The Namamugi incident

     

Setting the scene

In 1862, the acting head of the Shimazu clan, a guy named Shimazu Saburō (島津三郎), attended the Emperor’s envoy’s entourage to the capital of Edo. Perhaps he was there to offer weight to the request that the Shōgun travel to Kyōto to discuss measures that could be implemented to keep foreigners off Japanese soil.

In addition to his already stated purpose, there were two additional items Saburō wanted to discuss with the Shōgun. They were:

  • the law requiring lengthy attendance by Daimyō in the capital (and when not there, hostages in their place) to be abolished
  • for himself to be appointed by the Shōgun to a level of particular importance in the Emperor’s court

Not only were the above two requests denied, but the Shōgun didn’t even make space in his schedule for face time with the regent of Satsuma. This only served to add to what was already a deep, hereditary hatred that the Shimazu had for the Tokugawa.

The scene

A woodblock print depicting the attack upon a British national on September 14th, 1862. The man standing upright with the red, billowing Hakama is none other than Shimazu Saburō (this time written as 嶋津三郎).

The dangers of horseback riding

With their business more-or-less concluded, they left Edo. When on the Tōkaidō, the main road linking Edo with Kyōto and Ōsaka, Saburō and his procession came across four mounted Englishmen, one of which was a lady.

When the day-trippers got close, only one of the four dismounted & bowed. To dismount was seen as the right thing by the Japanese, but seen as appalling by every other foreigner in Japan at the time. In fact, the Anglo-Japanese friendship treaty that was in effect, deemed such an action as unnecessary for Anglos. In any case, Charles Richardson, pictured in the black coat & top hat, met his end for not having shown sufficient respect.

Compensation of ₤25,000 was demanded for Mr Rishardson’s death, however almost one year had passed and the British still hadn’t received the requested funds. Dissatisfied, several British ships were assembled and  proceeded to bombard the Satsuma capital of Kagoshima.

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  • http://twitter.com/Tornadoes28 Jon L

    The Satsuma samurai actually put up a very good fight against the British killing I believe 13 sailors including a ship captain.

  • http://twitter.com/Muzachan Muza-chan 「ムザちゃん」

    Interesting article, thank you :)

  • Travis

    A fascinating event… I don’t think I’d seen any prints of it before, so thanks for sharing this one.

    I went on a field trip to Namamugi once with my language school; I think I was the only one who was excited or interested to see the marker for the site of the incident. Everyone else was excited for the Kirin beer factory tour, the actual destination of our outing that day.

  • Anonymous

    I did read (on Wikipedia (yikes!)) that the captain & his next-in-charge both lost their heads to the same cannon-ball. Perhaps, you’ve heard that old adage that Two heads are better than one. Well, gags aside, that’s what is written.

    Also, that most of the British deaths came about to imperfections in the cannon’s casting…

  • Anonymous

    Thanks Muza-chan! I’m glad you enjoyed it.

  • http://twitter.com/Tornadoes28 Jon L

    I had heard also about the captain losing his head as well but had not heard that about the sailors deaths. Interesting.

  • Anonymous

    That made me chuckle a little. Ya big nerd!

    However, I’m totally with you. I’d've been all about the historical event that had taken place.

  • http://twitter.com/Tornadoes28 Jon L

    I’m a Japan history nerd like you. Although the beer factory would make me pretty excited as well. :)

  • Anonymous

    Like I said, that’s what is written in Wikipedia. I’m sure contemporary, eye-witness accounts exist somewhere though.

  • Thepoolofzen

    Have you been down to any of the old Satsuma ruins? Satsuma is on my list of places to see. Anything worth checking out?

  • Rekishi no Tabi

    Just to defuse any ambiguity among the J-history nerd community, Shimazu Saburō = Shimazu Hisamitsu. Hisamitsu was one of the more interesting, amusing and annoying actors strutting about on the Bakumatsu stage. Here’s an interesting link that deals more with him and the conflict with his elder brother, Nariakira. http://forums.samurai-archives.com/viewtopic.php?t=3038

  • http://www.poolofzen.com コールズ・真秀

    I got most of my info on the era from movies and the book, ‘the last shogun.’ I’m afraid I’m not very well read, though it is fascinating for sure. Many props to those of you whose knowledge surpases my ‘education by Japanese historical dorama’ !

    Thanks forthe article Dan, good stuff.

  • http://www.poolofzen.com コールズ・真秀

    I got most of my info on the era from movies and the book, ‘the last shogun.’ I’m afraid I’m not very well read, though it is fascinating for sure. Many props to those of you whose knowledge surpases my ‘education by Japanese historical dorama’ !

    Thanks forthe article Dan, good stuff.

  • Anonymous

    You know, I’ve not been down that far. I do believe there is a lot to see though. I think there are some samurai homes in Chiran. There may also be a Kamikaze air-base nearby. Another local attraction would be the vocanic-sand baths.

  • Anonymous

    Hi Lonny, thanks for that link.

    Yes, Hisamitsu was in the first draft but ended up getting the chop.

  • Anonymous

    I actually have a pretty relaxed attitude toward the actual happenings in Japanese history. I think the base of which was established by the fictionalised writings of Eiji Yoshikawa. I must have read both Taiko & Musashi 10 times each.

  • Sam

    Who would have thought it at the time, but the same Satsuma would become Britain’s most avid customer for Enfield rifles and Armstrong artillery pieces. If you can’t beat em, might as well join em, as the old adage goes.

  • Anonymous

    Hi & welcome Sam, it’s nice to meet you.

    Yes, it was good thinkin’ by those in Satsuma to get on board with the Brits in their efforts to get modern. I wonder how often a similar thing has happened: beaten but not conquered, they ally themselves with the enemy because they know it will serve them well.

  • Anonymous

    Hi & welcome Sam, it’s nice to meet you.

    Yes, it was good thinkin’ by those in Satsuma to get on board with the Brits in their efforts to get modern. I wonder how often a similar thing has happened: beaten but not conquered, they ally themselves with the enemy because they know it will serve them well.

  • Sam

    Thanks Kyushudan!

    Your website is wonderful!

    I am studying at Kyoto University for a year and live near the now more baseball stadium than castle, Fushimi-jo. I was wondering if you will ever put up any information on Odani (or is it kodani?) castle, the castle of the former Asai clan near Nagahama in Shiga-ken.

    Keep up the good work!

  • Anonymous

    Oh, Fushimi-jo だ. I dropped by there several years ago & it was fenced off. I believe now it’s re-opened, is that right?

    As for Odani, no. No pix, no nothing. It is on the list of places to visit, and it has been for a while. I first read about it reading Taiko, by Eiji Yoshikawa many, many years ago.