SATSUMA STUDENTS DISPATCH PROJECT: Prefecture Simultaneously promoting “Global Human Resources Training for Young People”, “Cultivation of a Love of Hometown”, and “International Exchange with the UK” using the great achievements of our predecessors as a springboard

Background to the Project with local young people, thereby vicariously Global human resources training coming experiencing the efforts and achievements of out of Kagoshima, the region that built the their predecessors. foundation for modern 1. Dispatch Destination: UK (Camden Borough is the home of Saigo in London, Manchester, etc.) Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi, statesmen 2. No. of Tour Participants: 19 (15 high school who made great achievements in the students and 4 chaperones) establishment of the Restoration—the 3. Dispatch Period: 28th July (Sat) – 6th August foundation of modern Japan. With 2018 (Mon), 2018 marking the 150th anniversary of the Meiji 4. Programme Details Restoration, to strengthen initiatives such as (1) Visits to University College London relaying Kagoshima’s appeal to the world and (UCL)2 and other sites training human resources who will become (2) Local activities (following the footsteps future leaders, Kagoshima Prefecture, of the Satsuma Students, courtesy calls tourism industry related enterprises, and to Camden Council Office and other economic organisations have joined together related organisations, tours of cutting- to establish the “ 150th edge fields led by the UK, exchange Anniversary Project Committee” and hold a meetings with young British people, diverse array of more than 500 events and homestays, etc.) promotions. (3) Follow-up after return to Japan Of these, one project of particular note is (preparation of report, participation in the “Satsuma Students Dispatch Project”, projects related to the 150th through which high school students travel to Anniversary of the Meiji Restoration) the UK in a commemoration of the history of (4) Post-trip training (Debriefing meeting, the 19 students who were dispatched to the etc.) UK in the final days of the Tokugawa 1Participation in FY2019: 3 high school Shogunate. students; 1 chaperone 2A university with which Japan has deep Project Aims historical ties. Because this university had no The project aims to nurture global human enrollment restrictions based on gender, resources who will lead Kagoshima Prefecture religion, or race, many Japanese students in the future, as well as deepen exchange studied there during the final days of the between Kagoshima and the UK. through the Meiji Restoration. Project Outline (FY2018 Program Details1) Even today, records of the “Satsuma Over a ten-day period, high school Students” remain in the school register and students trace the footprints of the “Satsuma there is a monument to them on the Students” in the UK and undertake exchange university campus. 1

Kagoshima has friendship agreements—as well as the staff of the UK Satsuma Domain (now the Zaiei Kagoshima Kenjinkai).

Visit to University College London

Courtesy call on the Mayor of Camden

Features 1. Simultaneously cultivating young people’s international sensibilities and love of their hometown while unraveling At the Science and Industry Museum in the history of their home prefecture Manchester High school students, who are the same age as the “Satsuma Students” at the time Results of the Project of their study abroad, trace the footsteps Enhancement of participants’ of their predecessors and participate in international sensibilities and the realisation exchanges with young local people, of a deepening love for their home prefecture thereby cultivating not only their At the debriefing meeting following the international sensibilities but also their group’s return to Japan, the high school interest in and affection for their own students made comments such as “Having hometown. gained an understanding of the efforts and 2. Further deepening friendship between achievements of the Satsuma Students, I Kagoshima and the UK through strongly felt that this time we should be the rewarding partnerships with British ones to encourage the development of counterparts. friendship” and “I intend to work hard and A rewarding programme was achieved become a person who is capable of playing an through cooperation with Camden Borough active role on the world stage”, indicating that in London, Manchester City, and University the trip had provided the high school students College London (UCL)—with which 2 with an opportunity to consider their own future paths and boosted their motivation to Contact devote themselves to their studies. Division in Charge: International Affairs Division Issues and Responses Phone: ＋81-99-286-2217 What form should exchange take during and E-mail: [email protected] after the COVID-19 pandemic? Due to the impact of the COVID-19 Key Terms pandemic, the project could not be carried out ◆Meiji Restoration in FY2020. However, discussions are currently Facing external pressure from Western being held with local government agencies countries to open its doors to trade in the mid- and other organisations in the UK regarding 1800s, the greatest issue for Japan was measures to enable the “Satsuma Students” maintaining its independence as a nation. To exchange programs between Kagoshima and achieve this, Japanese people sought to the UK to continue in future. transform their country from a decentralised state under the Shogunate system, building a Future Developments unified nation through centralisation. The Kagoshima Prefecture is aiming to further Satsuma Domain played a central role in this deepen exchange with the UK in the future movement, working together with the Choshu based on Kagoshima’s history. Domain to establish a new government In addition to the “Satsuma Students,” centred on the emperor and overthrowing the Kagoshima Prefecture has other historical Tokugawa Shogunate in 1868. This series of overseas connections, such as the visit by the events is known collectively as the “Meiji Mayor of Manchester to elementary schools Restoration”. in Minamitane Town (2019), a relationship ◆Satsuma Students that stems from the Ingi-chickens that were Strongly impacted by the Bombardment of brought to Kagoshima by sailors on board the Kagoshima (–17, 1863), in 1865 the British ship the Drumeltan, which ran aground Satsuma Domain dispatched 19 envoys and due to strong winds off Tanegashima Island. students to the UK aboard the steamship In the future, Kagoshima intends to Australian with the aim of adopting aspects of invigorate its exchange with the UK by Western culture and modernising the domain. promoting similar exchange programmes that These students wrote back to Japan from are based on historical events. countries throughout Europe detailing the results of their studies and information about Reference URLs the situations in different countries, providing http://www.pref.kagoshima.jp/kohokocho/ko suggestions for the direction in which the uhoushi/kohosi/gurakago/h30/documents/68 domain should proceed. On their return to 694_20181210094113-1.pdf Japan, the students became driving forces for (Kagoshima Prefecture Newsletter Gurafu the modernisation of Japan centred in fields Kagoshima (November 2018 issue): available such as diplomacy, business, and education. in Japanese only) https://www.pref.kagoshima.jp/reimeikan/jo setsu/theme/kinsei/paris/index.html (Kagoshima Prefecture Official Website “Students studying Abroad in Britain and the Paris Exposition” is available in Japanese with multilingual translation services provided) http://ssmuseum.jp/contents/en/ (SATSUMA STUDENTS MUSEUM)

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