Egawa Hidetatsu
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese Bakufu intendant of the 19th century. He was Daikan, in charge of the domains of the Tokugawa shogunate
in Izu
, Sagami
and Kai Province
s during the Bakumatsu period. He took a leading role in the reinforcement of Japanese coastal defenses against Western encroachments in the 19th century.
, and Takano Chōei
.
Egawa Hidetatsu was put in charge of establishing the defense of Edo Bay
against Western intrusions in 1839, following the incident of the Morrison under Charles W. King
in 1837. In 1841, Egawa permitted the gunnery demonstrations of Takashima Shūhan
to the Tokugawa Shogunate.
As early as 1842, Egawa attempted to build a furnace to cast weapons in the village of Nirayama in the Izu Peninsula
. After sending a student to study the furnace which had been built in the Saga Domain
, a new furnace was built which succeeded in casting cannons in 1858, after the death of Egawa.
Egawa taught Western gunnery and techniques to numerous men who would later have a role in the Meiji Restoration
. He also advocated the conscription of farmers into the army.
Egawa also designed and built the battery emplacements at the entrance of Edo harbour at Odaiba
in 1853/54, following the 1853 visit of Commodore Perry and his promise to return the following year. The fortifications were built to prevent the intrusion near Tokyo of the foreign ships. Commodore Perry would effectively stop his fleet at Uraga
, southward at the entrance of Edo Bay, fully prepared for hostilities if his negotiations with the Japanese failed. His ships were equipped with modern Paixhans shell guns
, capable of bringing destruction everywhere a shell landed.
and Buddhism
had been introduced from abroad, it made sense to introduce useful Western techniques. Sakuma Shōzan
was a student of a school founded by Egawa Hidetatsu.
A theoretical synthesis of "Western knowledge" and "Eastern morality" would later be accomplished by Sakuma Shōzan
and Yokoi Shōnan, in view of "controlling the barbarians with their own methods".
At one point Egawa hired the services of Nakahama Manjirō
, a Japanese castaway
who had spent 10 years in the West before returning to Japan, in order to obtain better knowledge of the West.
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
in Izu
Izu Province
was a province of Japan in the area of Shizuoka Prefecture. Izu bordered on Sagami and Suruga Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was .The mainland portion of Izu Province, comprising the Izu Peninsula is today the eastern portion of Shizuoka Prefecture and the Izu Islands are now part of...
, Sagami
Sagami Province
was an old province in the area that is today the central and western Kanagawa prefecture. It was sometimes called . Sagami bordered on Izu, Musashi, Suruga provinces; and had access to the Pacific Ocean through Sagami Bay...
and Kai Province
Kai Province
, also known as , is an old province in Japan in the area of Yamanashi Prefecture. It lies in central Honshū, west of Tokyo, in a landlocked mountainous region that includes Mount Fuji along its border with Shizuoka Prefecture....
s during the Bakumatsu period. He took a leading role in the reinforcement of Japanese coastal defenses against Western encroachments in the 19th century.
Coastal defenses
Due to his holdings on the coast, Egawa Hidetatsu was involved in issues of coastal defences, critical to Japan at that time. He was in relations with the group of Watanabe KazanWatanabe Kazan
was a Japanese painter, scholar and statesman member of the samurai class.- Early life :He was born Watanabe Sadayasu in Edo to a poor samurai family, and his artistic talent was developed from an early age. His family served the lord of the Tahara Domain, located in present day Aichi prefecture....
, and Takano Chōei
Takano Choei
was a prominent scholar of Rangaku of the late Edo period.Chōei was born as Gotō Kyōsai, the third son of Gotō Sōsuke who was a middle ranking samurai in Mizusawa Domain of Mutsu Province which is in present-day Iwate Prefecture...
.
Egawa Hidetatsu was put in charge of establishing the defense of Edo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
against Western intrusions in 1839, following the incident of the Morrison under Charles W. King
Charles W. King
Charles W. King was an American merchant in Canton, China, who is famous for having tried to open trade with Japan on the pretext of repatriating seven Japanese castaways, among them Otokichi, to their homeland in 1837 in the Morrison Incident....
in 1837. In 1841, Egawa permitted the gunnery demonstrations of Takashima Shūhan
Takashima Shūhan
was a Japanese samurai and military engineer. He is significant in having started to import flintlock guns from the Netherlands at the end of Japan's period of Seclusion, during the Late Tokugawa Shogunate. Throughout his life Takashima Shūhan was one of those early Japanese reformists who argued...
to the Tokugawa Shogunate.
As early as 1842, Egawa attempted to build a furnace to cast weapons in the village of Nirayama in the Izu Peninsula
Izu Peninsula
The is a large mountainous peninsula with deeply indented coasts to the west of Tokyo on the Pacific coast of the island of Honshū, Japan. Formerly the eponymous Izu Province, Izu peninsula is now a part of Shizuoka Prefecture...
. After sending a student to study the furnace which had been built in the Saga Domain
Saga Domain
Saga Domain was a han, or feudal domain, in Tokugawa period Japan. Largely contiguous with Hizen Province on Kyūshū, the domain was governed from Saga Castle in the capital city of Saga by the Nabeshima clan of tozama daimyō...
, a new furnace was built which succeeded in casting cannons in 1858, after the death of Egawa.
Egawa taught Western gunnery and techniques to numerous men who would later have a role in the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
. He also advocated the conscription of farmers into the army.
Odaiba
is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo. It was initially built for defensive purposes in the 1850s, dramatically expanded during the late 20th century as a seaport district, and has developed since the 1990s as a major commercial, residential...
in 1853/54, following the 1853 visit of Commodore Perry and his promise to return the following year. The fortifications were built to prevent the intrusion near Tokyo of the foreign ships. Commodore Perry would effectively stop his fleet at Uraga
Uraga
is a subdivision of the city of Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located on the south eastern side of the Miura Peninsula, at the northern end of the Uraga Channel, at the entrance of Tokyo Bay.-History:...
, southward at the entrance of Edo Bay, fully prepared for hostilities if his negotiations with the Japanese failed. His ships were equipped with modern Paixhans shell guns
Paixhans gun
The Paixhans gun was the first naval gun designed to fire explosive shells. It was developed by the French general Henri-Joseph Paixhans in 1822-1823.-Background:...
, capable of bringing destruction everywhere a shell landed.
Westernization debate
Egawa was involved in an important debate at that time, whether to adopt Western guns and methods or not. He advocated that the English had shown great superiority over the Chinese in the 1840 Opium War, and that it was necessary to use their own techniques to repel them. Others, such as Torii Yōzō argued that only traditional Japanese methods should be employed and reinforced. Egawa argued that just as ConfucianismConfucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
and Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
had been introduced from abroad, it made sense to introduce useful Western techniques. Sakuma Shōzan
Sakuma Shozan
sometimes called Sakuma Zōzan, was a Japanese politician and scholar of the Edo era. He was the son of a samurai, and a native of Shinshu in today's Nagano-ken.From the age of 23, he went to Edo and for 10 years studied Chinese sciences ....
was a student of a school founded by Egawa Hidetatsu.
A theoretical synthesis of "Western knowledge" and "Eastern morality" would later be accomplished by Sakuma Shōzan
Sakuma Shozan
sometimes called Sakuma Zōzan, was a Japanese politician and scholar of the Edo era. He was the son of a samurai, and a native of Shinshu in today's Nagano-ken.From the age of 23, he went to Edo and for 10 years studied Chinese sciences ....
and Yokoi Shōnan, in view of "controlling the barbarians with their own methods".
At one point Egawa hired the services of Nakahama Manjirō
Nakahama Manjiro
, also known as John Manjirō , was one of the first Japanese people to visit the United States and an important translator during the Opening of Japan.-Voyage to America:...
, a Japanese castaway
Castaway
A castaway is a person who is cast adrift or ashore. While the situation usually happens after a shipwreck, some people voluntarily stay behind on a deserted island, either to evade their captors or the world in general. Alternatively, a person or item can be cast away, meaning rejected or discarded...
who had spent 10 years in the West before returning to Japan, in order to obtain better knowledge of the West.