Roches, Leon

Japanese: ロッシュ - Ｒｏｃｈｅｓ，Ｌｅ´ｏｎ

Year of death: 1901.6.26(1901.6.26)
Born: September 27, 1809
A French diplomat during the Meiji Restoration period. In Japan, he was written as "Roses." Born in Grenoble. In 1828, he passed the baccalauréat (university entrance exam) and enrolled at the University of Grenoble, but dropped out after six months. In 1832, his father, who was serving with the expedition to Algiers, called him to France, where he first studied Arabic and was eventually appointed interpreter. After serving as chief interpreter for the African Army General Staff, he left the military in 1849 and served as consul general in Tangier and in 1857 as consul general in Tunis. On March 22, 1861 (April 27, 1864), he arrived in Yokohama as the successor to the first Japanese ambassador to Japan, John Bellecourt. He employed the missionary Cachon, who was fluent in Japanese, as an interpreter at the embassy, and actively promoted policies toward Japan, particularly aid to the Edo Shogunate. While Roches considered the shogunate to be in favor of opening the country, he feared the tendency of the various feudal domains to adopt an anti-foreign policy and turn away from the shogunate, and came into fierce conflict with the British envoy, Parkes, who was trying to approach the powerful feudal domains. When the shogunate, which was working to strengthen its military power, requested the construction of a steelworks (shipyard), Roches first provided assistance, and in February 1865, a contract was concluded under which France would undertake all of the construction of the Yokosuka Steelworks. This was followed by the transfer of cannons, the establishment of the Yokohama French Language Training Institute, a $6 million loan contract, and a contract to dispatch a military mission. Just as the shogunate's support policy was reaching its climax in September 1866, Foreign Minister Louis, who had supported Roches, was replaced, and the new Foreign Minister Mustier issued an order in May 1867 to change the policy of supporting the shogunate. Roches reacted vehemently to this, and it was only a matter of time before he was recalled. However, the close political ties with the shogunate during this time led to a remarkable development in Japan-France trade, and between 1864 and 1866, Japan's exports rose to second place after Britain, with raw silk and silkworm eggs accounting for a particularly large proportion of exports, and direct exports of raw silk to Marseilles also achieved. Receiving an order to return home on February 18, 1868, he returned on May 4, 1868 (June 23 of the same year). <References> Miyamoto Mataji, "A Short Biography of Leon Roche" (Economic History Research, Vol. 13, No. 1), Ishii Takashi, "The International Environment of the Meiji Restoration"

(Takashi Utsumi)

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

Japanese:

没年：1901.6.26(1901.6.26)
生年：1809.9.27
幕末維新期のフランスの外交官。日本では「ロセス」と表記された。グルノーブルに生まれる。1828年バカロレア(大学入学資格試験)に合格,グルノーブル大学に入学するが,半年で退学。32年アルジェの遠征隊に勤務していた父親に呼び寄せられ,まずアラビア語を勉強,やがて通訳官に任命された。アフリカ軍参謀本部の通訳官長を経て,49年に軍籍を離れ,タンジェ総領事,57年チュニス総領事を歴任した。元治1年3月22日(1864年4月27日)初代駐日公使ベルクールの後任として横浜に着任,日本語にたけた宣教師カションを公使館通訳官に採用して対日政策,特に江戸幕府への援助政策を積極的に展開した。ロッシュは幕府を開国派とみなす一方で,諸藩が攘夷政策をとって幕府から離反していく傾向を危惧,雄藩への接近を企てるイギリス公使パークスと激しく対立した。軍事力の増強に努める幕府から製鉄所(造船所)建設の要請を受けたロッシュはまずこれを援助,慶応1(1865)年2月横須賀製鉄所の工事をすべてフランスが請け負う契約が成立した。続いて大砲の譲渡,横浜仏語伝習所の設置,600万ドル借款契約および軍事使節団派遣契約の成立など幕府援助政策が最高潮に達しようとしていた1866年9月,ロッシュの支援者であった外務大臣リュイスが更迭され,新外相ムスティエは,67年5月,いままでの幕府支持政策の転換を訓令するに至った。これに対しロッシュは猛烈に反発,ロッシュの召還は時間の問題となった。しかしこの間の幕府との政治的緊密化は日仏貿易を著しく発展させ,64～66年の貿易輸出はイギリスに次いで第2位に躍進,特に生糸と蚕種の輸出に占める割合は大きく,マルセイユへの生糸の直輸出も実現した。68年2月18日付の帰国命令に接し,明治1年5月4日(同年6月23日)帰国した。<参考文献>宮本又次「レオン・ロシュ小伝」(『経済史研究』13巻1号),石井孝『明治維新の国際的環境』

(内海孝)

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