Kishida Ginko

A Meiji-era journalist and businessman. His real name was Ginji. He was born in Harima Province (Okayama Prefecture). He went to Edo (present-day Tokyo) and studied at the private school of the head librarian Hayashi. He became acquainted with the American doctor Hepburn in Yokohama, which opened his eyes to foreign cultures and helped edit the Japanese-English Hayashi Collection. In 1864 (Genji 1), he also assisted Joseph Heco (Hamada Hikozo) when he founded the Overseas Newspaper. In 1868 (Keio 4), he and Eugene M. Van Reed (1835-1873) founded the Yokohama Shinpo Moshihosou, playing a pioneering role in Japanese newspaper publishing. He also expanded into various businesses, such as opening a regular shipping route between Edo and Yokohama and selling the eye drops "Seikisui" that Hepburn had taught him. In 1872, he joined the Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun. He was the first Japanese war correspondent to go to Taiwan during the Japanese invasion of Taiwan (1874), and his reporting was well received.

In 1877 (Meiji 10), he left the newspaper company and shifted the focus of his activities to business. He expanded his eye drops business into mainland China, and made an effort to expand trade and cultural exchange between Japan and China. In 1876, he founded the Kunmouin School for the Blind together with Western scholar Nakamura Masanao and others. The painter Kishida Ryusei was his son.

[Teruo Ariyama]

"The 21st Pioneer Journalist Biography by Tatsuhiko Kubota (1930, Osaka Mainichi Shimbun)" "The Pioneer Kishida Ginko by Sakae Sugiyama (1952, Kishida Ginko Commemoration Society)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治時代の新聞記者、事業家。本名は銀次。播磨(はりま)国（岡山県）生まれ。江戸に上り、林図書頭(ずしょのかみ)の塾などに学ぶ。横浜でアメリカ人医師ヘボンと知り合いになったことから、外国の文物に目を開き、『和英語林集成』の編集に助力。1864年（元治1）ジョセフ・ヒコ（浜田彦蔵）が『海外新聞』を創刊した際にも協力した。1868年（慶応4）にはバン・リードEugene M. Van Reed（1835―1873）とともに『横浜新報もしほ草』を創刊し、日本の新聞発行に先駆的役割を果たした。また江戸と横浜の間に定期航路を開設したり、ヘボン伝授の目薬「精錡水(せいきすい)」を発売するなどさまざまな事業にも手を広げた。1872年『東京日日新聞』に入る。台湾出兵（1874）には日本初の従軍記者として現地に赴き、その報道は評判をよんだ。

　1877年（明治10）には新聞社を退社し、活動の中心を実業方面に移した。目薬販売では中国大陸にも進出し、日中間の貿易拡大、文化交流にも尽力した。1876年洋学者中村正直(まさなお)らと盲学校「訓盲院」を創設。画家の岸田劉生(りゅうせい)は子息。

［有山輝雄］

『久保田辰彦著『廿一大先覚記者伝』（1930・大阪毎日新聞社）』▽『杉山栄著『先駆者岸田吟香』（1952・岸田吟香顕彰会）』

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