Ōtori Keisuke

BaronŌtori Keisuke(Đại điểu khuê giới,14 April 1833 – 15 June 1911)was aJapanesemilitary leader and diplomat.

Ōtori Keisuke (1833–1911)

Ōtori Keisuke during theBoshin War(center).

Ōtori Keisuke in theBakumatsuera.

In thisJapanese name,thesurnameisŌtori.

Biography

Early life and education

Ōtori Keisuke was born in Akamatsu Village, in theAkōdomain ofHarima Province(modern-day Hyōgo), the son of physician Kobayashi Naosuke. At a young age, he entered the Shizutani school inBizen,engaging inChinese studies,and continued his education at the renownedRangakuschool ofOgata Kōan,where he studiedDutch languageand medicine. Further learning was obtained inEdo,where Ōtori travelled to attend the school ofTsuboi Tadamasu,known for instructing students engaged in the study and translation of Dutch. While in Edo he also received education fromEgawa Tarōzaemonregardingmilitary strategy,and studiedEnglishwithNakahama Manjirō,thus coming into possession of an uncommonly thorough, for his era, appreciation of Western culture. As a result, in 1859, theTokugawa shogunateappointed him as an instructor to itsKaiseijoinstitute, 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 ofinfantrytactics. After a period spent as a student ofJules BrunetinYokohama,learning specifics of French infantry tactics, he was promoted to (Infantry Magistrate(Bộ binh phụng hành,Hohei bugyō)), 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 abicameral legislatureto the government. In his position with the military, Ōtori was able to create of an elite brigade, theDenshūtai,modeled after advice provided by strategists attached to the1867–68 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 theBattle of Toba–Fushimiin early 1868, ShōgunTokugawa Yoshinobureturned to Edo and expressed serious consideration towards pledging allegiance to the newMeiji government.Otori andOguri Tadamasadid not intend to lay down their arms without battle, and indicated their intention to continue the war but, following the surrender ofEdo Castle,Ōtori gathered 500 men of the Shogunate Army at Hō'on-ji Temple inAsakusa,and left Edo. Upon arriving inIchikawahe joined withHijikata Toshizōof theShinsengumi,Akizuki TōnosukeofAizu,Tatsumi NaofumiofKuwana,and others, expanding his force to 2000 men. Dividing the infantry into three groups, he ordered them to attack. One unit was marched towardsNikkō,defeating an Imperial Army detachment on the way atKoyamainShimotsuke Province.The detached unit under Hijikata had also defeated an Imperial army force atUtsunomiyaCastle, 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 ofWakamatsu,Ōtori's men mounted a fighting retreat while defending the western approaches to Aizu. In his search for reinforcements, Ōtori unsuccessfully petitionedMatsudaira Katamorito 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 toSendai.There he met withEnomoto Takeaki,who had arrived inMatsushima Baywith six warships of the former Shogunate. Boarding these ships, the force headed forHakodate,Hokkaidō.

Soon afterward, theRepublic of Ezowas established, and as a result of the first attempt atdemocratic electionsthat 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-commandHijikata Toshizōwas far more experienced in combat, and Ōtori's awkwardness, as well as his tendency to laugh and sayMata maketa yo!( "Oh I lost again!" ) in the face of defeat gave him a bad reputation with his men.

In theBattle of Hakodatewhen the Imperial Army surrounded theGoryōkakufortress,Enomoto Takeakiwanted 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 inTokyo;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 theMeiji government,first becoming involved inland reclamation,and later becoming president of theGakushūinPeers' School in 1886. In 1889, Ōtori was sent as an ambassador toChina'sQing dynastyandKorea'sJoseondynasty. He also had an instrumental role in the opening of theFirst Sino-Japanese War.

Ōtori was also involved in efforts to preserve history. Beginning in 1898, he assisted with the editing and publication of the magazineKyū 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 inHakodate.

Ōtori Keisuke died fromesophageal cancertwo months after his 78th birthday.

See also

• List of Ambassadors from Japan to South Korea

External links

• Đại điểu khuê giới at bakusin.com(in Japanese)