Secret Maejima

Japanese: 前島密 - まえじま・ひそか

Year of death: April 27, 1919
Year of birth: Tempo 6.1.7 (1835.2.4)
A Meiji-era bureaucrat and politician who established the modern postal system. He is known as the "father of Japanese postal service." He was born into the Ueno family, a wealthy farming family in Shimoikebe Village, Kubiki County, Echigo Province (Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture). His father was Sukeemon and his mother was Tei. His childhood name was Fusagoro, and he later became Raisuke. In 1845 (Koka 2), at the age of 11, he became a disciple of Kuraishi Tenta, a Confucian scholar of the Takada Domain, and at the age of 13, he went to Edo, where he studied medicine and Dutch studies while working hard to earn a living. With the arrival of Perry, he keenly felt the need to strengthen national defense, and traveled around the country to see artillery batteries, harbors, etc., while also learning gunnery, drills, and engineering. He then became a disciple of Takeda Fusaburo in Hakodate, where he learned navigation and surveying methods, and in 1865 (Keio 1), he taught English at the Kaisei School of the Satsuma Domain. The following year, he returned to Edo and succeeded the family of Maejima Jojiro, a shogunate official. After serving as a magistrate of Hyogo and as magistrate of Nakaizumi in Enshu, he entered the service of the new government in 1869. He changed his name to Mitsu around this time. In 1870, Maejima was appointed head of postal services, and decided to establish a postal service to replace the courier services of the Edo period, which continued to exist even after the Meiji Restoration, as they were often delayed or did not arrive at all, and were very expensive. After returning from England in 1871, he was appointed head of postal services, and launched the modern postal system between the Tokaido and Osaka, and issued postage stamps. The following year, mail was implemented nationwide, and in 1872, the government took exclusive control of the postal service, and a uniform rate system was established nationwide. The names "mail" and "postage stamps" were Maejima's invention. In 1873, he also encouraged courier businesses to establish the Rikuun Gen Kaisha (Land Transport Company), which later became the Naikoku Tsuun Kaisha (Domestic Transport Company). In 1881, following the political upheaval of 1882, he resigned from office along with Okuma Shigenobu, and participated in the formation of the Constitutional Reform Party, and in 1887, he became the principal of Tokyo Senmon Gakko (Waseda University). In 1904, he became president of the Kansai Railway Company, but in 1906, he was appointed Vice Minister of Communications and contributed to the founding of the telephone exchange business. After retiring from the government, he became president of the Hokuetsu Railway Company and worked hard to open the Naoetsu-Niigata section. In 1902, he became a member of the House of Peers. <References> Ichishima Kenkichi (ed.), "Konzume Ato," Oda Takeo, "Maejima Mitsu," Yamaguchi Osamu, "Maejima Mitsu"

(Nobuyuki Fujii)

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

Japanese:

没年：大正8.4.27(1919)
生年：天保6.1.7(1835.2.4)
近代郵便制度を創設した明治時代の官僚,政治家。「日本郵便の父」と称される。越後国頸城郡下池部村(新潟県上越市)の豪農,上野家に生まれる。父は助右衛門,母てい。幼名房五郎,次いで来輔。弘化2(1845)年,11歳で高田藩儒・倉石典太の門に入り,13歳で江戸に出て苦学しながら医学,蘭学を学ぶ。ペリー来航により国防強化の必要性を痛感し,全国を周遊して砲台,港湾などを実地見聞する一方,砲術,操練,機関学などを学ぶ。その後,箱館で武田斐三郎の門に入り,航海術,測量法を修得,慶応1(1865)年,薩摩藩の開成学校で英語を教授する。翌年,江戸に戻り幕吏前島錠次郎の家を継いだ。兵庫奉行支配調役,遠州中泉奉行を経て明治2(1869)年,新政府に出仕。このころ,密と改名。同3年,駅逓権正に就任した前島は,維新後も存続した江戸時代の飛脚が,遅滞,不着が甚だしいうえに高額のため,飛脚に代わる郵便事業創設を決意。イギリスから帰国した4年に駅逓頭に任ぜられ近代郵便制度を東海道～大阪間で開始し,郵便切手を発行する。翌年郵便を全国に実施,6年郵便事業の政府専掌,全国均一料金制を確立した。「郵便」「郵便切手」の名称は前島の創意。また5年,飛脚屋に陸運元会社(のち内国通運会社)の設立を勧める。14年の政変により大隈重信と共に下野して立憲改進党の結成に加わり,20年東京専門学校(早稲田大学)の校長になる。19年関西鉄道会社社長に就任したが,21年逓信次官に任ぜられ,電話交換事業の創始に貢献した。退官後,北越鉄道会社社長となり,直江津～新潟間の開通に尽力。37年貴族院議員。<参考文献>市島謙吉編『鴻爪痕』,小田岳夫『前島密』,山口修『前島密』

(藤井信幸)

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