was a
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
military leader and diplomat.
[Perez, Louis G. (2013)]
"Ōtori Keisuke"
in ''Japan at War: An Encyclopedia,'' p. 304.
Biography
Early life and education
Ōtori Keisuke was born in Akamatsu Village, in the
Akō domain of
Harima Province (modern-day Hyōgo), the son of physician Kobayashi Naosuke. At a young age, he entered the Shizutani school in
Bizen, engaging in
Chinese studies
Sinology, or Chinese studies, is an academic discipline that focuses on the study of China primarily through Chinese philosophy, language, literature, culture and history and often refers to Western scholarship. Its origin "may be traced to the ...
, and continued his education at the renowned
Rangaku
''Rangaku'' (Kyūjitai: /Shinjitai: , literally "Dutch learning", and by extension "Western learning") is a body of knowledge developed by Japan through its contacts with the Dutch enclave of Dejima, which allowed Japan to keep abreast of West ...
school of
Ogata Kōan
was a Japanese physician and rangaku scholar in late Edo period Japan, noted for establishing an academy which later developed into Osaka University. Many of his students subsequently played important roles in the Meiji Restoration and the weste ...
, where he studied
Dutch language
Dutch ( ) is a West Germanic language spoken by about 25 million people as a first language and 5 million as a second language. It is the third most widely spoken Germanic language
The Germanic languages are a branch of the Indo-Europea ...
and medicine. Further learning was obtained in
Edo, where Ōtori travelled to attend the school of
Tsuboi Tadamasu, known for instructing students engaged in the study and translation of Dutch. While in Edo he also received education from
Egawa Tarōzaemon
was a Japanese Bakufu intendant of the 19th century. Jansen, Hall 1989, p. 815. He was Daikan, in charge of the domains of the Tokugawa shogunate in Izu, Sagami and Kai Provinces during the Bakumatsu period. Jansen, Hall 1989, p. 108. He took ...
regarding
military strategy, and studied
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
with
Nakahama Manjirō, thus coming into possession of an uncommonly thorough, for his era, appreciation of Western culture. As a result, in 1859, the
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
appointed him as an instructor to its ''Kaiseijo'' institute, and it was from there that Ōtori entered the shogunate army.
Time in the Tokugawa Army
After entering the Tokugawa army, Ōtori displayed promise as a student, quickly becoming a senior instructor of
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
tactics. After a period spent as a student of
Jules Brunet
Jules Brunet (2 January 1838 – 12 August 1911) was a French military officer who served the Tokugawa shogunate during the Boshin War in Japan. Originally sent to Japan as an artillery instructor with the French military mission of 1867, he refu ...
in
Yokohama
is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...
, learning specifics of French infantry tactics, he was promoted to (), a rank equivalent to a four-star general in a modern Western army.
Ōtori used his status as a respected scholar of Western studies to take the rather unexpected step of making suggestions on governmental reform to the Shōgun. In 1864, he issued a petition expressing his views on the benefits of a
bicameral legislature to the government. In his position with the military, Ōtori was able to create of an elite brigade, the
Denshūtai
The was a corps of elite troops of the Tokugawa Bakufu during the Bakumatsu period in Japan. The corps was founded by Ōtori Keisuke with the help of the 1867–68 French Military Mission to Japan.
The corps was composed of 800 men. They w ...
, modeled after advice provided by strategists attached to the
1867–68 French military mission to Japan. Consisting of 800 men, the Denshūtai's members were chosen on the basis of capability rather than background; a matter of particular determination for Ōtori, who remained mindful of his own relatively humble birth.
Boshin War
In the aftermath of military failure at the
Battle of Toba–Fushimi in early 1868, Shōgun
Tokugawa Yoshinobu returned to Edo and expressed serious consideration towards pledging allegiance to the new
Meiji government
The was the government that was formed by politicians of the Satsuma Domain and Chōshū Domain in the 1860s. The Meiji government was the early government of the Empire of Japan.
Politicians of the Meiji government were known as the Meiji o ...
. Otori and
Oguri Tadamasa
Oguri Kozukenosuke (Oguri Tadamasa, 16 July 1827 – 27 May 1868) was a statesman of the Tokugawa government in the last stage of the Edo period, and he is often regarded as a rival of Katsu Kaishu. At the time when the power of the Tokugawa go ...
did not intend to lay down their arms without battle, and indicated their intention to continue the war but, following the surrender of
Edo Castle, Ōtori gathered 500 men of the Shogunate Army at Hō'on-ji Temple in
Asakusa
is a district in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. It is known as the location of the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several other temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals, such as the .
History
The ...
, and left Edo. Upon arriving in
Ichikawa he joined with
Hijikata Toshizō of the ''
Shinsengumi
The was a special police force organized by the (military government) during Japan's Bakumatsu period (late Tokugawa shogunate) in 1863. It was active until 1869. It was founded to protect the shogunate representatives in Kyoto at a time wh ...
,''
Akizuki Tōnosuke of
Aizu,
Tatsumi Naofumi
Baron was a samurai from the Kuwana Domain in the Bakumatsu period Tokugawa shogunate and later a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during the Meiji period.Dupuy, Trevor N. ''et al.'' (1992). ''Harper Encyclopedia of Military Biography,'' p. ...
of
Kuwana, and others, expanding his force to 2000 men. Dividing the infantry into three groups, he ordered them to attack. One unit was marched towards
Nikkō
is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 80,239 in 36,531 households, and a population density of 55 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . It is a popular destination for Japanese and ...
, defeating an Imperial Army detachment on the way at
Koyama in
Shimotsuke Province
was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today Tochigi Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''SHimotsuke''" in . Shimotsuke was bordered by Kōzuke, Hitachi, Mutsu and Shimōsa Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was ...
. The detached unit under Hijikata had also defeated an Imperial army force at
Utsunomiya
is the prefectural capital city of Tochigi Prefecture in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 519,223, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Utsunomiya is famous for its '' gyoza' ...
Castle, and proceeded to enter the castle by way of Koyama. Ultimately, however, for Ōtori Keisuke, there would be no more military victories.
Upon reaching the domain seat of
Wakamatsu, Ōtori's men mounted a fighting retreat while defending the western approaches to Aizu. In his search for reinforcements, Ōtori unsuccessfully petitioned
Matsudaira Katamori
Matsudaira Katamori after the Meiji restoration
was a samurai who lived in Bakumatsu period and the early to mid Meiji period Japan. He was the 9th ''daimyō'' of the Aizu Domain and the Kyoto Shugoshoku (Military Commissioner of Kyoto). He i ...
to gather peasants from the surrounding villages and, although continuing to remain in the vicinity of Wakamatsu for some time, was eventually forced to retreat in the face of an advance from the Imperial Army, making his way to
Sendai. There he met with
Enomoto Takeaki, who had arrived in
Matsushima Bay with six warships of the former Shogunate. Boarding these ships, the force headed for
Hakodate
is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of July 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 279,851 with 143,221 households, and a population density of 412.8 ...
,
Hokkaidō.
Soon afterward, the
Republic of Ezo
The was a short-lived separatist state established in 1869 on the island of Ezo, now Hokkaido, by a part of the former military of the Tokugawa shogunate at the end of the ''Bakumatsu'' period in Japan. It was the first government to attempt t ...
was established, and as a result of the first attempt at
democratic elections that Japan had ever seen, Ōtori was elected Minister of the Army. However, in terms of battlefield experience, Ōtori was expert mostly in theory; while his second-in-command
Hijikata Toshizō was far more experienced in combat, and Ōtori's awkwardness, as well as his tendency to laugh and say ''Mata maketa yo!'' ("Oh I lost again!") in the face of defeat gave him a bad reputation with his men.
In the
Battle of Hakodate
The was fought in Japan from December 4, 1868 to June 27, 1869, between the remnants of the Tokugawa shogunate army, consolidated into the armed forces of the rebel Ezo Republic, and the armies of the newly formed Imperial government (composed ...
when the Imperial Army surrounded the
Goryōkaku fortress,
Enomoto Takeaki wanted to go down fighting; however, it was Ōtori who suggested a peaceful surrender, changing Enomoto's mind with his words of "If it's dying you want you can do it anytime."
Ōtori was taken into custody and transferred to a prison in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
; a building which ironically he had built himself as Ōdaira-mae Infantry Barracks.
Later life
While in prison, Ōtori continued to make use of his knowledge of Western learning, to the benefit of his fellow prisoners. An anecdote recounts that during his imprisonment, he not only reformed the bad habits of the prison director, but also managed to institute a parliamentary system amongst the prisoners.
After his release in 1872, Ōtori agreed to work in the
Meiji government
The was the government that was formed by politicians of the Satsuma Domain and Chōshū Domain in the 1860s. The Meiji government was the early government of the Empire of Japan.
Politicians of the Meiji government were known as the Meiji o ...
, first becoming involved in
land reclamation, and later becoming president of the
Gakushūin
The or Peers School (Gakushūin School Corporation), initially known as Gakushūjo, is a Japanese educational institution in Tokyo, originally established to educate the children of Japan's nobility. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2002)"Gakushū- ...
Peers' School in 1886. In 1889, Ōtori was sent as an ambassador to
China's
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...
and
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
's
Joseon dynasty. He also had an instrumental role in the opening of the
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 1894 – 17 April 1895) was a conflict between China and Japan primarily over influence in Korea. After more than six months of unbroken successes by Japanese land and naval forces and the loss of the ...
.
Ōtori was also involved in efforts to preserve history. Beginning in 1898, he assisted with the editing and publication of the magazine ''Kyū Bakufu'', which focused on archiving memoirs and accounts of the former Shogunate by the men who had made up its ranks. He also contributed to the building of a monument to the war dead in
Hakodate
is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of July 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 279,851 with 143,221 households, and a population density of 412.8 ...
.
Ōtori Keisuke died from
esophageal cancer two months after his 78th birthday.
See also
*
List of Ambassadors from Japan to South Korea
References
External links
大鳥圭介 at bakusin.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Otori, Keisuke
Japanese military leaders
Japanese diplomats
Japanese educators
Japanese historians
Samurai
Hatamoto
People of the Boshin War
Military personnel from Hyōgo Prefecture
Deaths from esophageal cancer
Deaths from cancer in Japan
1833 births
1911 deaths
Place of death missing