Today, I write about “Samurai who are free.”
Edo period, Almost all Samurai belonged to the feudal domain ( han ).
There was about 280 feudal domain at that time.
The feudal lord (Daimyo) employed samurais as government officials.
Samurais did not have freedom.
Sakamoto Ryoma was a lower-class samurai of the Tosa domain.
There was the class system in the samurai society of the Tosa domain.
Further, they cannot go out from the feudal domain without permission.
1862, He fled from the Tosa domain at the risk of his life.
1865, He founded trading company in Nagasaki City with the help of Satsuma.
The number of staff in that company is approximately 20.
Staff are mostly from Tosa domain.
They adored Sakamoto Ryoma.
They dreamed of sailing around the world.
They bought in arms from the foreign merchant and sold to each domain.
However, they lost their ship by the storm.
Their company fell into crisis.
The executive of the Tosa domain,Goto Shojiro offered investment to them.
They got a new ship.
April 1867, Their ship collided with the ship of the Kishu domain and sank.
Kishu domain was one of the three top Tokugawa-related families.
He understood the international rule of ship navigation.
Sakamoto Ryoma demanded damages from the Kishu domain.
However, Kishu domain refused to pay for the damage.
Sakamoto Ryoma got angry and he made a song that became popular.
“Compensation that sank the ship takes not money but a country.”
Public opinion was on his side.
After, Sakamoto Ryoma obtained damages from Kishu domain.
Sakamoto Ryoma was also doing political activity.
He acted as a bridge between Satuma domain and Choshu domain.
After, those domain become the faction in power of overthrowing the Shogunate.
Further, he proposed basic guideline of new Japan.
November ,1867, Yoshinobu TOKUGAWA transferred power back to the Emperor (Taisei hokan).
The time of the samurai was over.
One month later, Sakamoto Ryoma was assassinated.
He dreamed of sailing around the world.
It won’t come true.
Then, Mutsu Munemitsu who was Sakamoto Ryoma’s staff took over his political activity.
Then, he became the Foreign Minister.
He exerted himself for revision of an unequal treaty.
Like Sakamoto Ryoma, he negotiated decorously.
Iwasaki Yataro who was Sakamoto Ryoma’s accountant started a shipping line.
The ship of his company sailed around the world.
Subsequently he invested in mining, ship repair, and finance.
His company became a major company group Mitsubishi.
Thank you.
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