Sanai Hashimoto - Hashimoto Sanai

An enlightened patriot in the late Edo period. A samurai of the Fukui domain. His name was Tsunanori, and his pen names were Keigaku and Reien. Sanai was his nickname. He was the eldest son of a surgeon in the inner palace who received a stipend of 25 koku and five people. In 1848 (Kaei 1), he wrote Keihatsuroku (Record of Revelation). The following year, he studied at Ogata Koan's school in Osaka, and in 1854 (Ansei 1), he traveled to Edo to study, where he continued to study Western studies and also acquired an understanding of English and German. During this time, he negotiated with Fujita Toko and Saigo Takamori, and gained insight into domestic and international situations. In 1855, he was appointed as a shoinban (a study assistant) by the domain physician, and in 1857, he became the superintendent of the domain school, Meidokan, where he promoted the unity of politics and religion and economically useful learning, and established a school for studying Western books, among other achievements. In the same year, he was called to Edo and became a samurai reader and an official in charge of the affairs of the feudal lord Matsudaira Yoshinaga, and was involved in the movement for the succession of the shogun, which supported Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu. He predicted the emergence of an international organization like the United Nations in the near future, and thought about opening the country to the outside world, forming an offensive and defensive alliance with Russia, promoting foreign trade, and realizing a wealthy and powerful nation. He also thought about establishing a unified national system on the scale of the shogunate, which would include notable daimyo, samurai, ronin, scholars, and even common people, regardless of whether they were related to the feudal lords, hereditary retainers, or outsiders, under a wise shogun. In 1858, he went to Tokyo to campaign among the nobles and recommended that they obtain imperial approval for the trade treaty, but the Hitotsubashi faction was defeated by the appearance of the Chief Minister Ii Naosuke, who supported Kishu Yoshitomi (Iemochi), and he was arrested during the Ansei Purge and executed the following year. He had a deep understanding of Western studies, but was unable to recognize their value as a practical study. He was also deeply loyal to Keiei, who had promoted him from a low-ranking position to a key role in domain and national politics, and even during his imprisonment he feared that misfortune would come to his lord's family.

[Muneyuki Yamaguchi]

"The Complete Works of Hashimoto Keigaku, Vol. 1 and 2, compiled by the Keigaku Society (1935, Unebi Shobo)" ▽ "Hashimoto Sanai, by Yamaguchi Muneyuki (1962, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

幕末の開明派志士。福井藩士。名は綱紀(つなのり)、号は景岳、黎園(れいえん)。左内は通称。25石五人扶持(ぶち)奥外科医の長男。1848年（嘉永1）『啓発録』を著す。翌年大坂の緒方洪庵(おがたこうあん)塾に学び、1854年（安政1）江戸遊学、蘭学(らんがく)研究を続けるとともに英語、ドイツ語にも理解をもった。この間、藤田東湖(ふじたとうこ)、西郷隆盛(さいごうたかもり)らとも交渉し内外情勢への識見を深め、1855年藩医から御書院番に起用され、1857年藩校明道館学監となり、政教一致、経済有用の学を鼓吹し洋書習学所を設けるなど治績をあげた。同年江戸に呼ばれて藩主松平慶永(まつだいらよしなが)の侍読兼内用掛となり、一橋慶喜(ひとつばしよしのぶ)を擁する将軍継嗣(けいし)運動に携わった。彼は近い将来における国際連合的機構の出現を予想し、積極的に開国してロシアと攻守同盟を結び、外国貿易を盛んにして富国強兵を実現するとともに、英明の将軍のもと親藩、譜代(ふだい)、外様(とざま)にかかわらず有為の大名、藩士、浪人、学者、さては庶民層までも網羅した幕府規模における統一国家体制の樹立を考えていた。1858年上京して公家(くげ)に遊説、あわせて通商条約への勅許を勧めたが、紀州慶福(よしとみ)（家茂(いえもち)）を推す井伊直弼(いいなおすけ)大老の出現により一橋派は敗北、安政(あんせい)の大獄で捕らえられ、翌年処刑された。彼は西洋学への深い理解をもったが、実用の学としてより以上の価値を認めることができなかった。また、軽輩の身分から抜擢(ばってき)し藩・国政の枢機へ参加させた慶永への誠忠の念強く、在獄中も終始主家へ災いの及ぶことを恐れた。

［山口宗之］

『景岳会編『橋本景岳全集』上下（1935・畝傍書房）』▽『山口宗之著『橋本左内』（1962・吉川弘文館）』

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