Ryotaku Maeno

Japanese: 前野良沢 - まえのりょうたく

The founder of Western (Dutch) studies in Japan. A physician of the Nakatsu domain. His given name was Tatsu, given name Yomisu (Yomisu), pen names Shietsu and Shisho, commonly known as Ryotaku, and his pen name Rakuzan. His other pen name Ranka came from the fact that the feudal lord patronized Ryotaku's enthusiasm for his Dutch language studies and playfully called him a Dutch monster. He was born in 1723 (8th year of the Kyoho era) in Ushigome Yarai, Edo, as the son of Taniguchi Shinsuke, a samurai of the Chikuzen domain. At a young age, he lost his father and his mother left him as an orphan, and was raised by his uncle Miyata Zentaku (author of Medical Knowledge), a physician of the Yodo domain in Yamashiro Province (Kyoto Prefecture) (author of Medical Knowledge). Miyata preached to him, "Have affection for things that others would not discard and ignore, and strive to leave them behind for the world." Ryosai was eventually adopted by Maeno Tomoto, a physician of the Nakatsu domain, and studied medicine in the Yoshimasu Toudou school. At the same time, following Miyata's educational guidelines, Ryosai became proficient in the Hitoyogiri bamboo instrument, which was already falling out of use at the time, and also attended Saruwaka Kyogen lessons (the Nakamuraza family kyogen). Learning Dutch was also a novelty at the time, but when Sakae Kouou, also from the same domain, showed him the remains of a Dutch book, he was unable to understand it, and this is said to have been the beginning of his ambition, as he believed that there was nothing that fellow humans could not understand. In 1769 (Meiwa 6), he was taught by Aoki Konyo, author of "A Brief Study of Dutch Characters," and in the following year, 1770, he went to Nagasaki and studied under Dutch interpreters Yoshio Kozaemon (farmer), Narabayashi Eizaemon (1773-1837), Ogawa Yoshinoshin, and others, purchasing the "Les Merlins" and the anatomical book "Tabulae Anatomicae," before returning to Edo. He also visited the captains of the Edo court and the trading post physicians at his lodgings in Nagasakiya. On March 4, 1771, together with Sugita Genpaku and Nakagawa Junan, he observed the dissection of a death row prisoner at Kozukahara in Senju, Edo, and recognizing the accuracy of the illustrations in European anatomical books, he decided to translate them, starting the next day at the Ryōtaku official residence in the Nakatsu domain's mansion in Teppo-zu, Tsukiji. Ryōtaku, who was more knowledgeable and older than his comrades, was pushed to become the leader, and he promoted the project by showing his own work, "Dutch Translation of the Japanese Anthology," to his comrades, and in August 1774 (An'ei 3), all five volumes of "Kaitai Shinsho" were published. However, Ryōtaku refused to use his own name. After translating, he left his comrades and devoted himself to studying the Dutch language and translating Dutch books. In addition to the language books "Dutch Essays," "Zigaku Kosei," "Oranda Yakubun Ryaku," and "Oranda Yakusen," he translated and enlightened various academic texts, such as astronomical texts "Yakudan Doho" and "Sokuyogi Zusetsu," Kamchatka-related books "Tōshaketsu Ki," Russian history books "Roshia Honki" and "Roshia Dai Tōryakuki," "Oranda Kenchikō," and "Kanrei Gen," a critique of various European topics that shows Ryosai's insights in every part. He also had close ties with Takayama Hikokurō and Mogami Tokunai, and taught Otsuki Gentaku, Ema Ransai (1747-1838), Koishi Genshun, and others. He died on October 17, 1712. His grave is at Keianji Temple in Nakano Ward, Tokyo. In 1893 (Meiji 26), he was awarded the rank of Shoshii (Senior Fourth Rank).

[Tetsuo Suenaka]

"Maeno Ranka" by Katsumi Iwasaki (1938, private edition, 3 volumes, Heibonsha, Toyo Bunko)

"Anatomy New Book"
Written by Krums, translated by Sugita Genpaku, Maeno Ryotaku, Nakagawa Junan, and Katsuragawa Hoshu, illustrated by Odano Naotake, published in 1774 (An'ei 3), held at the National Diet Library .

"Anatomy New Book"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

日本洋（蘭(らん)）学の開祖。中津藩医。名は達、諱(いみな)は熹(よみす)（余美寿）、字(あざな)は子悦・子章、通称を良沢、号は楽山。なお別号蘭化は、藩侯が良沢のオランダ語研究の熱心さを庇護(ひご)し戯れに和蘭の化け物と称したことによるもの。1723年（享保8）筑前(ちくぜん)藩士谷口新介の子として江戸牛込矢来(うしごめやらい)に生まれた。幼時、父を亡くし母に去られ孤児となり、山城(やましろ)国（京都府）淀(よど)藩医官で伯父の宮田全沢（『医学知律』の著者）に育てられた。宮田は「他人が捨てて顧みないようなことに愛情をもち、世に残すよう心がけよ」と説き聞かせた。良沢はやがて中津藩医前野東元の養子となり、吉益東洞(よしますとうどう)流医学を修めた。一方宮田の訓育方針に従い、当時すでに廃れかかっていた一節切(ひとよぎり)の竹管器に習熟し、さらに猿若狂言（中村座の家狂言）の稽古(けいこ)にも通っていた。オランダ語の学習も当時では珍奇に属することであったが、同藩の坂江鴎(さかこうおう)に蘭書の残編を見せられたがわからず、同じ人間のすることがわからぬことはないと志をたてたのが始まりという。1769年（明和6）『和蘭文字略考』の著をもつ青木昆陽の手ほどきを受け、翌1770年長崎へ赴きオランダ通詞吉雄幸左衛門(よしおこうざえもん)（耕牛）・楢林栄左衛門(ならばやしえいざえもん)（1773―1837）・小川悦之進らについて学び、『マーリン字書』や解剖書『ターヘル・アナトミア』などを購求し江戸に帰った。江戸参府のカピタンや商館医を宿舎長崎屋に訪ねもした。1771年3月4日江戸千住小塚原(こづかっぱら)での死刑囚の腑分(ふわ)けを杉田玄白(げんぱく)・中川淳庵(じゅんあん)らと参観、ヨーロッパ人の解剖書の図の正確さを認め翻訳を決意、翌日から築地(つきじ)鉄砲州の中津藩邸内の良沢役宅で開始。知識・年齢に先行する良沢が盟主に推され、自作の『蘭訳筌(せん)』を同志に示しながら推進、1774年（安永3）8月『解体新書』全5冊を公刊した。しかし良沢は自分の名を出すことを拒否。訳後、同志と離れオランダ語学研究とオランダ書翻訳に専念した。語学書『蘭語随筆』『字学小成』『和蘭訳文略』『和蘭訳筌』などのほか、天文書『翻訳運動法』『測曜璣(ぎ)図説』、カムチャツカについて『東砂葛記』、ロシアの歴史『魯西亜(ロシア)本紀』『魯西亜大統略記』、『和蘭築城法』、良沢の識見を随所にみせるヨーロッパの諸事項の評書『管蠡秘言(かんれいひげん)』など、諸学啓蒙(けいもう)訳書を著した。また、高山彦九郎や最上徳内(もがみとくない)と交流し、大槻玄沢(おおつきげんたく)、江馬蘭斎(えまらんさい)（1747―1838）、小石元俊らの指導にもあたった。享和(きょうわ)3年10月17日没。墓は東京都中野区の慶安寺。1893年（明治26）正四位を贈られた。

［末中哲夫］

『岩崎克己著『前野蘭化』（1938・私家版／全3巻・平凡社・東洋文庫）』