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| Newsletter
No.98 |
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July 2007
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Social Systems and Spirit of the Edo Era:
Mr Tsunenari Tokugawa
Mr Tsunenari Tokugawa's lecture took place from 7:00 at Iwasaki Koyata Memorial Hall, International House, following the AGM on June 27.
Speaking the English language of an international business figure, Tokugawa-san, who would be the 18th Shogun had the Edo Period not ended, started by enumerating the various social systems and Japanese spirit that were fostered during the long continuous peace the Edo Period, beginning with an outline of the historical flow preceding it.
From 1540 the Portuguese began to arrive in Japan with guns, and the nature of war changed. Western civilization poured into Japan, and by the time of his victory at the battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu was sleeping in a bed and drinking wine. From 1601-1868 there was a period of what foreign scholars might call "Pax Tokugawana" which could also be referred to as a kind of "Pax Romana".
What did those 260 years of peace give to Japan, then? They provided the chance to develop a long-range plan on an all-country scale, which had not been possible during the period of warlords. First was water control. Large-scale riparian construction occurred throughout the land, reducing flooding and increasing the amount of farmland. This brought an increase in population and made possible law and order, with the economy expanding greatly. There was a flowering of culture and expansion of education. A hundred years before Thomas Cook was established, it was possible for three Japanese ladies to travel from Kyushu, taking five months to walk 3200 kilometers safely, with numerous side trips to purchase many souvenirs along the way, which they shipped back home via "takkyubin".
Education, which had once been the preserve of the intelligentsia, spread to all classes. Book publishing exploded, with practical How To books and Haiku poetry collections and dictionaries widely read. Because the Confucianist Samurai class regarded money as dirty, common people's lives became prosperous along with the development of a money economy. As described by the World Bank, the four factors necessary for investment in a developing country are peace, stable government, a high rate of literacy, and experience with a market economy, all of which existed in Edo Japan. There was recycling-almost nothing was thrown away. From candle stubs to human waste, everything was reused entirely in a completely self-sustaining system supporting 33 million people in a remarkable balance with the resources available.
Today, there are many problems such as the world population, energy, food supplies, and water, etc. It can be concluded that there is much to be learned from the Edo Period. With humor sprinkled here and there, Tokugawa-san's lecture gave the audience much food for thought in a humorous way, for a most impressive evening.
ESUJ Ninth Annual General Meeting
ESUJ's Ninth Annual General Meeting was held starting at 6:15 on Wednesday, June 27 at the International House of Japan in Roppongi, with 58 members present and 138 proxies received. With Chairman Hanabusa presiding over the meeting, the various agenda items were discussed. Following a report of activities for FY2006, the statement of accounts for FY2006 was reported and approved. With the officers' terms due to end this year, new directors and auditors were elected. Regarding the program of planned activities for FY2007, Chairman Hanabusa noted that we would be approaching the tenth anniversary of ESUJ's founding and that several special events were being planned. Following the AGM, a Directors Meeting was convened by the new directors for approval of the new officers and election of new councilors. A list of the new officers is attached.
English Club
On June 19, English Club welcomed as its guest speaker Mr Matthias Reich, a young businessman born in East Germany who is currently working in Japan. Matthias speaks German, Russian, English, French and Japanese fluently and has visited every region of Europe.
Speaking on the topic of "A cultural, historical and linguistic journey through Eastern Europe", he illustrated his talk with his own special photographs of the various places he has visited, expertly guiding the audience through 22 countries in one hour! Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro,（Transnistrian Moldovan Republic）, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine: how many of these countries do you know? The beautiful scenes of nature overflowing with life accompanied by Matthias-san's clear commentary and sense of presence, plus his super efficiency in ending the trip "on time" led to a deep sense of satisfaction among the audience and resulted in many lively questions.
Before Matthias' talk, Mr Kenji Ando provided a short speech on the topic of "Omoiyari".
July English Club will be held on July 17 (Tuesday), at the Japan National Press Club (18:30-20:30). Our Guest Speaker will be Ms Sachiko Tsuchiya, a doyen of the art world in Japan, Europe and the US. Giving us all the gen on what's happening in New York, Sachiko will talk about this year's Asian Art Fair, in which she actively participated. English Club will not meet in August.
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For
further informaiton contact!
E-MAIL:esuj@esuj.gr.jp
Fujikage-Building
9th Floor, Motoakasaka 1-1-5
MInato-ku, Tokyo 107-0051
TEL: 03-3423-0970 FAX: 03-3423-0971
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