Murata Seifu

Japanese: 村田清風 - むらた・せいふう

Year of death: May 26, 1855 (July 9, 1855)
Year of birth: April 26, 1783 (May 26, 1783)
A samurai of the Choshu (Hagi) domain in the late Edo period, and a leader in domain government reform. Common names were Kamenosuke, Shinzaemon, Shirozaemon, and Oribe. Names were Masayuki and Seifu. Pen name was Mufu. Names included Shosai, Shou, Toyo, Baido, Gekkanroshu, Seiou, and Enenou. He was born as the eldest son of Murata Shirozaemon, a district magistrate with a stipend of 50 koku and one of the eight samurai of Misumi village, Otsu county, Nagato province (Yamaguchi prefecture). At the age of 15, he entered the domain school Meirinkan, and in 1808 (Bunka 5), he joined the Temawarigumi, a close attendant to the domain lord, and served as a page. In the same year, he was appointed as a right-hand man and secret agent, which was a key role in domain government, studied military science, participated in the defense of foreign ships, and led the military reform centered on large and small cannons, and the organization of the sacred treasure formations. In Bunsei 2 (1819), he succeeded to the family headship. He was promoted from Goyosho Uhitsu to Toyaku (chikaro of the domain) Temotoyaku, and was in charge of finance and civil administration. He held important positions such as Toyaku (chikaro of the domain lord's close aide) Temotoyaku and head of the Nuikukata. Immediately after the great uprising of 1831, which shook the entire domain, he became Toyaku Yodanyaku, the highest-ranking practical official, and planned financial reforms, but his plans were not accepted and he resigned. In 1838, he was appointed as Chi-Edo Shikumi-kakari by the new domain lord, Mori Yoshichika, and began financial reforms. In 1839, he was again appointed Edo Toyaku Yodanyaku, and began the Tenpo Reforms in the Choshu domain. The Tenpo Reforms included the consolidation of domain bonds, easing the reduction in the stipends of domain samurai rice, expanding the Koshikakata, which was used to lend to cargo from Shimonoseki to various provinces, promoting commercial control, and consolidating public and private borrowings of soldiers. He also worked on military reforms, and in 1841, despite opposition, he conducted a large drill at Hagadai. However, the Public Loan 37 Year Tax Payment Law, which increased the burden on merchants to settle the debts of feudal retainers, drew opposition, and the shogunate's crackdown on the monopolies of the feudal domains led to the abolition of the National Government Office, and the reforms came to a halt. The following year, in 1844, he resigned from his post and returned to his old home in Misumi Village, where he built a hall for training in the arts and martial arts, and discussed foreign defense measures. He was well-known as a capable official with a thorough understanding of both business and practice, and in 1855, at the request of his successor, Shufu Masanosuke, he made a comeback and became an advisor for internal affairs at the Edo government, but he died shortly afterwards from a recurrence of his stroke. <References> Yamaguchi Prefectural Education Association, ed., "Murata Seifu Complete Works," 2 volumes

(Katsuo Inoue)

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

Japanese:

没年：安政2.5.26(1855.7.9)
生年：天明3.4.26(1783.5.26)
江戸後期の長州(萩)藩士,藩政改革の指導者。通称は亀之助,新左衛門,四郎左衛門,織部。名は将之,清風。字は穆夫。号は松斎,嘯雨,東陽,梅堂,月波楼主,静翁,炎々翁など。長門国(山口県)大津郡三隅村の八組士で,禄高50石,郡代官,村田四郎左衛門の長子に生まれる。15歳で藩校明倫館に入学し,文化5(1808)年,藩主に近侍する手廻組に入り,小姓役となる。同7年,藩政の要となる右筆役・密用方に任じ,兵学を学び,異船防御方にも参画し,大小砲を中心とする軍制改革,神器陣編成を指導した。文政2(1819)年,家督を継ぐ。御用所右筆から当職(藩地家老)手元役と昇進して,財政,民政に当たる。当役(藩主側近の家老)手元役,撫育方頭人などの要職を歴任。全藩を揺るがした天保2(1831)年の大一揆の直後,実務役人の最高位の当役用談役となり,財政改革を企画したが容れられず,辞任した。天保9(1838)年,新藩主毛利敬親に地江戸両仕組掛に任ぜられ,財政改革に着手し,同11年,再び江戸当役用談役となり,長州藩における天保改革を開始した。天保改革は藩債の整理,藩士禄米の削減の緩和,下関の諸国貨物へ貸し付ける越荷方の拡大,商業統制の推進,士卒の公私借財の整理などであった。軍制改革にも努め,同14年,反対をおして羽賀台の大操練を行った。しかし藩士の借財整理を商人の負担を強化して行う公内借三十七カ年賦皆済仕法が反発をよび,さらに幕府の諸藩専売の取り締まりによって,国産方の役所を撤廃し,改革は頓挫した。翌弘化1(1844)年,職を辞し,三隅村の旧宅に帰り,文武を錬成する尊聖堂を作って,対外防備策を論じた。実務に通暁した能吏としての名声は高く,安政2(1855)年,後継者,周布政之助に請われて再起し,江戸方御内用参与に就いたが,直後,中風再発により死去した。<参考文献>山口県教育会編『村田清風全集』全2巻

(井上勝生)

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