Imamura Eisei

Imamura Eisei ( Japanese 今 村 英 生 ) called Gen'emon ( 源 右衛門 ; * December 6, 1671 in Nagasaki (Japan); † September 22, 1736 ibid) was one of the most influential interpreters and cultural mediators of the Dutch trading post Dejima during the Edo period . As a young helper to Engelbert Kaempfer , he made a decisive contribution to his research on Japan.

Childhood and youth

Imamura Eisei was born in 1671 as the second son of Imamura Ichizaemon. His grandfather worked as a samurai for the rulers of Hirado for the security of the Dutch trading post Hirado. When it was relocated in 1641 under government pressure, he gave up this status and went to Nagasaki as an interpreter . Even after the expulsion of the “southern barbarians” ( 南蛮 人 , Nambanjin ), who had dominated the Euro-Japanese cultural exchange of the “Christian century” (Ch. Boxer), the Portuguese language still played an important role in communication between Europeans and Japanese. Eisei's father taught his son the basics. Otherwise, he had access to the island of Dejima , where he could practice his communication skills in everyday dealings with the dozen Europeans.

Engelbert Kaempfer on horseback on the route from Nagasaki to Kokura, guided by Imamura Gen'emon Eisei (The History of Japan, Table 22)

Encounter with Engelbert Kaempfer

In September 1690, the explorer Engelbert Kaempfer arrived in Nagasaki to serve as a doctor at the trading post for two years. During this time he planned to collect information and materials as best he could in order to create an up-to-date and precise picture of the country that had been difficult to access for half a century.

Since there has been a great interest in Western medicine, especially surgery, in Japan since the time of the Leipzig surgeon Caspar Schamberger , Imamura Gen'emon Eisei was sent to Kaempfer as a carpentry ( 部屋 小 遣 い , heyakozukai ). In dealing with this doctor, he should improve his language skills and knowledge. An Irako Yajirō from the neighborhood of Eisei's house acted as guarantor for Eisei. The addressee was Yoshikawa Gibuemon, the head of the Dejima district.

Kaempfer was delighted with the clever and helpful young man. He gave him, as he later wrote, "grammatical" lessons in the Dutch language as well as medicine and natural history. From then on Eisei proved to be the most important helper in getting maps, books and other materials. With this he took a considerable risk, because like every Japanese on Dejima he had made an oath not to allow the "redheads" ( 紅毛 人 , kōmōjin ) not to send such things and, moreover , to report any suspicious activity. The numerous notes and excerpts from Kaempfer's now guarded in the British Library show that both of them were probably busy almost daily with the laborious indexing of Japanese texts.

Imamura Eisei in Kaemmer's manuscript "Today's Japan"

When Kaempfer returned to Lemgo and wrote his manuscript, "Today's Japan, looked through and described in a double journey to court", which was later published as the "History of Japan", he addressed the important role of ice cream in the foreword:

“But luck over that gave me another opportunity and desirable tool of a learned youth through which I came to my attention and was able to take note of local things with a full harvest. This student of about 24 years of age, who was taught in Japanese and Chinese script and science and at the same time eager to learn, was given to me as a servant on my arrival so that he might learn something in the art of medicine. The Otona, or regent of our island, gave me this wise fellow for the whole of my two-year stay out of a strange friendship, and also allowed me to travel twice with me to the imperial court, and thus almost the whole empire in length 4 times. Although such old and knowledgeable guests are never allowed to wait with the Dutch, at least for so long. In the first year I taught this shrewd head the Dutch language (without which I could not get away with him) Grammatice (= grammatical), so that he could write it and speak it far better than any Japanese interpreter could ever do. No less I have faithfully instructed him in anatomy and medicine and, moreover, regulated him with an annual wage that was respectable in yours truly (= generously rewarded). On the other hand, he had to seek and tell me about the opportunity of their lands, the government and the court, the religion and history of former times, their families and daily incidents, and good news. It is not a book if I ask to see which one he did not bring me and what I would have asked, explained and clarified from it. And because he had to inquire about, borrow or buy a lot of things unknown to him from other people, so when he went around I did not leave him without a silver key from me, about even more reward for this dangerous effort. It is so dear and difficult for a lover to have news of this closed realm at the present time. "

- Today's Japan, fol. 4;

Kaempfer hadn't given a name. In 1990 the above guarantee was found in the British Library and another evidence in the materials of the Dutch East India Company.

Career

As the son of an unofficial interpreter, Eisei was not entitled to permanent employment. Nevertheless, thanks to his excellent knowledge of the Dutch language, he was hired in 1695 as a "practice interpreter" ( 稽古 通 詞 , keiko-tsūji ). In the following year he rose to the position of “Little Interpreter” ( 小 通 詞 , ko-tsūji ). This was a career leap that other interpreters took decades to achieve. From now on he appears as a “gennemon” in the diaries of many managers of the Dejima trading office. Since the training of European interpreters was forbidden, the small group of Japanese language mediators was involved in all official matters. They were paid for by the East India Company but were bound by the instructions of the governor of Nagasaki city.

In 1697 Imamura married the niece of the Dejima district chief, Yoshikawa Gibuemon. In the following year he participated as one of the two "Edo interpreters" ( 江 戸 番 通 詞 , Edoban-tsūji ) on the trip of the Dutch factory manager to Edo . Since the “Edo interpreter” had to translate at the court of the Shogun, only people who were linguistically confident and familiar with etiquette were entrusted with this office. Imamura held this office 8 times during his career. In 1707, at the age of 37, he was promoted to "major interpreter" ( 大通 詞 , ōtsūji ). With that he had reached the highest rank on Dejima at a young age.

Imamura Eisei and the Jesuit missionary GB Sidotti

In the autumn of 1708, the Italian Jesuit Giovanni Battista Sidotti (1668–1714), who had landed secretly on the southern island of Yakushima, was caught and brought for interrogation to Nagasaki, who was directly subordinate to the government. Imamura spoke Portuguese, but Latin proved to be a better means of communication. First, Adriaen Douw (? –1713) from Italy, who was stationed at the Dejima trading post, translated Sidotti's explanations into Dutch, and Imamura made a Japanese version. This report went to the government and was studied by the politician and Confucian scholar Arai Hakuseki . Imamura was instructed to study Latin and take care of Sidotti.

Since Arai wanted to conduct a direct survey, Sidotti was brought to Edo in the autumn of 1708. Imamura, who had meanwhile acquired a considerable knowledge of Latin, had to interpret during the interviews. Thanks to Arai's intercession, Sidotti avoided execution. He learned the Japanese language but remained under house arrest until his death. Arai, impressed by Sidotti's scholarship, developed a keen interest in Western things. To get more geographic information, he went to Dutch factory managers during their stay in Edo. Here, too, Imamura ensured communication. After Shogun Yoshimune took over the throne , Araki Hakuseki resigned from government service. Traces of an exchange of letters with Imamura show that Arai valued his help highly. The information gained from conversations with Sidotti and the Dutch flowed into Arai's writings “Heard from the West” ( 西洋 記 聞 , Seiyō Kibun ) and “Collected observations of foreign words” ( 采 覧 異言 , Sairan Igen ).

Dejima at the time of the extradition of Persian horses (1725–1735)

Imamura and Shogun Yoshimune's reform policy

Tokugawa Yoshimune came to power in 1716. Since his third son was named Genzō, Imamura changed his first name, Gen'emon, to Ichibē ( 市 兵衛 ).

Yoshimune turned out to be one of the most dedicated shoguns of the Tokugawa dynasty. In order to put the ruined finances in order and to revive the economy, he separated from the advisor Arai Hakuseki and began with reforms ( Kyōhō reforms ), which had an effect well beyond his reign. In this context he promoted the acquisition of useful knowledge from abroad. The import restrictions for Western books have been relaxed, while the study of the Dutch language has been promoted. This led, among other things, to a flourishing of "Hollandkunde" ( Rangaku ).

At that time, most medicinal herbs for Chinese medicine still had to be imported. Quantities were limited and prices were high. In order to establish local production, Yoshimune therefore requested seeds and saplings from the Dutch. Imamura was involved in these orders as well as providing information on the properties, use and cultivation of the plants and seeds supplied.

In order to refine the small Japanese horses, the Dutch also had to deliver Persian horses that were to be bred on government studs. In 1725 the first five horses arrived in Nagasaki. They were housed in specially set up stables until they were transported to Edo on Dejima Island. In a free area, stakes were hammered in to tie up, and the path on the lake side was prepared to get the horses moving. Hans Jürgen Keyserling (1696–1736) from Hamburg, who was sent by the East India Company to look after the animals, lived in a small house right next to the stable.

In 1729 Imamura moved to Edo with Keyserling. The usual accommodation was in the somewhat cramped Nagasakiya hostel, but this time both were housed inside the castle. Keyserling brought two books on therapies and prescriptions to Japan, which Imamura was commissioned to evaluate. The script he made was the first in Japan to deal with Western equine therapy. The largest part can be found, together with Keyserling's answers to questions from high-ranking dignitaries, in the text “A Necessary Handbook of Western Declarations” ( Seisetsu hakuraku hikkei ). Keyserling moved to Edo again in 1734.

Establishment of the Imamura interpreter family

The office of interpreter at the Dejima branch was inherited in the case of established interpreting families. Imamura Eisei's father did not belong to this group, Eisei had made an extraordinary career on his own. In 1721 his eldest son was appointed "exercise interpreter". The family now belonged to the small circle of Nagasaki's elite language mediators. Up to the end of the Edo period, Imamura Eisei's descendants worked as "Dutch Dometscher" ( 阿蘭 陀 通 詞 , Oranda-tsūji ).

In 1728, Imamura took over all these tasks as a major interpreter, the office of overseer over the interpreters ( 通 詞 目 付 , tsūjimetsuke ). In this role he was responsible for all interpreters working on Dejima. In 1736 Imamura gave up this grueling position for health reasons. Although he was not dismissed from the service, his succession was arranged in view of his age. His eldest son rose to become a “small interpreter”, and the second son was appointed to an official position as a “practice interpreter” for the first time. Her father died a little later at the age of 66 and was buried in the family tomb in the Daion Temple (Daion-ji), where he still rests today.

The Daion Temple in the Meiji period

Posthumous honor

In 1924, almost two centuries after his death, Imamura was given a high court rank ( 正 五位 , shō go'i ) in recognition of the services he had performed during his lifetime .

literature

• Henk De Groot: Engelbert Kaempfer, Imamura Gen'emon and Arai Hakuseki. An Early Exchange of Knowledge between Japan and the Netherlands. In: Siegfried Huigen, Jan Jong and Elmer Kolfin: The Dutch Trading Companies as Knowledge Networks. Brill, 2010, pp. 201-210
• Detlef Haberland (ed.): Engelbert Kaempfer - work and effect, lectures at the symposia in Lemgo (September 19-22, 1990) and in Tokyo (December 15-18, 1990). Franz Steiner Published by Stuttgart, 1993
• Imamura Akitsune: Rangaku no so Imamura Eisei. Asahi shinsensho 4, 1942 ( 今 村 明 恒 『蘭 学 の 祖 今 村 英 生』 』（朝日 新 選 書 4) )
• Imamura, Hideaki: Sennyū-lichōshi Shidocchi no Nagasaki ni okeru jinmon. Nichirangakkai Kaishi 25 (1), 2000 ( 今 村 英明 「潜入 宣 教師 シ ド ッ チ の 長崎 に お け る る 尋 問」 『日 蘭 学会 会 誌』 )
• Imamura, Hideaki: Tokugawa Yoshimune to Yōgaku (Igaku, Yakugaku). Yōgakushi Kenkyū, No. 20, 2003 ( 村 英明 「徳 川吉 宗 と 洋 学 （そ の 二 ・ 医学 ・ 薬 学）」 『洋 学 史 研究 )
• Imamura, Hideaki: Imamura Eisei-den. Bukkukomu: Tokyō, 2010 ( 今 村 英明 『今 村 英 生 伝』 ブ ッ ク コ ム . ISBN 4-903935-34-5 )
• Iwao Seiichi: Meiji izen yōma no yunyū to zōshoku. Nichirangakkai, 1980 ( 岩 生成 一 『明治 以前 洋 馬 の 輸入 と 増 殖』 日 日 蘭 学会 )
• Katagiri Kazuo: Oranda-tsūji Imamura Gen'emon Eisei - totsu kuni no kotoba wo waga mono toshite. Maruzen Library 145, Maruzen 1995 ( 片 桐 一 男 『阿蘭 陀 通 詞 今 村 源 右衛門 英 生 - 外 つ 国 の 言葉 を わ が も の の と し て』 丸 善 ラ イ ブ ラ リ ー 145 )
• Katagiri Kazuo: Gen'emon Eisei Imamura and Engelbert Kaempfer. Lippische Mitteilungen aus Geschichte und Landeskunde, 66th Volume 1997 (Detmold 1997), pp. 57–74
• Wolfgang Michel / Barend J. Terwiel : Engelbert Kaempfer: Today's Japan Iudicium: Munich, 2001. ISBN 3-89129-931-1 ( Engelbert Kaempfer: Works. Critical edition in individual volumes . Edited by Detlef Haberland, Wolfgang Michel, Elisabeth Gössmann : Volume I / 1 and I / 2)

Web links

• Tokugawa Yoshimune and the Germination of Dutch Studies

Remarks

1. ↑ In the Japanese calendar 5th day in the 11th month of the currency Kambun or 18th day in the 8th month of the currency Genbun
2. ↑ Meant are southern Europeans, Portuguese, Spaniards, Italians
3. ↑ Dejima consisted of around 25 privately owned parcels. Administratively, the islet was considered a district ( machi , chō ) of Nagasaki, so that a district chief was necessary, whom the Dutch called "mayor". Although he lived outside the branch, he had a house on Dejima.
4. ↑ Most of Kaempfer's records from Japan are in the so-called Sloane Collection.
5. ↑ This Japanese plan shows the stables (right), posts at the place where the daily cleaning is done (bottom left) and the narrow path on the lake side, on which the horses were moved.
6. ↑ The same character was used in both Gen'emon and Genzō. It was impossible for the Imamura in the service of the government to have such a name.
7. ↑ A title has been identified: Pieter Almanus van Coer: Toevlugt of heylsame Remedien voor alderhande Siektens en Accidents which de Paerden soude can overkoomen.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Imamura Akitsune (1942)
2. ↑ Kaemmer's explanation in the manuscript: "A Dutch surgeon with a body servant"
3. ↑ Michel / Terwiel (2001), 1/1, 6f.
4. ^ Brown, Yu-Ying: Engelbert Kaempfer's Legacy in the British Library. In: Haberland (1993)
5. ↑ Paul van der Velde The axis around which everything revolves. Imamura Gen'emon Eisei (1671-1736) interpreter and equal “servant” of Kaempfers . In: Haberland (1993)
6. ↑ To uncover the identity of Imamura see Michel in Michel / Terwiel (2001), 1/2, pp. 76–83.
7. ↑ Katagiri (1995)
8. ↑ Imamura (2000)
9. ↑ De Groot (2010)
10. ↑ Imamura (2003)
11. ^ Iwao (1980)

Japanese name: As is common in Japan, the family name comes before the first name in this article . Thus Imamura is the family name, Eisei the first name.