Mogami Tokunai - Mogami Tokunai

An explorer of Ezo in the late Edo period. His name was Tsunenori. He was born to a poor farmer in Tateoka Village, Murayama County, Dewa Province (Murayama City, Yamagata Prefecture). He went to Edo and studied astronomy and surveying under Honda Toshiaki. In 1785 (Tenmei 5), he accompanied Aoshima Shunzo (1751-1790), a Shogunate official who replaced Toshiaki, to Ezo, and reached Kunashiri. The following year, in 1786, he traveled alone to Etorofu and Uruppu, where he came into contact with Russians and learned of Russia's advance into the north, which made him realize the importance of the northern issue. In 1789 (Kansei 1), during the Battle of Kunashiri and Menashi, he again traveled to Aoshima and Ezochi, where he was imprisoned for Aoshima's crimes, but was later found innocent. In 1791, he explored Etorofu and Utsunomiya, and the following year, Karafuto. In 1793, he began creating the "Map for the Kanto Jushu Riverboat Control Office," which he completed and submitted in 1795. In 1798, he traveled to Etorofu with Kondo Morishige (Juzo) and erected a signpost reading "Dai Nihon Etorofu." In 1805 and 1806, he guided the inspectors of the western Ezo region under the command of the inspector Toyama Kagemichi (1764-1837), and was promoted to the position of head of the construction department. In 1807, he was promoted to the position of inspector for the Hakodate magistrate. In the same year, he commanded the Tsugaru clan soldiers in Shari during the Russian ships' attacks on Sakhalin, Etorofu, and Rishiri, and in 1808, he was dispatched to Sakhalin as an inspector of the Aizu clan soldiers. He traveled to Ezo nine times and was known as the foremost expert on Ezo at the time. In 1826 (Bunsei 9), he visited Siebold during his visit to Edo, and lent him a map of Ezo and provided him with knowledge of the north. He also worked with Siebold to compile the Aino Language Dictionary, which was in Ezo, Japanese, Dutch, and German. Siebold highly praised Tokunai in his book Japan. He passed away on September 5, Tempo 7. His books include Ezo Soushi and Ezo Shui (both included in the Hokumon Sosho series), and Doryoku Setsuto (included in the Nihon Keizai Sosho series).

[Funatsu Isao]

"Mogami Tokunai" by Shimatani Yoshiyoshi (1977/New edition, 1989, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸後期の蝦夷(えぞ)地探検家。名は常矩(つねのり)。出羽(でわ)国村山郡楯岡(たておか)村（山形県村山市）の貧農に生まれる。江戸に出て本多利明(ほんだとしあき)に天文、測量などを学ぶ。1785年（天明5）利明にかわって幕吏青島俊蔵（1751―1790）に随行し蝦夷地に渡り、国後(くなしり)に至る。翌1786年単身で択捉(えとろふ)、得撫(うるっぷ)に渡り、ロシア人と接触しロシアの北方進出を知り、北方問題の重要性を認識する。1789年（寛政1）国後・目梨(めなし)の戦いに際し、ふたたび青島と蝦夷地に渡り、青島の罪に連座して入牢(にゅうろう)するが、のちに無罪となる。1791年択捉、得撫、翌年樺太(からふと)を探検。1793年『関東十州川船改所用地図』の作製にかかり、1795年完成、上納する。1798年近藤守重(こんどうもりしげ)（重蔵(じゅうぞう)）と択捉に赴き「大日本恵登呂府(だいにほんえとろふ)」の標柱を建てる。1805年（文化2）、1806年に目付遠山景晋(とおやまかげみち)（1764―1837）の西蝦夷地見分を案内して普請(ふしん)役元締格となり、1807年箱館奉行(はこだてぶぎょう)支配調役並となる。同年ロシア船の樺太、択捉、利尻(りしり)襲撃事件のときは斜里(しゃり)の津軽藩兵を指揮、1808年には樺太に派遣され会津藩兵監察となる。蝦夷地に渡ること9回、当時随一の蝦夷通として知られた。1826年（文政9）江戸参府中のシーボルトを訪問、蝦夷地地図を貸与するとともに北方に関する知識を提供、またシーボルトと共編で蝦・日・蘭(らん)・独語の『アイノ語辞典』を纂(さん)した。シーボルトはその著『日本』で徳内を高く評価している。天保(てんぽう)7年9月5日没。著書に『蝦夷草紙』『蝦夷拾遺』（以上、北門叢書(そうしょ)所収）、『度量衡説統』（日本経済叢書所収）などがある。

［船津　功］

『島谷良吉著『最上徳内』（1977／新装版・1989・吉川弘文館）』

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