Formation of Modern Japanese Diplomatic Relationships through Studies of Samesnima Naonobu's Official Documents

1996 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 07301042
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 総合
• Research Field: Japanese history
• Research Institution: Kagoshima Immaculate Heart University
• Principal Investigator: INUZUKA Takaaki Kagoshima Immaculate Heart University, School of International Studies, Professor, 国際言語文化学部, 教授 (80269141)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): NAKABAYASHI Takaaki National Diet Library, Institute of Library and Information Science, Director, 図書館研究所, 所長 ; YOKOYAMA Toshio Kyoto University, Institute for Research in Humanities, Associate Professor, 人文科学研究所, 助教授 (40027553) ; MATSUDA Kiyoshi Kyoto University, Faculty of Integrated Human Studies, Professor, 総合人間学部, 教授 (40027561) ; MIMA Masao Kagoshima Immaculate Heart University, School of International Studies, Associat, 国際言語文化学部, 助教授 (60166105) ; ARAI Toshiko Kagoshima Immaculate Heart University, President, 学長 (70159482)
• Project Period (FY): 1995 – 1996
• Keywords: Sameshima Naonobu's Official Documents / Diplomatic Guide / Formation of Diplomatic Practices at Legation Abroad / Legation Abroad and Modern Western Systems / Diplomatic Relationships with Europe in Early Meiji Era / Formation of Diplomatic Relationships with Europe and Legation Abroad / Japan's Cultural Interactions with Europe in Early Meiji Era / Composition Knowhow of Diplomatic Documents in Early Meiji Era

Research Abstract

1. Together with the transcription and translation of all the letters in the newly-discovered Official Documents of Sameshima Naonobu's while he was stationed in Europe, the analysis and itemization of the letters were completed as scheduled. Studies of events and characters mentioned in the letters turned out useful for the analysis of the contents and proved to facilitate the comparison with The Documents Related to Sameshima Naonobu and The Documents of Iwakura Delegation.
2. One achievement of this study of the diplomatic practices of Sameshima as the first minister of Japan is that we have made clear the formation of the diplomatic relationships with Europe in early Meiji era and his place and role in the deplomatic history of modern Japan. Because this study has made clear the great contribution of his legation in introducing into Japan the modern European legal, military, educational, industrial and postal systems, we need to reconsider the traditional view that the European systems introduced in Meiji era were via Iwakura Delegation, and to approach the study of the early stage of the diplomatic relationships of Japan both from the diplomatic and cultural viewpoints.
3. To fill the lacuna of the studies on the diplomatic history of Meiji era from the viewpoint of legations abroad, the transcription and translation of all the letters together with notes and papers will be published as Sameshima Naonobu's Official Documents for the use of all the interested students, as a report of this research project (for its publication a grant is being applied). Inuzuka, head investigator, is also to contribute a paper ( "A Formation of Diplomatic Relationship with Europe of Early Meiji Era and the Legation---A way of introduction of modern western systems" ) to the publication of The Association of Meiji Restoration Studies, to appear in autumn, 1998.