared the same desire. Ultimately, the four decided to study in Britain, defying the domain's prohibition on national funds. When they applied to the domain for permission to travel abroad, they asked the reformist merchant Sufu Masanosuke (周布 政之助) to help them realize their plan. However, Katsura, who held a key position in the domain, was responsible for important diplomatic matters and could not grant permission. Instead, Itō Shunsuke and Endō Kinsuke joined them.

On May 12, 1863, their dream of studying abroad was realized. The Chōshū Five—Nomura, Yamao, Itō, Inoue, and Endō—boarded the steamship Chelsea, operated by the Masson Company, and set sail from Yokohama for Shanghai. At that time, Masaru was the youngest of the five, at 20 years old. In Shanghai, they boarded two ships and headed for Britain. As the "White Adder," carrying Masaru, Yamao, and Endō, entered the English Channel, Masaru later recalled seeing the magnificent sight of the white chalk cliffs of southern London shining brightly. He further recounted that his first overseas study trip, including the foreign scenery, people, and customs, was undoubtedly a series of wonders.

About four months after departing Japan, the White Adder arrived in London. These three young men lodged at the home of Dr. Williamson (Professor of Chemistry) and attended UCL. There, Masaru majored in analytical chemistry, later in mineralogy and geology, and subsequently in mathematical physics. During his studies in Britain, Masaru recognized the need for railway reform in Japan. He was impressed by the development of transportation in London and felt that Japan also needed railways, as he later wrote. In addition to his studies at the university, he visited railway and mining sites to gain practical experience and even worked as an engine driver.

In April 1864, Itō and Inoue learned from the newspapers that the Chōshū domain had fired upon foreign ships and was likely to face retaliation, so they urgently returned to their domain to protect it. The following year, Endō returned home due to poor health, and soon after, Yamao moved to Glasgow to study shipbuilding. Masaru, who remained in London, stayed for three years. Although his study funds were depleted, he continued his studies by earning living expenses with the help of Professor Williamson.

Finally, Inoue is said to have recalled the period as follows:

"My concern for the country felt more acute when I was abroad than when I was at home.

For example, I wondered how worried our lord might be now,

how our fellow domain retainers were acting, whether they had fallen in battle against the barbarians,

or if they had been forced to cede territory as a result of defeat."

(Sidney DeVere Brown, 1994)

The fate of the nation rested on the hearts of the youth,

Glover's reasons for arranging the clandestine departure of the Chōshū Five, young Japanese men, to Britain can be speculated to have been primarily driven by his economic interests as a merchant seeking to promote British foreign policy.

" ... owing to the political trobues Trade is almost completely stopped..." (Alexander Mckay 2014, 46)

stopped...” (Alexander McKay 2014, 46)

Indeed, through his correspondence, he expressed his hope to exert strong influence in Japan, alongside British Minister Parkes, over the French, amidst the conflicts between the Shogunate and anti-Shogunate forces within Japan, starting with the Namamugi Incident and extending to the Anglo-Satsuma War. However, while Glover's personal aspirations were a factor, he undoubtedly wished to support the dreams of these young men more than anyone else.

The young Japanese men who returned from Britain at this time rapidly grew into pivotal figures of the Meiji Restoration, Japan's greatest reform. Furthermore, they became Japan's first Minister of Foreign Affairs, the father of education for the deaf and mute, the first Prime Minister, and the father of Japanese railways. At this time, the individuals who dominated Japanese society were all in their twenties. Our "Sarangbang" (love room/gathering place) leaders are also young people dreaming of the future. From that perspective, we can dream of a brilliant future, carrying the dreams and hopes of the youth in Nagasaki in our hearts. References Nagasaki Prefecture Tourism Promotion Division. 2018. "The Industrial Revolution in Japan during the Meiji Era (1868-1912) and Nagasaki's Modernization Heritage." https://travel.at-nagasaki.jp/resources/ko/main/industrial.pdf (Accessed: December 22, 2018.)

nagasaki.jp/resources/ko/main/industrial.pdf (Accessed: December 22, 2018.)

University Newspaper. 2018. "Could the Meiji Era 150 Years Ago Serve as a Beacon for Modern Japan?" http://www.snunews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=18091 (Accessed: December 22, 2018.)

McKay, Alexander. 1993. Scottish Samurai: Thomas Blake Glover 1838-1911, Edinburgh: Canongate.

University Newspaper. 2018. "Could the Meiji Era 150 Years Ago Serve as a Beacon for Modern Japan?" http://www.snunews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=18091 (Accessed: December 22, 2018.)

no=18091 (Accessed: December 22, 2018.)

McKay, Alexander. 1993. Scottish Samurai: Thomas Blake Glover 1838-1911, Edinburgh: Canongate.

McKay, Alexander. 1993. Scottish Samurai: Thomas Blake Glover 1838-1911, Edinburgh: Canongate.

Sidney Devere Brown. 1993. "Nagasaki in the Meiji Restoration: Choshu Loyalists and British Arms Merchants," Accessed December 22, 2018. http://www.uwosh.edu/home_pages/faculty_staff/earns/meiji.html.

Sidney Devere Brown. 1993. "Nagasaki in the Meiji Restoration: Choshu Loyalists and British Arms Merchants," Accessed December 22, 2018. http://www.uwosh.edu/home_pages/faculty_staff/earns/meiji.html.

faculty_staff/earns/meiji.html.

faculty_staff/earns/meiji.html.

Sugiyama Shin'ya. 1993. The Meiji Restoration and British Merchants: The Life of Thomas Blake Glover (Iwanami Shoten).

Sugiyama Shin'ya. 1993. The Meiji Restoration and British Merchants: The Life of Thomas Blake Glover (Iwanami Shoten).

Sugiyama Shin'ya. 1993. The Meiji Restoration and British Merchants: The Life of Thomas Blake Glover (Iwanami Shoten).