Hamada Hikozo - Hamada Hikozo

A drifter in the late Edo period and a trader through the Meiji period. Born in Harima Province (Hyogo Prefecture) as the son of a sailor. In 1850 (Kaei 3), at the age of 14, he was caught in a storm in the Enshu Nada Sea and drifted for over 50 days, after which he was rescued by the American ship Oakland and traveled to the United States. He was educated and baptized, and became a naturalized citizen, changing his name to Joseph Hiko. In 1859 (Ansei 6), he returned to Japan after a nine-year absence, and appeared in the glamorous diplomatic world of the late Edo period, working as an interpreter for the American consulate and contributing to Japan's diplomacy after the country opened up to the world. He is also known as America Hikozo and Banshu Hikozo. In 1861 (Bunkyu 1), he traveled to the United States again, and the following year, in 1862, he returned to Japan and opened a trading post, operating in Kobe, Nagasaki, and other places.

He changed jobs many times, but is best known for founding Japan's first privately-owned newspaper, "The Kaigai Shimbun," in Yokohama in 1864 (Genji 1), together with Kishida Ginko and others. He also worked on editing the National Bank Ordinance at the Ministry of Finance. He wrote "The Drifting Record" (1863) about his own drifting experiences, and also published an autobiography in English.

[Shinji Ono]

"American Hikozo Autobiography" by Hiko Hamada, translated by Tsutomu Nakagawa et al., 2 volumes (Heibonsha, Toyo Bunko)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

幕末の漂民、明治にかけての貿易商。播磨国(はりまのくに)（兵庫県）に生まれた船乗りの子。1850年（嘉永3）14歳のとき遠州灘(えんしゅうなだ)で暴風雨にあい漂流50余日、アメリカ船オークランド号に救助されて渡米。教育また洗礼も受け、帰化して名をジョセフ・ヒコと改めた。1859年（安政6）9年ぶりに日本に帰り、華やかな幕末外交界に登場、アメリカ領事館の通訳として活躍、開国後の日本の外交に尽くした。俗にアメリカ彦蔵、播州彦蔵(ばんしゅうひこぞう)ともよばれる。1861年（文久1）ふたたび渡米、翌1862年帰国後は商館を開設、神戸・長崎などで貿易を営んだ。

　彼は職を転々としているが、有名なのは1864年（元治1）横浜で岸田吟香(きしだぎんこう)らと日本での民間最初の新聞『海外新聞』を発刊したことである。また大蔵省で国立銀行条例の編集にあたったこともあった。自己の漂流について『漂流記』（1863）を著し、そのほか英文の自伝を刊行した。

［小野信二］

『浜田彦蔵著、中川務他訳『アメリカ彦蔵自伝』2冊（平凡社・東洋文庫）』

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