Iwakura Mission

The mission, consisting of 46 members at the time of departure, visited 12 countries in the United States and Europe for about one year and ten months from November 1871 (Meiji 4) to September 1873. The ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary was Minister of the Right Iwakura Tomomi, and the deputy ambassadors were Councillor Kido Takayoshi, Minister of Finance Okubo Toshimichi, Minister of Public Works Ito Hirobumi, and Junior Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Yamaguchi Naoyoshi. The mission's objectives were (1) to present a sovereign letter to the signatories of the Treaty of the late Tokugawa Shogunate, (2) to conduct preliminary negotiations for the revision of the treaty, and (3) to research and study the systems and cultural artifacts of the United States and European countries. However, the mission failed in (2) and instead focused on (3). The characteristics of the mission include: (1) the ambassadors and deputy envoys were influential figures from Satsuma and Choshu in the Meiji government, and many of the councilors (specialists from each ministry) were people with their connections, (2) former shogunate officials served as secretaries, making use of the international cultural wealth of the former shogunate era, (3) the average age was about 30 years old, making the mission youthful and flexible, and (4) the mission observed and learned in detail about systems and cultural artifacts in all fields, including politics, economy, industry, military, society, culture, ideology, and religion, in the United States and Europe. The official report of the mission is "Records of the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador's Tour of America and Europe" (100 volumes in total, 5 volumes in 5 books, published in 1878).

After the mission returned to Japan (though Okubo and Kido had returned before that), the overseas travel group opposed the "Seikan" theory, and after the political upheaval of 1873 (October), the Okubo administration was established with the Ministry of Home Affairs at its center under Okubo's leadership, and attempted to utilize the results of the US-Europe tour in its policies. Previously, the mission was not highly rated and was not considered important due to its failure to revise treaties, but with the development of research, including the "Beio Kairan Jikki," the impact of the mission on modern Japan is beginning to be reexamined. In addition, the mission was accompanied by 42 students, including Kaneko Kentaro, Dan Takuma, and Tsuda Umeko, who studied in various countries.

[Akira Tanaka]

"The Chronicles of the Ambassador's Tour of the U.S. and Europe, edited by Kume Kunitake, annotated and commented by Tanaka Akira, 5 volumes (1977-82, Iwanami Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

1871年（明治4）11月から1873年9月にかけて、約1年10か月、米欧12か国を歴訪した、出発時46名よりなる使節団。特命全権大使は右大臣岩倉具視(いわくらともみ)で、副使は参議木戸孝允(きどたかよし)、大蔵卿(おおくらきょう)大久保利通(おおくぼとしみち)、工部大輔(こうぶたいふ)伊藤博文(いとうひろぶみ)、外務少輔山口尚芳(やまぐちなおよし)。使節団の目的は、(1)幕末条約締盟国への国書の捧呈(ほうてい)、(2)条約改正予備交渉、(3)米欧各国の制度・文物の調査研究であったが、(2)には失敗、もっぱら(3)に専心した。使節団の特徴には、〔1〕大使・副使に明治政府の薩長(さっちょう)の実力者が加わり、理事官（各省の専門官）にはその息のかかった者が多い、〔2〕書記官に旧幕臣が参加し、旧幕時代の国際的な文化蓄積を活用している、〔3〕平均年齢は約30歳で若さと弾力性に富んでいる、〔4〕米欧各国で政治、経済、産業、軍事、社会、文化、思想、宗教などあらゆる分野の制度・文物を詳細に見聞している、等々をあげうる。その公式報告書が『特命全権大使米欧回覧実記』（全100巻、5編5冊、1878年刊）である。

　使節団の帰国（ただし、大久保と木戸はそれ以前に帰国）後、この外遊派は「征韓」論に反対、明治六年の政変（10月）後は、大久保主導のもとに内務省を中心に大久保政権が成立し、米欧回覧の成果をその政策に生かそうとした。従来は条約改正の失敗ということからこの使節団の評価と位置づけは低かったが、『米欧回覧実記』をはじめとする研究の進展で、この使節団の近代日本に及ぼす影響が再検討され始めている。なお、この使節団には、金子堅太郎(かねこけんたろう)、団琢磨(だんたくま)、津田梅子ら42名の留学生が随行し、各国に留学した。

［田中　彰］

『久米邦武編、田中彰校注・解説『特命全権大使米欧回覧実記』全5冊（1977～82・岩波文庫）』

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