Parkes, Harry Smith

Japanese: パークス - Ｐａｒｋｅｓ，ＨａｒｒｙＳｍｉｔｈ

Year of death: 1885.3.22 (1885.3.22)
Born: February 24, 1828
A British diplomat during the late Edo and Meiji periods. Born in Birchills Hall, Staffordshire, England, as the eldest son of Harry, a steelworks owner. He lost both parents in succession when he was four or five years old, and was raised by his father's brothers. In 1838, he entered King Edward's Grammar School. In October 1841, he joined his two older sisters, who were staying with the linguist Gützlaff family in Macau, and devoted himself to studying Chinese. In May 1842, at the age of 14, he began his career as a diplomat under Secretary and First Interpreter Robert Morrison, and in August of the same year, he attended the signing ceremony of the Treaty of Nanking. In 1844, he became an interpreter at the British Consulate in Xiamen, and was recognized by Consul Alcock. He became the Xiamen consul in 1854, and the acting consul in Canton in June 1856, but when the Arrow Incident occurred, he served as the de facto governor-general. In July 1860, he participated in the Battle of Beijing, became chief interpreter under special envoy Bruce, and entered Beijing in November. In May 1862, he was awarded the Order of the Bath, 2nd Class. In 1864, he became consul in Shanghai, but in March of the following year, in Keio 1 (1865), he was appointed envoy to Japan, and arrived in Yokohama on leap May 16th. Parkes tackled the difficult issue of the Choshu problem at the time, especially the issue of indemnity and the issue of royal charter, and with quick action and perseverance, he united the diplomatic corps in Japan and resolved the issue. After that, he approached Satsuma and Choshu, but also took a position that did not separate himself from the shogunate, and unlike his predecessor Alcock, he did not show an attitude of actively influencing the political situation in Japan. However, his declaration of neutrality during the Boshin War ultimately became a measure to prevent the shogunate from receiving foreign aid. He advised the Japanese government to quickly introduce modern Western civilization such as lighthouses, telegraphs, and railways, encouraged his subordinates to study Japan, and served twice as president of the Asiatic Society of Japan. In the 1870s, he demonstrated his ability to be uncompromising on the Japanese side in the issues of quarantine and treaty revision. In 1881, he was awarded the Order of St. Michael and St. George, and in 1883, he was transferred to the position of minister to Beijing, leaving Japan in August of the same year. The following year, he also served as minister plenipotentiary to Korea. <References> FV Dickins, "The Life of John Parkes," translated by Takanashi Kenkichi

(Takashi Utsumi)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：1885.3.22(1885.3.22)
生年：1828.2.24
幕末明治期のイギリスの外交官。イングランドのスタッフォードシャー,バーチルズ・ホールに,鉄工場主であった父ハリーの長男として生まれる。4,5歳で両親を相次いで亡くし,父の兄弟に育てられる。1838年キング・エドワード・グラマースクール入学。41年10月,マカオ在留の語学者ギュッツラフ家に寄留していたふたりの姉のところに合流し,中国語の勉強に専念する。42年5月,満14歳でロバート・モリソン書記官兼第1通訳官のもとで外交官の道に入り,同年8月,南京条約の調印式に参列。44年厦門のイギリス領事館通訳官となり,領事オールコックに認められる。54年厦門領事,56年6月広東領事代理となるが,アロー号事件が発生し事実上の総督として活躍。60年7月,北京攻略戦に参加,特派使節ブルースのもとで首席通訳官となり,11月北京入城を果たした。62年5月,バス勲位2等勲爵士となる。64年上海領事となるが,翌慶応1(1865)年3月,日本駐在公使に任命され閏5月16日横浜に着任した。パークスは当時の難題であった長州問題,特に賠償金問題と条約勅許問題に取り組み,機敏な行動と忍耐力で在日外交団をまとめ上げ同問題を解決。その後,薩摩や長州に接近するとともに幕府からも離れない立場をとり,前任者オールコックとは異なり日本の政局に積極的に働きかける態度は示さなかった。だが,戊辰戦争に際して局外中立を宣言したことは,結果的に,幕府側が外国の援助を受けるのを妨げる方策となった。灯台,電信,鉄道など近代西洋文明の早急な導入を日本政府に勧告し,部下には日本研究を奨励,日本アジア協会の会長を2度務めた。明治10年代の検疫問題や条約改正問題では,日本側に妥協しない辣腕ぶりを示した。明治14(1881)年聖ミカエル・聖ジョージ勲位を受け,同16年,北京駐在公使に転任し,同年8月離日。翌年,朝鮮駐在全権公使を兼任した。<参考文献>F.V.ディキンズ,高梨健吉訳『パークス伝』

(内海孝)

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