Yamagata Taika

Japanese: 山県太華 - やまがた・たいか

Year of death: 1866 (2.8 Keio)
Year of birth: Tenmei 1 (1781)
A Confucian scholar in the late Edo period, and a samurai of the Choshu (Hagi) domain. He studied the Sorai school under Kamei Dosai (Nanmei), and later travelled to Edo to study and master Neo-Confucianism at the Hayashi family home. In 1810 he became assistant head of the domain school, Meirinkan, and in 1835 he became a concubine. In 1835 he became head and worked to expand Meirinkan. In 1850 he retired from his position as head, and fell ill and retired in 1852. In 1856 Yoshida Shoin sent him Komon Yowa, to which he responded with a critique. Shoin emphasized the uniquely Japanese relationship between ruler and vassal, arguing for the theory of one ruler and all people. He countered by arguing that the relationship between rulers was a norm applicable to all countries in the world, a criticism from the perspective of Neo-Confucianism. Although Shoin did not accept it, he was deeply impressed by his attitude towards learning, and wrote the following sentiment: "The old man, suffering from paralysis in the latter half of his retirement, copied characters with his left hand. Looking intently at his strokes, I could see the strokes rising and falling, sometimes interrupted and sometimes continuing. I should imagine the moment when he unfolded the paper and put down his brush." His adopted son Hanzo participated in the Sonno Joi movement, and during the second Choshu expedition in 1866 (Keio 2), he changed his name to Shishido Bingosuke (later Iso) and negotiated with the Choshu expeditionary forces on behalf of the domain. He died at the age of 86, witnessing this situation.

(Inoue Isao)

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

Japanese:

没年：慶応2.8(1866)
生年：天明1(1781)
幕末の儒学者,長州(萩)藩士。亀井道載(南冥)に徂徠学を学び,のち江戸に遊学して林家で朱子学を修める。文化7(1810)年藩校明倫館の学頭助役,同9年側儒。天保6(1835)年学頭となり明倫館の拡充を図る。嘉永3(1850)年学頭を退き,病を得て同5年隠居した。安政3(1856)年吉田松陰より『講孟余話』を送られ評語を返す。松陰は日本独自の君臣関係を強調する。一君万民論の主張である。これに対して,君主関係は世界万国に妥当する規範だとの反論を加えた。朱子学からの批判である。松陰は承服しなかったものの,学問への姿勢に感銘を深くし「翁,廃後半身痿痺し,左手もて字を写す。其の点画を諦視するに,勃卒欹斜,或は断え或は続く。以て其の紙を展べ筆を下すの時を想うべし」との感慨を記している。養子の半蔵は尊攘運動に参加,慶応2(1866)年の第2次長州征討下,宍戸備後助(のち磯)と姓名を改め藩を代表して征長軍と交渉した。そうした状況をみながら86歳で没。

(井上勲)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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