ベイカー寮221B／Baker House 221B

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ベイカー寮221B／Baker House 221B TOP 　>　 Sego-don-people

BEPPU Shinsuke

He was born in 1847 as the second son of BEPPU Jūrō. He was a cousin of NAKAMURA Hanjirō, later KIRINO Toshiaki. He participated in the Boshin War and then accompanied SAIGŌ Takamori. In Tokyo, he became an officer of the Imperial Guards later.

In 1873, Takamori returned to Kagoshima after the Seikanron was strongly opposed. Then he made efforts to establish Shigakkō for Takamori. He instructed youths in cultivating new land but the spy activities of NAKAHARA Nao-o came to light and the staff and the students plan to start a rebellion against the government.

In February 1877, he led dokuritsu daitai (separate battalion) and arrived at Kawashiri. Then the battalion entered the war against the Government army based in Kumamoto Castle. Shinsuke surrounded the castle with the troops of SHINOHARA Kunimoto and MURATA Shinpachi and the Saigō army fought battles the Government army in Kumamoto prefecture.

As many soldiers died in the battles, he once returned to Kagoshima and beat up recruits. He then advanced to Kumamoto with them but was wounded in his leg and commanded some troops based in Kagoshima and Miyazaki (*) while having treatment however he couldn't fight well. He followed Takamori and returned to Kagoshima from Miyazaki crossing  Kyushu Mountains.

They climbed (Mount) Shiroyama and confined themselves to there to offer resistance. On the 24th of September 1877, Takamori and other soldiers made an attack on their enemy but Takamori who was shot and told him to help him to commit hara-kiri (kaishaku). After that he killed himself in combat. 

In this series, he goes to Tokyo to become a member of the Imperial Guards. But after Takamori resigned from his position, he also returned to Kagoshima and agrees with him who tries to go to Tokyo to make a direct appeal to the government. However they are attacked by the Government army and at last they includes Shinsuke start fighting and he finally helps Takamori to committ hara-kiri at Shiroyama.

(*) At that time, Miyazaki was annexed to Kagoshima.

The image shows Yūshin Shinohara ad Beppu Shinsuke
(From the official website of "Segodon")

[ 2018/12/16 00:15 ] Taiga Drama Sego-don | TB(-) | CM(0)


 He was born in Satsuma domain, 1837. He was a son of SHINOHARA Zenbei and studied Japanese classics and Chinese classics. He also practiced swordsmanship, spearmanship, Japanese archery and horsemanship. He planned overthrowin the shogunate by arms with ARIMA Shinshichi in 1862 but ended in failure.

He participated in the Boshin War later. After the Meiji restoration, he became an officer of Kagoshima jōbi-tai (regular army) and when SAIGŌ Takamori led the army to Tokyo in 1871, he led some troops of it and it helped the realisation of Hai-han Chiken, abolishment of the domain system. He was an officer of the Imperial Guards also and it is said that Emperor Meiji who saw military drill at a maneuvering ground told the soldiers,
"Shinohara ni minarau yōni"
(The soldiers must follow his example)
and the ground became to be called Narashino (*).

After Takamori resigned his position and returned to Kagoshima, he followed him even though the Emperor stopped him. His return influenced the government and the army. After returning to Kagoshima, he cooperated with Takamori in establishing Shigakkō.  In 1877, he learned the torture on NAKAHARA Nao-o who tried to kill Takamori and the attack on the government's armoury. Then he agreed with the dispatch of the troops against the Government army.

He participated in the attack on Kumamoto Castle and then advanced to northern Kumamoto. He and his troop fought well but it is said that his strategy was rough a bit. On the 4th of March 1877, he was killed at Kichiji Path when he commanded the soldiers. However, his death lifted the spirits of the soldiers from Kagoshima.

The copy of his diary is kept in Kagoshima Library.

In this series, he is described as a man who is eager to establish Shigakkō and dispatch troops against the Government army.

(*) This is said to be a fiction. The ground was formerly used by the cavalry and is the ground for the 1st Airborne Brigade of the Self-defense Forces.

The image shows Hideo Sakaki as Shinohara Kunimoto
(From the official website of "Segodon")

[ 2018/12/09 23:00 ] Taiga Drama Sego-don | TB(-) | CM(0)

HENMI Jūrōta

He was born in 1849 in Satsuma domain. Though hie career until the end of the Tokugawa shogunate is unknown, he fought bravely in the Boshin War. After the Meiji Restoration, he became an officer of the Imperial Guards. But he was forced to commit hara-kiri when the Imperial Palace burned because he was in a geisha house at that time. But SAIGŌ Takamori stopped it and he reformed himself. When Takamori resigned his position and returned to Kagoshima in 1873, he also followed him and became a staff of Shigakkō.

He participated in the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877. He led his troop and attacked Kumamoto Caslte, the headquarter of the Government army. He was trusted by many of his comrades in arms and they were encouraged by his fight. He died on the 24th of September at the age of 29. He is said to have committed suicide or died in a battle against the Government army. 

In this series, he is one of the fellows of Takamori. He accompanies Takamori to Shiroyama, the place of Takamori's death and then dies.

The images shows Yūho Mochinaga as Henmi Jūrōta
(From the official website of "Segodon")

[ 2018/12/08 23:45 ] Taiga Drama Sego-don | TB(-) | CM(0)


He was born in Satsuma domain in 1845 and participated in the Boshin War later. After the Meiji Restoration, he became a policeman. In 1874, he resigned his position and participated in the Taiwan Expedition. After that he recovered the position.

In 1877, he returned to Kagoshima but his real intention was spying Shigakkō established by SAIGŌ Takamori. He is said to have told one of his old friends that he intended to stab Takamori to stop the rebellion. And then he was tortured by the students of the school. However, he was saved by YANAGUHARA Sakimitsu who was sent to Kagoshima by Emperor Meiji to visit SHIMAZU Tadayoshi who was formerly called Mochihisa. He then held the important positions of some prefectual police stations. He died at the age of 70 in 1914.

He insisted that he didn't intend to stab but watched Takamori. (In regard to this, please see the post about the episode 45) He had no fingernails because of the torture and it influenced his daily life.

(*) Like Takaya Sakoda as ETŌ Shinpei, he instructs the cast members of the series in Satsuma dialect.

The image shows Kōkichi Tanoue(*) as Nakahara Nao-o.
(From the official website of "Segodon")

[ 2018/12/05 23:45 ] Taiga Drama Sego-don | TB(-) | CM(0)

ŌKUMA Shigenobu

He was born as son of OKUMA Nobuyasu who served Saga domain. As his father was an upper-class samurai, he learned at Kōdōkan, school of the domain. However he opposed to the policy of the school and joined the group of royalists around 1855 and learned English on the following year.

In 1865, he established a school of English and was active in royalism. Before it, he tried to mediate between Chōshū domain and the Tokugawa shogunate but failed. In 1867, he left the domain with SOEJIMA Taneomi to advise TOKUGAWA Yoshinobu to return the government to the crown but they were arrested and forced to confine themselves in a house.

After the Meiji Restoration, he was recommended by KOMATSU Tatewaki and was appointed to a judge in Foreign Affairs Bureau. When Sir Harry Parkes criticised the Urakami Yoban Kuzure, the oppression of Christians especially Catholics in Nagasaki, he told him that it's an interference in internal affairs. However some say it influenced the plan of revising the treaties of the Iwakura Mission. He then became vice foreign prefectural governor and remarried Saegusa Ayako.

He later became a councilor and the Minister of the Ministry of the Treasury and promoted the policies of modernising Japan. He also supported Mitsubishi Steamship Company established by IWASAKI Yatarō. And then he insisted on establishing national assembly and party cabinet but later he resigned his position because of the opposition against those from Satsuma and Chōshū.

In 1882, he formed the Constitutional Progressive Party (Rikken Kaishin tō). And he also established Waseda University. In 1887, he received the title of count and was appointed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Then he attempted to revise treaties but the idea of introducing a foreign judge met with opposition. Then he was wounded in the right leg by a member of Gen-yō-sha, a political organisation and had the leg amputated. Then he resigned the position. In 1898, he formed the first party cabinet with ITAGAKI Taisuke and became the first Prime Minister from Hizen (Saga) but the cabinet was short-lived. 

In 1907 he retired from politics and became the president (chancellor) of Waseda University. Then he published may foreign books translated into Japanese and conducted cultural activities. In 1914, he returned to political world as PM and made a declaration of war against the Germanic Empire (*). In 1916, he retired from politics completely because of the scandal of ŌURA Kanetake, Minister of Foreign Affairs. He died of gallstone in 1922. 

It was FUKUZAWA Yukichi, establisher of Keiо Gujuku who encouraged him to establish a school also. Then he established Waseda University. On the other hand he reacted with NIIJIMA Jō (Joseph Hardy Neejima) and agreed with his idea of establishing Doshisha University in Kyoto. It is sais that he never visited Kyoto without giving a lecture. Between the two universities, student exchange programme exists now.

He also cooperated with NARUSE Jinzō who established Japan women's University to educate women.

Though he opposed SAIGŌ Takamori, he appreciated his human feelings.

In this series, he is described as one of the officials from Saga. He and ETŌ Shinpei who is from the same domain work well under SAIGŌ Takamori. However Shinpei resigns his position after the return of the Iwakura Mission, especially ŌKUBO Toshimichi while he remains behind and continues governing Japan. 

(*) At that time, Japan was allied with Britain (Anglo-Japanese Alliance).

The image shows Hiroyuki Onoue as Ōkuma Shigenobu
(From the official website of "Segodon")

[ 2018/11/30 23:45 ] Taiga Drama Sego-don | TB(-) | CM(0)


He was born in Chōshū in 1838. His father was a lowest-class samurai and he learned spearmanship to establish himself in life. In 1858, he went to Kyoto with ITŌ Shunsuke to serve the domain as intelligence officers. Then he was influenced by some royalists includes KUSAKA Genzui and learned at Shōkason-juku after returning to Chōshū. His father died when he was 23 years old.

In 1863, he was allowed to rise to higher status and became on of the leaders of Kihei-tai. Later he seized real power of the army and in 1866 he fought against the force of the shogunate and took Kokura Castle in Buzen, eastern part of currrent Fukuka and northeastern part of current Ōita. In the Boshin War, he participated in the Battle of Hokuetsu and commanded the attack on Aizu Castle. He was an expert of military affairs.

Yamagata Aritomo (Shingo Murakami) is cornered and falls off a chair when Yamashiroya Jiken comes to the light

In 1869, he inspected the armies and their facilities of European countries and after returning to Japan, he succeeded ŌMURA Masujiro who was killed in the same year and became a deputy minister of the army with the help of SAIGO Takamori. Then Conscription Ordinance was decreed but at the same time he was advised to resign his position because of Yamashiroya Jiken (Yamashiroya Affair) but came back to his former position due to a shortfall in human resources. 

He commanded the Government Army in the Satsuma Rebellion and wrote to Takamori to commit suicide. Later he visited Europe again and on the following year, he became the prime minister. He tried to increase armaments and when he resigned his position in 1891, he became genrō that means elderly statesman and led the politics. In 1896, he attended the coronation ceremony of Nicolai II. When the Russo-Japanese broke out, he conducted the operation in the battlefield. He was said to be the first and only former prime minister who went to the battlefront.

Aritomo also established Chōshū clique in the government

He held many important positions and changed the electoral system. He also established the Peace Police Act to restrict political activities or labour movement. On the other hand he promoted modern local autonomy and valued the cooperation with other countries.

However, his ideas became old-fashioned with the passage of time and it was his failure that he urged Princess Nagako of Kuni  (later Empress Kōjun) and her family to break her engagement to Crown Prince Hirohito (later Emperor Shōwa). He insisted that the princess had the gene of colour blind but they married without a hitch. He died on the following year at the age of 83.

In 1890, he issued the Imperial Rescript on Education and received the title of duke in 1907. And he felt uneasy about so-called Yellow Peril. Indeed he made efforts to raise the status of Japan in the world, but some of his policies were offended by the people. It was proved that most of those who attended his funeral were govenment officials and common people were very few.

General Yamagata Memorial Museum is a museum that houses Aritomo's articles left behind includes those granted by the members of the Imperial family. It stands in Yaita, Tochigi Prefecture.

Murakami visits General Yamagata Memorial Museum

The images are from the official website and instagram of "Segodon".

[ 2018/11/23 00:15 ] Taiga Drama Sego-don | TB(-) | CM(0)


He was born in 1835 as the second son of INOE Mitsuyuki in Suō, southern part of current Yamaguchi and was called Bunta also. In 1851 he entered Meirinkan, school of the domain and was adopted by SHIJI Shinpei by marrying his daughter. He was a middle-class samurai and his ancestors served the Mōri ⅽlan generations to generations.

In 1855, he accompanied MŌRI Takachika, lord of Choshu domain who attnded on the shogun (sankin kōtai) and then studied Dutch language and gunnery. After that he had a daughter and once returned to Chōshū but went to Edo again to study naval engineering. While staying in Edo, he joined a sonnō-jōi (expelling foreigners and respecting the Emperor) party and attempted to kill foreign ministers but it came to light and was ordered to be confine himself in the house for a few days. In 1862, the group called Mitate-gumi fired a British embassy in Edo.

But then he decided to go to Britain to study with other four samurais of Chōshū domain (Chōshū Five) because he was influenced by SAKUMA Shōzan who insisted making Japan be equal to other powerful countries. He divorced his first wife then. He studied English in London and inspected factories, museums and naval establishments there and the experience made him become to support opening the country. When he learned the Shimonoseki Campaign, he returned to Japan with ITŌ Shunsuke (Hirobumi) and served as an interpreter during the treaty talks between the four countries - Britain, the US, France and the Netherlands - and Chōshū domain.

In 1864, he was slashed by some members of Senpō-tai that had hostile relations to Kihei-tai he belonged to. Though he could escape death, he was forced to stay in the house because so-called Zokuron-tō, the party against the samurais who supported overthrowing the shogunate seized real power in the domain. However, TAKASUGI Shinsaku who rose up and led Kihei-tai in December of the same year. After that the power of overthrowing the shogunate came back to politics.

The Satchō Alliance was formed in Kyoto soon after. In the second subjugation of Chōshū in 1866, he fought against the army of the shogunate and beat some troops. In 1867, he argued about overthrowing the shogunate with SAIGŌ Takamori and ŌKUBO Toshimichi secretly but prior to it, TOKUGAWA Yoshinobu returned the government to the Crown in October. So the New government Army went to war against the army of the shogunate.

After the Meiji Restoration, he held some government positions and remarried Takeko, sister of former vassal of the shogunate. And he was appointed in the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Treasury but the government got into financial troubles and there was a conflict with other ministries. And his scandal was find out so he was forced to resign his position. But after that he returned to the government.

In 1879, he was appointed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and built Rokumeikan, the place of social interaction to westernise Japan more to enable the country to revise the treaties with Western countries easily. But it failed and he left the government again. In 1892, he returned to the political world and collected funding for the Russo-Japanese War in 1904. He received the title of marquis in 1907.

He declined in his health in his last days and died in 1915. His second house called Seikō-en in Atami, Shizuoka is a hotel now.

In this series, he is described as an official from Chōshū who has a significant power. But he is urged to resign his position because of a scandal. 

The image shows Shūgo Oshinari as Inoue Kaoru
(From the official website of "Segodon")
[ 2018/11/18 00:30 ] Taiga Drama Sego-don | TB(-) | CM(0)


He was born in Tosa domain in 1837. He was the heir of INUI Masashige, an upper class samurai and is said to be a descendant of ITAGAKI Nobukata who served TAKEDA Shingen. He became familiar with GŌTŌ Shōjirō who was also from upper-class. On the other hand, , he was broad-minded and interacted with NAKAOKA Shintarō who was from lower-class. But he never had met SAKAMOTO Ryōma.

Except for house arrest in his younger days, he held some important positions including a close adviser of YAMAUCHI Yōdō, lord of Tosa domain. Unlike other upper-class samurais, he attempted to overthrow the shogunate by arms and formed the secret alliance between Tosa and Satsuma. 

He commanded the Tosa Army in the Boshin War and fought in the series of the battles from Kai (current Yamanashi), northern Kanto region and Aizu. Before fighting in Kai, he was advised by IWAKURA Tomomi to change his family name into Itagaki as the region was formerly ruled by Shingen.

In Aizu, he saw the people were indifferent to MATSUDAIRA Katamori who surrendered and was sent to Tokyo. He thought it is due to the heavy tax domain and he decided to make the people united and abolish the status syatem under the shogunate. This idea is the beginning of the Movement of Civil Rights and Freedom in the 1880s (Jiyū Minken Undō).

He was appointed to councilor of the government in 1873 but resigned his position with Shōjirō and SAIGŌ Takamori because they came into collision with ŌKUBO Toshimichi over Seikanron. On the following year, he petitioned the government to establish the popularly-elected parliament. In 1882, he established Jiyu-tō (Liberal Party)  but was attacked by a thug and was wounded. At that time he said,
"Even if I die, liberty will not die out".

In 1882, he traveled Europe with Shōjirō and bought a Loouis vuitton bag (Some say it's not him but Shōjiro). After two years, he dissolved Jiyū-tō because its activity became radical. Later he became the ministers of the Cabinets of ITŌ Hirobumi and ŌKUMA Shigenobu.He retired from politice in 1900 and then devoted himself to reform society. He died in 1919.

In this series, he is describes as a man who represents Tosa domain together with Gotō Shōjirō. He is one of those who opposed the idea of Ōkubo Toshimichi and left the government.

The image shows Kiyohiko Shibukawa as Itagaki Taisuke
(From the official website of "Segodon")

[ 2018/11/12 23:30 ] Taiga Drama Sego-don | TB(-) | CM(0)

YAMAOKA Tesshū (Tetsutarō)

He was born as a son of ONO Takayoshi who served the Tokugawa shogunate in 1836. He is said to be a descendant of TSUKAHARA Bokuden, a swordsman in the 16th century. He learned swordsmanship and penmanship in his childhood. He was a big man who stood 188 centimetres and weighed 105 kilogrammes.

After his father's death in 1852, he improved his skill of swordsmanship and also practiced spearmanship by YAMAOKA Seizan. As Seizan died suddenly, he married Fusako, daughter of Seizan and called himself Yamaoka Tetsutarō. In 1857, he instructed his pupils at Kobu-sho, a military academy. Then he established a party that advocated Sonnō-jōi, respecting the emperor and expelling foreigners with KIYOKAWA Hachirō.

Takahiro Fujimoto as YAMAOKA Tesshū

Then they established the organisation called roshi-gumi whose members were ronins and took them to Kyoto to protect TOKUGAWA Iemochi who went to Kyoto to meet the Emperor. But Hachiro’s behaviour was suspicious so he, Tetsutarō and most members were forced to return to Edo. Some members who remained in Kyoto formed Shinsengumi later. Hachirō was executed later and Tetsutarō was told to confine himself in his house. 

After that he devoted himseld to improve his skill of swordsmanship and became the head of infantry in 1868. At that time, he was ordered to negotiate with SAIGŌ Takamori (Kichinosuke) prior to the meeting of KATSU Kaishū and Takamori about the surrender of Edo Castle. Takamori listened to him attentively and it enabled the smooth surrender of the castle at last.

After the Meiji Restoration, he held the positions of governing some prefectures and was appointed to a chamberlain of Emperor Meiji. It is said that the Emperor who was drunken wrestled with him. Though the opponent was the Emperor, he competed with him in earnest and won against him. He intended to admonish him to consider if he had hurt his vassal in the match, he would have been called a tyrant and he would have regretted it. The Emperor accepted it.

He was awarded the title of viscount in 1886. On the following year, he died of stomach cancer at the age of 53. He assumed the lotus position and sat to the Imperial Palace when he died.

He liked the anpan (*) of Kimuraya. The logo of the shop is based on his writing.

He evaluates SAIGŌ Takamori like this.
"It's hard to deal with a person who is heedless of death, honour and money. But only such a person can complete great achievements".

In this series, he tries to stop Takamori (Kichinosuke) attacking Edo at the risk of his life. After the Meiji Restoration, he assists him reforming the Imperial Court and becomes a chamberlain with the recommendation of Takamori.

(*) A soft round bread filled with the jam of red bean.

Tesshū as chamberlain of Emperor Meiji

The images are from the official website of "Segodon".

[ 2018/11/06 01:15 ] Taiga Drama Sego-don | TB(-) | CM(0)

ETŌ Shinpei

He was born as a son of ETŌ Tanemitsu in Saga, 1834. His father was a low-class samurai of Hizen (Saga) domain. He studied at Kōdōkan, a school established by the domain and was a bright pupil. However, he had to leave school because his father was ordered to shut himself up in his house on the grounds of neglect of duty.

Then he studied at a school established by EDAYODSHI Shinyō, elder brother of SOEJIMA Taneomi, one of his comrades. In 1850, he joined Gisai Dōmei, a kind of political organisation with Taneomi and ŌKUMA Shigenobu. He wrote an opinion called "Tokai-saku" that emphasises the necessity of opening the country. On the following year, he married EGUCHI Chiyoko and held the positions of gunnery and trade.

In 1862, he left his domain and interacted with KATSURA Kogorō (KIDO Takayoshi) from Chōshū and ANENOKŌJI Kintomo, an aristocrat. He returned home about two months later. Though leaving the domain without permission was a capital crime, NABESHIMA Naomasa (Narimasa, Kansō) lord of the domain reduced his sentence and he was told to be confined to his house. He taught children there and kept offering his opinions to Naomasa.

After the Declaration of Imperial Rule in December 1867, he was sent to Kyoto with Taneomi and participated in the Battle of Ueno. In this battle, Armstrong guns of hid domain was used to attack Shōgi-tai. After the Boshin War, he returned home but was asked to join the new government. He went to Tokyo then and held the positions including judge and minister of justice. He insisted that Japan should introduce the legal system of France and opposed some officials who preferred that of Prussia.

After the argument over Seikanron, he resigned his position and left the government with Taneomi, ITAGAKI Taisuke, GOTŌ Shōjirō and SAIGŌ Takamori. His comrades warned him that it's a plot of ŌKUBO Toshimichi but he never listened to them. In 1874, he became a leader of a party called Saga Seikan-tō and started a riot against the government with former samurais who were dissatisfied with the new era (Saga no Ran).  But they were defeated by the troops of the government. He then asked Takamori or former samurais of Tosa to help them but was refused.

He was arrested in April. Then he was judged guilty at a temporary court in Saga and was executed only five days later. The system of wanted photographs enabled his swift arrest but ironically, the system was adopted by him when he was a minister of justice.

Though he valued legal system, he had an extreme opinion in diplomacy and is said to have in diplomacy and intended to invade Qing Dynasty and Russian Empire.

In this series, he insists development of legal systems in the government and opposes Ōkubo Toshimichi. Besides he denounces the scandal of YAMAGATA Aritomo from Chōshū and attempts to lead the government in the absence of Toshimichi who join the Iwakura Mission and travels European countries and the US.

(*) Sakoda is from Kagoshima and is one of the instructors of Satsuma dialect in the series.

The image shows Takaya Sakoda (*) as Etō Shinpei
(From the official website of "Segodon")

[ 2018/11/04 00:00 ] Taiga Drama Sego-don | TB(-) | CM(0)



実は『いだてん～東京オリムピック噺～』を観なくなったので、再び『西郷どん』復習の投稿をアップしています。関連文献もまた読もうかと考えていますし、BSで再放送中の『葵 徳川三代』の再放送も観ています。そしてパペットホームズの続編ですが、これは是非とも三谷氏にお願いしたいところです。