Gamou Kunpei

A scholar of the late Edo period. His given name was Hidezane, commonly known as Isaburo, and his pen name was Kimizo or Kimpei, and he went by the name Shusei-an. He was the fourth son of Fukuda Mataemon Masae, a lamp oil merchant from Utsunomiya, Shimotsuke Province (Tochigi Prefecture). Following family tradition that he was a descendant of Gamo Ujisato, he later changed his surname from Fukuda to Gamo. At the age of 14, he became a disciple of Suzuki Sekkyo (1754-1815), a Confucian scholar from Kanuma, the same province, where he studied national history and the classics, and furthermore, he formed a friendship with Fujita Yukoku in Mito, and was influenced by Mitogaku. In 1790 (Kansei 2), he visited Takayama Hikokuro, who was traveling in the Tohoku region, and went to Ishinomaki (Ishinomaki) to meet him, but was unable to meet him. On his way back, he visited Hayashi Shihei (Hayashi Shihei) in Sendai and discussed national affairs such as the defense of the northern border. In 1795, he toured the Tohoku region again, concerned about the lack of maritime defense against Russian advances south, and later, in 1807 (Bunka 4), when a Russian ship invaded the northern border, he presented the Shogunate with "Fujutsui" (Information on National Defense) which outlined national defense measures. Earlier, in 1796, he lamented the deterioration of the tombs of the successive Emperors, and traveled to Tokyo with the intention of compiling "Sanryōshi" (Records of Imperial Mausolea), and later surveyed the tombs throughout the Kinki region, completing the two-volume work in 1801 (Kyowa 1). The following year, in 1802, he entered the school of University President Hayashi Jutsusai, further deepening his academic studies.

In his later years, he moved to Edo and devoted himself to writing. He died of illness on July 5, 1810, and was buried at Rinko-ji Temple in Yanaka, Edo. His posthumous name was Shusei-in-den Bunzan Gisho Daikoji. His other works include "Kinsho" (around 1792), which discusses current problems, and "Shokukan-shi" (1811), which describes the history of Japan's ancient government positions. His "Sanryōshi" in particular is famous as a pioneer of the theory of revering the emperor at the end of the Edo period. He is known as one of the three eccentrics of the Kansei era, along with Takayama Hikokurō and Hayashi Shihei.

[Makoto Takeuchi May 19, 2016]

"Complete Works of Gamo Kimpei, edited by Mishima Kichitaro, 1 volume (1911, Tokyo Press/revised and enlarged 5th edition, 1938, Seibunsha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸後期の学者。名は秀実(ひでざね)、通称は伊三郎、字(あざな)を君蔵または君平といい、修静庵(あん)と号した。下野(しもつけ)国（栃木県）宇都宮の灯油商福田又右衛門正栄の四男。蒲生氏郷(うじさと)の子孫であるという家伝に従い、のちに自ら福田を蒲生と改姓した。14歳のときから同国鹿沼(かぬま)の儒者鈴木石橋(すずきせっきょう)（1754―1815）の門に入り、国史や古典を学び、さらに水戸の藤田幽谷(ふじたゆうこく)と親交を結び、水戸学の影響を受けた。1790年（寛政2）、東北遊歴中の高山彦九郎を慕って石巻(いしのまき)まで行ったが会えず、帰路仙台の林子平(はやししへい)を訪ねて、北辺の防備などの国事を語り合った。1795年には、ロシアの南下に対する海防の薄さを憂えてふたたび東北地方を巡歴し、のち1807年（文化4）ロシア船による北辺侵犯事件が起きた際は、国防策を記した『不恤緯(ふじゅつい)』を幕府に上呈した。これより先の1796年、歴代天皇陵の荒廃を嘆いた彼は、『山陵志(さんりょうし)』の編纂(へんさん)を意図して上京し、のち近畿一帯の山陵を実地に踏査し、1801年（享和1）全2巻を脱稿した。翌1802年大学頭(だいがくのかみ)林述斎(じゅつさい)の門に入り、いっそう学問の道を深めた。

　晩年は江戸に居を移して著述に専念し、文化(ぶんか)10年7月5日に病没、江戸谷中(やなか)の臨江寺(りんこうじ)に葬られた。法名は修静院殿文山義章大居士。ほかの著作に時弊を論じた『今書(きんしょ)』（1792ころ）や、日本古来の官職の沿革を記した『職官志』（1811）などがある。とくに『山陵志』は幕末尊王論の先駆として有名。高山彦九郎、林子平とともに、寛政(かんせい)の三奇人とよばれる。

［竹内　誠　2016年5月19日］

『三島吉太郎編『蒲生君平全集』全1巻（1911・東京出版社／増補校訂5版・1938・盛文社）』

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