The
Tour of Inspection of Ogasawara Islands
Tanabe,
Taichi Renshu (ed.) 1898. The Diplomatic Documents of the Last Days of
Tokugawa Government. English
Translation notes by Steffen Richards, of pp. 189-196.
There
is a group of islands one hundred and some ri (3.924km) south of Hachijo-jima
which belongs to the province of
Izu. In the era of Eiroku (1558-1569) Ogasawara Sadayori (A grandson of
Ogasawara Nagatoki, the castellan of Shinshi, Shinshu), who served under
Tokugawa Ieyasu discovered the above mentioned islands for the first time.
Tokugawa Ieyasu was very impressed by Sadayori's report on the topography and
products of the islands and ordered the islands to be named Ogasawara Islands
in his possession.[1]
The
Islands were often visited until the time of Naganao, Sadayori's son, but no
one visited the Islands for a long time since then; it was due to the distant
and rough seas and the national isolation policy. In the early year of Enpo
(1673-1680), a boat from Kii carrying mandarin oranges to Edo(Tokyo) was cast
ashore to the Islands. Later, the boat was able to reach Edo and gave the
account of the Islands. The Shogunate Government decided to develop the
Islands; Shimaya Ichiro of Nagasaki was selected to be the captain of
Fukokujuko, a newly built ship, since he was well versed in navigation.
The
ship left Shimoda on April 5, 1675. The ship reached the Islands on the 27th;
stayed there over a month; studied the products and soil conditions; collected
unusual plants; built a shrine; released a few chickens; made plans to revisit
the Islands; left on June 5 and arrived at Shimoda on the 12th.
Reports
were made, but nothing was heard after that. In 1727, the 12th year
of Kyoho, Ogasawara Sadatou, claiming himself as a descendant of Sadayori,
obtained a permit to sail his own boat and engage in exploration. He left
Osaka, but he was never heard from since. The Islands were known among those
who drifted to the Islands as Bunin-to or No-man-island. Watanabe Noboru,Takano
Choei, etc. were punished for trying to develop the islands towards the end of
Tempo era (1830-1843).
It
is documented in a book that the European countries came to know about the
Islands in 1817(the 14th year of Bunka). However the discoverer's name is not
give. (According to the islanders, the islands were called Bropis Islands. This
suggests that the first discoverer was a Spaniard.)
In
1827, the 10th year of Bunsei, Captain Beechey of British survey ship came to
the Islands; measured the depth of the harbor; named the islands Francis Bailey
after the head of the then Astronomical Observatory; nailed a copper plate on a
tree trunk with engraving which claimed the islands as British territory. It is
also said that Beechey raised his national flag. The above shows that there
were some people living on the islands. (The above mentioned new name Bailey
does not appear on the maps we find in common use. Instead, they are called
Bonin Islands, which is a corruption of Bunin (Munin) Islands. Bailey refers to
Haha-jima only.)
It
was 1830, the first year of Tempo, that Savory, a castaway from America, came
to the Islands. He testified that there was no one on the island when he came.
Commodore Perry was sent to Japan by the United States of America in 1853, the
6th year of Kaei. Prior to that he visited Bonin Islands. He made Savory the
chief and gave him the national flag; gathered the islanders of different
nationalities and told them that the islands belonged to the United States of
America. He also established a place to store coal at the Lloyd Bay.
The
copper plate left by Captain Beechey of the British survey ship still exists.
The following is the content:
"
I, F. W. Beechey, Captain of Her Majesty's ship, Blossom, occupied these
Islands on August 17, 1827 under the name of the British King, George IV."
The
agreement made when Perry visited was owned by Savory. The copper plate which
recorded the occupation was later sent to Haha-jima. It says, " these
southern islands were inspected and occupied on October 30, 1853 for the United
States of America by John Kelly, Director of U. S. S. Plymouth, by the order of
Commodore Perry. "
After
the opening of Yokohama, foreign whaling ships often mentioned that they left
Lloyd harbor of Bonin Islands. The British Minister, Alcock, once questioned
that whether or not the Islands belonged to Japan. Ando was very worried about
the future of the Islands leaving them to the foreigners.
It
just happened that Izuno-chikugonokami, who was supposed to visit various
countries could not be sent on his mission. Thus he was asked to inspect the
Islands of Izu and develop Ogasawara Islands. Hattori Kiichi and I were told to
accompany him. We left Edo on Dec. 3, 1861 on the naval ship Kanrin-maru.
Due
to rough seas we arrived at the Islands in the early January of next year. Islanders
were asked to assemble and told that the Islands belonged to Japan. They were
told either to obey the orders or leave the Islands. The Japanese Government,
they were told, would pay for the property and dwellings in case they would
leave the Islands. Everyone accepted the offer without any objection.
Mountains
were cleared; roads were opened; lands developed by the islanders were mapped
and certificates were issued; others were declared government land; The scenic
area (Ogiura of Susaki-mura) was purchased for future government buildings
site; old housing was repaired to be used as a rest place for those who came
ashore. There was only one Englishman on Haha-jima. He was treated similarly.
Other smaller islands were surveyed. Chichi-jima was divided into three
villages. Villages and islands and mountains were given names. Several
government officials were left there. The ship set sail and returned to Edo on
March 27. The report stressed the importance of the small islands comparing
them to the Sandwich Islands in case of opening of Panama Canal. A monument at
Ogiura has the following inscription.
"There
are islands to the south of Hachijo-jima of Izu, 27 degrees, N. L. and
427'east of the capital. On the 2nd year of Bunroku (1593) Ogasawara Minbu-shoyu
Sadayori visited the islands with governmental permit. The islands were called
Ogasawara. However, few people visited the Islands due to rough seas. In the
13th year of Kyoho (1728), Kunai Sadazumi, possibly a descendant of Sadayori,
visited the Islands. c.(Translatorfs Note: I had to skip a few lines here as
they were difficult to translate.)
Mizuno
Chikugonokami Tadanori and Hattori Kiichi's names were mentioned. It is dated
December, 1861.h Written by Kurokawa Mundo Shunson.
Later,
emigrants were sent on the naval ship, Choyo-maru and sailing boat carrying
lumber. Government buildings were constructed at Ogigaura. Several rowboats
were supplied for transportation within the island. Iguchi Hideharu and Kurita
Manjiro, botanists, were sent to plan the cultivation.
Hirano
Renzo of Echigo province purchased a foreign whaler and requested to engage in
whaling. He returned emptyhanded. Nakahama Manjiro joined the next try and came
back with two whales. Some people moved to Bonin Islands from Hachijo-jima and
the number of foreign ships visiting Ominato (Lloyd Harbor) increased. However,
there was a sudden order to evacuate the Islands; thus all the government
buildings, housing for the emigrants small balcus (?) type boats, and several
rowboats were given to the islanders and everyone was evacuated. The way I
understand, the reason for the above evacuation was due to the Government
policy of avoiding all possible trouble with foreign countries including the
unreasonable demand by the American Minister claiming that it was illegal for
the official of the Island to lock up Horton, an American when he acted
violently under the influence of alcohol.
It
is ironical that such a blunder should be blamed on Matsudaira Shungaku, the
then most esteemed high official and all the credit for developing the Islands
should go to Ando, who was called a traitor at that time.
[1] Editorfs Note, October 2000: The story of Ogasawara Sadayori discovering the islands is a hoax perpetrated years later by Ogasawara Sadatou in his attempt to obtain a deed to the islands. Sadatou did not disappear in route to the islands, as stated later in this article. He was sent into exile when his hoax was exposed. See Tanaka Hiroyukifs article, gHow the Japanese of the Edo Period Perceived the Ogasawara Islandsh.