Sir Ernest Satow in Japan, 1862-69: Comparing His Diary ('Journal') and His Memoir Titled a Diplomat in Japan

View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Kyutacar : Kyushu Institute of Technology Academic Repository Sir Ernest Satow in Japan, 1862-69: Comparing his diary ('journal') and his memoir titled A Diplomat in Japan 著者 Ruxton Ian journal or IAJS Journal publication title volume 1 page range 23-32 year 2015 URL http://hdl.handle.net/10228/00006803 Sir Ernest Satow in Japan, 1862-69: Comparing his diary ('journal') and his memoir titled A Diplomat in Japan Ian Ruxton Sir Ernest Satow, P.C., G.C.M.G., LL.D., D.C.L. (1843-1929) was a man of many parts: diplomat, A Diplomat in Japan Japanologist, scholar of diplomacy and international A Diplomat in Japan is justly famous and law, linguist, qualified lawyer, traveller, guidebook unrivalled as the most perceptive and informative author, mountaineer, amateur botanist, book record written by a foreign observer of the end of collector, avid reader, letter writer and diarist - to the Tokugawa shogunate (Bakumatsu). Like the name just the main ones. His two best-known books Guide to Diplomatic Practice its widely recognized are in quite different fields.A Diplomat in Japan is importance means it has appeared in several his personal account as a witness of the ending of editions, though apparently the only one faithful to the Tokugawa shogunate in the 1860s, while his the original pagination is the hardcover Oxford Guide to Diplomatic Practice (first published by Historical Reprint2 of the late 1960s, introduced by Longmans, Green & Co. in 1917) examines the Professor Gordon Daniels. It was written in two custom and practice of diplomacy from a historical stages: the first was 1885-87 when Satow was perspective, and has since been republished in Minister in Bangkok; the second was during the several posthumous editions with different editors,1 latter part of his retirement (September 1919 - in the manner of a well-regarded and authoritative January 1921) at the urging of younger relations. legal text book. Daniels notes in his introduction that ' ...[t]he The two main sources for this paper are The main advantage of Satow' s work is its firmfoundation Diaries of Sir Ernest Mason Satow, 1861-1869, of documentary authenticity.By and large it is based edited by Robert Morton & Ian Ruxton, (Kyoto: on the author's private letters and journals and Eureka Press, 2013) and Satow's memoir A though there are divergencies between the book Diplomat in Japan first published in London by and the original diaries, the two correspond so Seeley, Service & Co. in 1921 during the latter part closely that the advantages of publishing the diaries of his retirement. Careful examination of both as against printing the memoirs are little more than sources is revealing of how the author changed from marginal. Essentially the book and the diaries tell a wild and ill-disciplined youth with great intelligence the same story, though at certain points Satow and potential to an efficient and effective consular retouched his original account when preparing his officialby the end of 1869, and finally to a cautious, memoirs for publication.' 3 prim and proper diplomat and scholar of distinction in his retirement, which began in 1906. In their editorial prefaceto the published diaries, Morton and Ruxton disagreed, as they were bound This paper will firstindicate the parts of the diary to do, about the marginal advantage of publishing which were not included, or rather deliberately them, stating that '[m]ore than a third of the material omitted, from the published book, and discuss the in the diaries did not make it into the book in any reasons forthe omissions. It will then look in detail form, and much that did was altered in ways that to at various key passages which have been included historians of bakumatsu politics, and the British from the diary, and discuss the differences m influenceon them, are highly significant.'4 language and how they are introduced. 23 IanRID:ton Inner History of the Critical Years in the Evolution Omissions from the Published Memoir of Japan when the Ports were Opened and the So what did Satow leave out of the published Monarchy Restored, Recorded by a Diplomatist book from the diaries? First, there is all the early who took an Active Part in the Events of the Time, period in China before he ever reached Japan. This with an Account of his Personal Experiences during is the focus of Professor Morton's work. In A that Period'. From this we see that the focus is on Diplomat in Japan Satow devotes barely a page to providing a historical account from the privileged his experiences in China: he explains why he and position of an insider ('inner history') who by virtue two other student interpreters (R.A. Jamieson and of his position as a diplomat was bound to know Russell Robertson) were initially stationed at the more and be privy to negotiations and meetings British Legation in Peking: it was to learn the which non-diplomats were not. As a memoir it is a Chinese language, which was thought to be an testament based on personal experiences, so it indispensable first step to learning Japanese. would not be a mere record of meetings held, but However, a note from the Japanese government, also a narrative of travels and experiences in the which no Chinese person could translate, arrived in interior of Japan, mainly with A.B. Mitford and Peking. This put paid to the theory, and Satow Charles Wirgman. commented: 'I thought then, and still think, that though an acquaintance with Chinese characters Satow's Family may be found useful by the student of Japanese, it is no more indispensable than that of Latin is to a Satow was part of a typically large, middle class person who wishes to acquire Italian or Spanish. We Victorian family of six brothers and five sisters. He were consequently bundled off to Japan with the was the eighth child and the third son. By the time least possible delay.' 5 of his return from the East in 1869 he had effectively become the 'golden boy,' and he already felt in 1861 Later in the same chapter (Chapter One) Satow that he was his father's favourite son. Yet in A writes somewhat regretfully and wistfully of China: Diplomat in Japan it is quite understandable that his 'I should like to dwell longer on our life in Peking - family receives only a passing reference - one of the the rides in the early morning [part omitted] ... secondary sources for the book was letters to his excursions to the ruins of the Summer Palace ...the mother, as Satow explains in the Preface, but these magnificent temples ... the dirt and dust of the are no longer available to us in the Satow Papers at streets ... the beggars ... the bazaar ... the Temple of the National Archives. They were probably burnt at Heaven ....but there is no time.' 6 Inasmuch as some point. Satow states at the beginning of the chapter that he never wished or intended to go to China, and he was Arguments over Promotion fascinated from the beginning by Japan, the omission of his China experiences from the book seems One of the most striking omissions from the entirely reasonable. Moreover, China is not published memoir is the diary entries about his mentioned in the title of the book. At the same time promotion within the consular service, or leaving the omission conveniently allows Satow to pass the service and going home. On 15 October 1863, over some of the more embarrassing incidents in when he was still a student interpreter on an annual which he was involved with his student interpreter salary of £200, Satow wrote to his father 'concerning colleagues. the advisability of returning to Europe if a letter which I wrote to [acting head of Legation] Col. Apart from the period in China (Shanghai 4 Neale & w[hi]ch. he has forwarded to the November 1861-16 March 1862; Peking 25 March- F[oreign].O[ffice]. asking for promotion has no 24 August 1862), what else has been omitted, and effect; asked my father also to inquire of old Bergne why? There is a strong hint in the lengthy sub-title of F.0. whether there will be anything for me in that to the book, though we do not know if this and the line. In my mail before wrote also asking for wine, title were written by Satow or the publisher: 'The stores and stationery, & this mail for a pistol.' 24 The IAJSJournal 2015 Vol.1 The response was a letter from Satow's father books ever open themselves before me, and I Hans David Christoph Satow, urging him to come am gradually losing every tincture of my back to England. The entry is dated 26 March 1864, original knowledge of ancient learning. The and is the firstof that year after a lengthy gap from reward I hope will be a great one when it 15 October of the previous year, which suggests comes. But I have still another arrow in the that Satow felt he must resume his diarybecause he quiver. Trade, for which my knowledge of the had something of personal importance to write. It language might in some measure to fitme, is a reads in full as follows: thing which would fit in with all my desires. The acquisition of a certain amount of tin 'March. 26th. In answer to my letter of 15th [money?], combined with the study ofJapanese. Oct[ober]. I have received a letter of 10 I have written to my father these things, and Dec[embe]r.

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