Imperial Japanese Historical sites of Tokyo - Enomoto Takeaki statue in Sumida-ku, Tokyo

Enomoto Takeaki 榎本 武揚 is one of the founding fathers of the Imperial Japanese Navy, and a pivotal figure in the history of Japan. Enomoto was born in Edo, near what is now Taito-ku, Tokyo, in 1836. Among the many in Japan motivated by the arrival of Perry's Black Ships in 1854, he began learning Dutch, and studied at the Tokugawa Shogunate's Naval Training Center in Nagasaki as well as the Tsukiji Warship Training Center in Edo. At the age of 26 he was sent to the Netherlands to study naval tactics and technology, and bring them both home to Japan. During this time he became fluent in Dutch and English. He returned home with a ship purchased by the Japanese in the Netherlands named the Kaiyo Maru, and was subsequently promoted to Kaigun Fukusosai (海軍副総裁), the second highest rank in the Tokugawa Navy, at the age of 31.

The Meiji Restoration of 1868 was a union between the the cultural leadership of the Imperial Throne in Kyoto and the political control of the Shogunate in Edo. 'Restoration' is the term used to describe the moment where the Japanese Emperor (Mutsuhito, posthumously called Meiji) was returned to the center of Japanese power. The Boshin War, the last civil war in Japan's history, broke out as Tokugawa Shogunate loyalists clashed with the Emperor's forces. This moment saw Enomoto Takeaki in control of the largest fleet in Japan, with eight warships. As a member of the Tokugawa Clan, he was loyal to the Shogun and thereby refused to turn his fleet over to the Imperial forces. He fled with other loyalists to Hakodate in Hokkaido, where he was elected President of the hastily created Republic of Ezo in 1869, a country that existed for five months. The newly instituted Meiji government refused to allow Japan to be partitioned and in May of 1869 they engaged the forces of Ezo at Hakodate and defeated them. Enomoto himself was imprisoned and charged with high treason.

The Imperial Government soon realized that Enomoto was worth much more to them alive than dead. He was pardoned in 1872 when it became clear that his extensive knowledge of naval matters and technology, in addition to his diplomatic experience, were essential to building an Imperial Fleet. He was released from prison and went on to became a Vice Admiral, Naval Attache, and Navy Minister. At this point, Japan was mostly run by men from Kyushu, specifically the old Satsuma domain (now Kagoshima); Enomoto was an outsider from Edo, and his involvement in the government can be taken as a sign that the various factions in the Meiji Government had settled their differences, at least for the time being. To this end, Enomoto was selected to assist diplomatic visits to Russia and China, and served as Agriculture and Commerce Minister, Education Minister, and Foreign Minister during his political career. A quick study of events of the day will show that these were the three most important positions in the Japanese Government (some would argue they still are). A proponent of Japanese emigration, he established an immigration section in the foreign ministry to organize and support it, and established the 'Colonial Association' in 1893.

Enomoto Takeaki was at the very birth of the Imperial Japanese Navy, and lived to see the battle of Tsushima in 1905, Japan's greatest naval victory, and defining moment of the Russo-Japanese War. He died in 1908; he's buried in Kissho-ji Temple, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo. You can view that site here on google maps. Among the many important Imperial Japanese Historical sites of Tokyo, this statue of Enomoto Takeaki is near his temporary residence in Sumida-ku and not far from his birthplace. Here is a link to Sumida's page on this website, and here is the location of the statue on google maps. Copying his name in Kanji and pasting into the Pacific History Guide's google maps list will bring up other statues and monuments to Enomoto around Japan.

Enjoy, and see you next time!

Tony