消された偉人　小栗公 The hidden great man Oguri.

小栗上野介忠順。一般的な知名度はあまり高くないかもしれません。

昨年の大河ドラマ、「青天を衝け」に登場したとか、先月、彼のドラマが再放送されたとも聞きます。まあ、私はテレビを持っていないので、両ドラマ共に視聴していませんが。

歴史好きな人の間でも、そんなに詳しくは知られていないかもしれません。評価としても精々、勝海舟のライバルという位置づけではないでしょうか。

日本最初の株式会社は？と聞けば、多少、歴史を知っている人は坂本龍馬の亀山社中と答えるでしょう。

日米修好通商条約の締結後、幕府は批准書の交換のために使節をアメリカに送りました。その船と乗っていた人？となると、咸臨丸と勝海舟と答える人がいるでしょう。

これらの答えはどちらも正しくない。

亀山社中は坂本龍馬が仲間と共に設立した商社とは言えますが、広く出資者を募って役員や定款等を備えた会社組織とは言えません。

真に日本最初の株式会社と言えそうなのは、役員、定款等をきちんと備えた兵庫商社、設立したのは小栗公。

咸臨丸とはあくまでも護衛艦であり、幕府が遣わした正使である新見正興、副使、村垣範正、そして目付の小栗忠順らが乗っていたのはポーハタン号。

咸臨丸は太平洋横断後は日本に引き返していますが、小栗公らは鉄道に乗り換えてワシントンへ、そしてホワイトハウスで使節としての任務を果たして後、大西洋を横断して帰国という、地球一周とも言える航海。

このように、小栗公の功績は他の人物の業績に巧みに隠されて消されています。

幕末、開国した日本ですが諸外国と結んだ条約は不平等なもので金銀の交換比率は日本にとって不公平なものであり金銀の海外流出を招き、物価の高騰に繋がりました。これを正そうと小栗公は日本の小判の金の含有量を示して条約改正の交渉を行いました。残念ながら不首尾には終わりましたが、言うべきことを根拠を示してきちんと言ったのです。

Noと言える日本人と言えば、先頃、亡くなられた石原慎太郎氏を思い出す人も多いことでしょう。しかし小栗公はそれに先駆けて、米国にNoを言えた元祖だと言えます。

小栗公の最大の功績と言うべきは、横須賀造船所の設立ですが、現在、その地は米軍基地内に含まれていて、日本人はなかなか近づけません。こうしたことも小栗上野介忠順という人物を隠した存在にしておきたいという意図的な風を感じてしまいます。

造船所と言っても船だけを造るということではなく、船に必要な部品、それこそ螺子の一本から製造する総合工場を目指したものでした。

まったく影響力ない私の駄文ではありますが、尊敬する小栗公への思いを少しでも形にしておきたく、こうして文章を綴っています。

ライバルのように目されることが多い勝海舟との比較ですが、小栗家は徳川家が三河の大名であった頃からの家臣であり、先祖は常に戦場で一番槍を勤め、「又も一番槍」と言われたことから、又一という通称を代々名乗ることを許された家柄で旗本でした。

勝海舟の祖父は盲目の金貸しであり、小金を貯めて、御家人株を買って武士の身分を手に入れた、所謂、金上げ侍。

江戸時代、原則として身分は固定されていたのですが、抜け道とか例外は世の常で、経済的に窮乏した或いは跡取りがなく家が絶えそうな武家が町人以下の身分から持参金付きで婿を取ったり、養子を迎えることで家系の存続を図ることがありました。これがつまりは武家株を買うという行為でした。

横道に逸れますが、勝の弟子、坂本龍馬の家も郷士株を買った金上げ侍。

旗本と御家人の違いですが、どちらも将軍直属の武士ではありますが、旗本は将軍に御目見え出来ますが、御家人にはその資格はありません。

家柄のことではなく、小栗公と勝の個人としての違いですが、勝は幕臣でありながら西郷隆盛とか坂本龍馬という反体制側の人物とも繋がっていたのに対し、小栗公は徹頭徹尾、幕府と日本のために生きた人物でした。

文政十年（1827）江戸で生まれた小栗公、旗本として文武に優れた人物として外国、勘定、江戸町等々の奉行職を歴任。あれこれと職が変わっているのは、直言居士であったことから、周囲と衝突しての辞職も多く、それでも有能で他に適任者がいないということから呼び戻されることを繰り返した結果でした。

ついには遣米使節の目付という重責を担い太平洋を渡ることに。アメリカの地から小栗公は大量のある物を持ち帰り、知人らに土産として配りました。螺子でした。小さな螺子だが、これが工業化と産業を支える重要な物であり、こうした部品をたくさん作れる国にならなければ日本は危ういと肌で感じたのでしょう。そのことが横須賀造船所や兵庫商会、フランス式軍事教練等に繋がっていきました。日本の近代化の先鞭を付けたと言えます。

大政奉還後、薩長を中心とした官軍は江戸へ向けて進軍。幕府内でも抗戦か恭順かで意見が割れました。小栗公は中山道の碓井、東海道は箱根を封鎖して海上に軍艦を並べて東海道を進んで来る官軍を砲撃するという作戦を提案。この作戦が実行されていれば、歴史の流れももしかしたら少しは違ったかもしれません。残念ながら将軍、徳川慶喜が恭順の姿勢を崩さず、勝主導での江戸城無血開城という茶番めいたことがまかり通りました。

幕府瓦解後、小栗公は領地である上州権田村に退去。その地で若者の教育を行おうとお考えでした。幕府はなくなっても日本は残る。その日本を支える若者を育てたいとのお志でした。

中山道を進んで来た官軍により、その夢は破られました。岩倉具視の次男、具定を総督とする東山道軍によって、小栗上野介は人と財を蓄えて謀反の動きありとして捕縛、取り調べもなく水沼河原に引き出して従者共々に斬首。家財道具等も押収し競売に掛けて軍資金にするという品性下劣な強盗行為。

土壇場に引き据えられても、小栗公は見苦しく弁解や命乞いすることもない潔いお最後を遂げられたようです。正に本物の侍でした。

この期に及んでの弁解や命乞いは見苦しいだけだと、立派なお覚悟。

慶応元年閏四月六日（１８６８年5月27日）4１年の御生涯でした。

偉人、小栗上野介、罪なくして此処に斬らる。

水沼河原に建つ顕彰碑にはそう刻まれています。罪ないどころか、どれだけの功績を残したことかと思うと無念でなりません。

注、この先は少し話が逸れて、私見と妄想が中心の記述。

小栗公が目指した幕府主導で近代化が為されていたら、日本という国家は今とは違った姿になっていたことでしょう。明治維新とは欧米、更にはその後ろにいるフリーメイソン、D.S.等に唆された薩長の下級武士達によって起こされた革命であり、現代の日本はその延長上にあり、完全に支配下に入れられています。

260年以上も対外戦争も大きな内戦もない平和な時代は無理矢理、終わらせられ、ほぼ10年毎に対外戦争。日露戦争で白人国家に勝ったと有頂天になったものの、それも所詮、ロシア帝国を窮地に陥れるために利用されたに過ぎず、却って軍資金の融資を外国から受けたことが金融を握られる端緒となりました。

そして第二次世界大戦で多大な犠牲を払っての敗戦。占領。見せかけだけの独立を果たして後、バブルに踊らされて多くの日本人は拝金主義、物質主義に染まり果て、精神的な支柱を喪失。

精神だけではなく、財産等もどんどんと外資に吸い取られ、国土も海外勢力に買われていく始末。このままいけば、日本という国家は消滅。泉下の小栗公に対して、今を生きる日本人の一人として申し訳ない気持ちで一杯になります。

話を小栗上野介忠順に戻します。

小栗公が”私”よりも”公”ということを重んじた人物であったことは、お名前が如実に示しています。小栗公の官職名は上野介。

江戸時代、もう一人、有名な上野介がいました。

吉良上野介義央。忠臣蔵の悪役です。昭和の頃までは毎年のように映画やドラマが製作されて、日本人なら知らない人はいないとも言えた物語でしたが、今ではあまり顧みられず、令和の世では歌舞伎ファン以外にはあまり知られていない話かもしれません。

江戸時代では当然、皆が上野介という悪名を承知していて、幕府からその名乗りを与えられた時、知人の中には辞退してはどうかという者もいましたが、小栗公は意にも介さず、名乗り続けました。

小栗公が自分の名誉とか周囲からの聞こえという”私”を重んじる人ならば、名乗らなかったかもしれません。しかし、自らが仕える”公”である幕府から与えられた官職名であり、御自身の領地、権田村は上野国にあるので何の不都合もないというお考えだったのかもしれません。

小栗公の刑死後、権田村の領民達は損得勘定しか頭にないような人間からはおよそ理解出来ないような行動を起こしました。

残された御夫人、御母堂という遺族を保護して、山伝いに新潟を経て会津まで逃がしたのです。

欲に塗れた、今だけ金だけ自分だけという輩ならば、決してそんなことはしないでしょう。何の見返りもないどころか、権力を握った連中から罪人に仕立てられた人物の遺族を保護、逃亡を幇助したとして自分達も火の粉を被る恐れがあります。

遺族を官軍に突き出して、褒章のおこぼれに預かろうなどという卑しい性根の者がいなかったということです。

生前、水に困っていた領民のために小栗公は機械測量して用水を整備したことがありました。そうした恩を忘れていなかったのでしょう。領民に愛される殿様だったのです。

斬首後、小栗公の首は館林に送られ、胴体は権田村（現在は高崎市倉淵町）の東善寺に葬られましたが、領民達は首をも取り返して、一緒に葬りました。

会津への逃避行の護衛隊長を務め、首をも取り返した中島三左衛門は後に、「武士でも及ばぬ誉ある義挙」と前橋藩主に激賞され、誉田という苗字を賜りました。

小栗公が御最後を遂げられた場所が史跡に指定されたのは昭和57年。もう昭和も終わり近い頃。明治政府の流れを汲む現在の日本政府にとって、公の処刑、それに続く強盗行為が隠しておきたい不都合な真実であったことを感じてしまいます。

同じく昭和の終わり頃、徳川埋蔵金がテレビ番組で大々的に取り上げられ、その埋納を指揮したのではないかと、小栗上野介忠順の名前が一時的にクローズアップされたことがありました。

結局、いくら掘っても埋蔵金は出ず仕舞いでしたが、そのプロジェクトに協力した群馬県の土建会社、テレビ番組に出たことで知名度が上がり、仕事も増えて、設備投資を繰り返し、現在は倒産したとか噂で聞きました。

そんな俗っぽいことではなく、公の志や功績こそ多くの日本人に知られて欲しいと願って止みません。

隠された人物、知られていない歴史こそ興味深い。

English version.

Oguri Kouzukenosuke Tadamasa. I guess he is not so famous even among Japanese.

I heard that NHK had broadcasted year-long historical drama "Seiten wo Tuke" last year. In that drama, he appeared. And in another drama, featured him was broadcasted in last month.

But I don't have TV so I didn't watch them.

Even among historians, he is not so popular. Some of them evaluates him as a rival of Katsu Kaishu.

If I ask such people, "What was the 1st incorporation in Japan?" 

They might answer "Kameyama-Shachu, founded by Sakamoto Ryoma"

If I ask "After the Edo shogunate agreed to treaty between the United States, they sent the mission to exchange ratifications. Who went to the States and what was the name of the ship?"

They might answer "Katsu Kaishu and Kanrinmaru"

Those answers are wrong.

Kameyama-Shachu was a trader company, Sakamoto Ryoma and his friend founded but they didn't have board members and articles of incorporation. So it was not incorporation.

On the other hand, Oguri founded Hyogo shokai that had board members and  articles of incorporation. So it was the 1st incorporation in Japan.

Kanrinmaru was only the escort ship , the main ship for the mission was USS Pawhatan. Missions were Niimi Masaoki, Murakami Norimasa and Oguri Tadamasa.

After reached the U.S. Kanrinmaru and Katsu returned Japan but the missions went to Washington D.C.  by train and carried out their missions. After that they voyaged the Atlantic ocean and went back to Japan.

So they voyaged around the world.

Such answers showed Oguri and his works were hidden by other one's works.

In the end of the Edo period, Japan opened the country to the world, And had diplomat relations with other countries. But treaties between other countries were not fair. Especially the exchange rate of gold and silver was unfair so a lot of gold and silver were taken out from Japan. It triggered the inflation. 

Oguri tried to correct the rate so he showed the content of gold in Koban, Japanese coin.

He negotiated to the U.S. Unfortunately it did not succeed then even so he tried and said no to the United states.

Japanese who can say no to the world. It reminds some of you Ishihawa Shintaro who died recently. Because he issued such book with Morita Akio who was the CEO of Sony.

I think Oguri was the 1st Japanese who said No to the United States.

The biggest work of Oguri was Yokosuka dock but now that place is in the U.S. Navy's base so it it hard to visit among Japanese. It might be the reason that I feel he and his works are hidden for us.

The dock was not only to build ships but also make everything to build ships such as screws. It could be said the general factory.

I wonder I have enough skill to write about how great Oguri was but I try it.

Some people think Oguri was the rival of Katsu Kaishu so I compared them.

Oguri family had served Tokugawa shogun family since Tokugawa didn't have the power.  One of his ancestors was so brave that he attacked enemies first every battle. So people said "He attacked enemy 1st again"

His master gave him a nickname "Mataichi" it means again 1st in Japanese.

Since then men of Oguri family had passed that nickname generations.

And Oguri family was Hatamoto that is a kind of samurai who served to the shogun directly. 

On the other hand Kaishu's grand father was a blind man and a money lender.

He saved money and became samurai by money. Katsu family became Gokenin, a kind of samurai who served shogun directly.

During the Edo period people couldn't change their social status basically but there were some ways to become upper class people. 

Some samurai family didn't have enough money or didn't have sons to be the master, got married to lower class people or got adapted son from such people with money. These were the ways to be samurai from lower class.

One of Katsu student Sakamoto Ryoma, his family was such family too.

The difference between Hatamoto and Gokenin was Hatamoto could see shogun but Gokenin couldn't.

About Kaishu and Kouzukenosuke, Kaishu had relationships with Saigo Takamori and Sakamoto Ryoma even they were against Shogunate.

But Kouzukenosuke served shogunate and Japan whole of his life.

1827 Kouzukenosuke was born in Edo. He was excellent for politics and martial arts so he was used heavily. He worked as many of magistrates such as foreign ministry, finance, city of Edo and so on.

The reason of he changed his divisions was he sometimes argued with his boss and resign many times. But he was very skillful so he was called again and again.

Finally he was selected one of mission to the United States and across the Pacific ocean.

Kouzukenosuke brought back many of things from the U.S. and distributed them to his friends. Those were many screws.

Even screw was a small thing but it is important to make something big and important one for industries. And he thought they should make Japan industrial country. If they couldn't do it, Japan might be a colony of other countries.

Experiences in the states made him work for Japan such as building Yokosuka dock, setting  up Hyogo incorporation founding French style army and so on.

He was deserved to be called father of modern Japan.

After the shogunate lost the power, the new government army that was organized mainly Satsuma and Choshu samurai marched to Edo. 

In the shogunate they argued what they should do. Fight or surrender.

Kouzukenosuke proposed the strategy that they blockade checkpoints of Usui and Hakone then locate battle ships on the sea near Hakone and attack by artilleries.

If they had carried out this plan, the stream of history might be changed.

But in fact the last shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu surrendered to the new government so Katsu's idea was carried out I mean they left Edo castle without any battle.

After the shogunate collapsed, kouzukenosuke went back to his domain, Gonda village in Kouzuke. He wanted to educate young people to lead Japan.

He thought even the shogunate was gone, Japan is still here.

But his dream was broken by the new government army that was led by Iwakura Tomosada who was the 2nd son of famous politician Iwakura Tomomi.

They arrested Kouzukenosuke. Because they thought Kouzukenosuke had lot's of money and gathered young men to revolt the new government.

Without any Q and A sessions they executed Kouzukenosuke and his men on Mizunuma kawara. 

Then they robbed properties and had auction to get money. I think they were like robberies.

When he was decapitated, he didn't try to beg for his life or excuse.

He must think it was useless to try them on the spot. He had real samurai spirit.

It was 27th May 1868 he was 41 years old then.

The great man Oguri Kouzukenosuke was killed here without any guilt. 

This sentence was curved on the stone monument at Mizunuma kawara.

I believe he had no guilt but had lot's of achievements for Japan.

Caution from here I will write about my opinion and delusion.

If they followed Kouzukenosuke and led Japan by the shogunate, our country should be different from present Japan.

I think the Meiji restoration was a revolution by lower class samurai from Satsuma and Choshu. And most of them were agitated by free mason or deep state behind the Western countries.

The present Japan is on the track of it and was controlled by them perfectly.

Before then there had been no wars against other countries and no major civil wars for over 260 years. Such era was finished. After that Japan had wars almost every 10 years.

Even Japan won the war against Russia, It means colored country defeated white country. It was used only to weaken the Russian empire. 

And Japan borrowed money for the war, it became the origin Japanese finance was controlled by other ones,

Japan lost the World War 2 with big damage and was occupied. Even after independent, Japan has been controlled. After Japan experienced bubble economy, many of Japanese have become money believers and been materialistic. After all many of us lost spirits.

Not only for spirits, our properties have been absorbed by foreign powers. 

Our lands have been sold to foreigners.

I am worrying that in the near future Japan might be disappeared. As on of Japanese who live in such era, I have to apologize to Mr.Oguri.

Back to the story about Oguri Kouzukenosuke Tadamasa.

Kouzukenosuke his name shows us that how emphasis to the authority not for himself.

During the Edo period, there was another Kouzukenosuke who was more famous than Oguri.

It was Kira Kouzukenosuke Yoshinaka. He was the villain of famous story Chushingura.

That story had been adapted Kabuki, drama, movie many times until the Showa period. So it was very popular among Japanese. But now in the Reiwa period, the story has been almost forgot. It might be famous only for Kabuki fans.

  In the Edo period many people knew that story so some of his friends advised he should not accept the same name. 

But Oguri used that name. Because the name was given by the shogunate and his domain, Gonda village was in Kouzuke province so he thought it was natural to use the name of Kouzukenosuke.

After Kouzukenosuke was executed people in his domain did something that many of people who were computational would never do.

They protected Kouzukenosuke's wife and mother and went to Aizu via Niigata with them.

I guess people who love money, enjoy now themselves can't understand such things. Because they were family of criminal for the new government. 

Village people would not be rewarded and they might be punished.

There were no one who wanted to be rewarded by catching Oguri family.

Once Kouzukenosuke surveyed and made aqueduct for famers in his domain by machine.

Village people didn't forget it. That must be one of reasons.

Kouzukenosuke was respected by people in his domain.

After decapitation Kouzukenosuke's head was sent to Tatebayashi, his body was buried in Tozenji temple in Gonda village now Kurabuchi town in Takasaki city. But they took back the head then buried too. 

Nakajima Sanzaemon was the leader of village people who protected and went to Aizu with Oguri family and took back the head.

Later he was praised by the lord of Maebashi.

"I am very proud of you. You did great things even samurai would not do"

And the lord gave Nakajima new family name "Konda" Kon  means honor in Japanese.

The place where Kouzukenosuke was executed was designated the historical spot in 1982. It was the late Showa period.

The present government of Japan is the heir of Meiji government. 

So I guess the government didn't want to let people know about execution of Oguri Kouzukenosuke and robbery after he died.

In the same time a TV station had broadcasted programs about buried treasure of Tokugawa shogunate. Then many of them believed that Kouzukenosuke led burying treasure. 

After all none of them couldn't find the treasure. A contractor in Gunma supported the program That company became famous for the program and got many orders did capital investment. But I heard that the company went broke.

I wish Oruri Kouzukenosuke will be famous for his works and spirit not for buried treasure.

I believe that hidden history and great men are very interesting.