Who was this person?
A shogunal retainer and statesman of the Bakumatsu and Meiji eras. He studied Dutch learning and military science, learned navigation at the Nagasaki Naval Training Center and crossed the Pacific aboard the Kanrin Maru in 1860. He founded the Kobe Naval Training Center, where Sakamoto Ryōma and others trained, and in 1868, representing the shogunate, negotiated with Saigō Takamori for the bloodless surrender of Edo Castle. In the Meiji government he served as Navy Minister, among other posts.
| Name | Katsu Kaishū (勝海舟) |
|---|---|
| Born–died | 1823 – 1899 |
| Period | Late Edo–Meiji |
| Birthplace | Honjo, Edo (now Sumida, Tokyo) |
| Also known as | Katsu Rintarō, Katsu Yasuyoshi |
| Main achievements |
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Born at Honjo in Edo, son of Katsu Kokichi, a low-ranking direct retainer of the shogun. His name was Rintarō.
Around this time he studied swordsmanship under Shimada Toranosuke and practised Zen, said to have forged his later nerve.
Studying Dutch learning, he borrowed a costly Dutch dictionary and reportedly copied it out twice over a year, selling one copy to live on.
His memorial to the shogunate at the time of Perry's arrival was well received and led to his promotion.
At the Nagasaki Naval Training Centre he learned navigation and warship handling from Dutch instructors.
For the ratification of the Japan-US treaty he commanded the Kanrin Maru across the Pacific to America; Fukuzawa Yukichi was aboard too.
He became deputy commissioner of warships. Sakamoto Ryōma became his pupil, and they discussed building a Japanese navy.
He opened the Kobe Naval Training Centre. That year he met Saigō Takamori for the first time, making a strong impression on him.
In the Boshin War he negotiated for the shogunate with Saigō Takamori and handed over Edo castle without a fight, saving the city and its people from war.
Invited into the Meiji government, he served as councillor and navy minister, and worked to help former shogunate retainers make a living.
He was made a count. In later years at his home in Akasaka Hikawa, Tokyo, he shared his views on the times with visitors; his talks were collected as Hikawa Seiwa.
He died in Tokyo, reportedly with the words "That's the end."
A. A shogunal retainer and statesman of the Bakumatsu and Meiji eras. He studied Dutch learning and military science, learned navigation at the Nagasaki Naval Training Center and crossed the Pacific aboard the Kanrin Maru in 1860. He founded the Kobe Naval Training Center, where Sakamoto Ryōma and others trained, and in 1868, representing the shogunate, negotiated with Saigō Takamori for the bloodless surrender of Edo Castle. In the Meiji government he served as Navy Minister, among other posts.
A. Period: Late Edo–Meiji. Born in 1823, died in 1899.
A. Katsu Kaishū was born in Honjo, Edo (now Sumida, Tokyo).
A. In 1868, as government forces closed in on Edo during the Boshin War, Katsu Kaishū and Saigō Takamori agreed that Edo Castle would be handed over without a fight, sparing the city from war.
See also: Wikipedia (ja) / Wikipedia (en) / Wikipedia (fr) / Wikipedia (zh) / Wikidata
Follow this life (autoplay)Matthew C. PerrySaigō TakamoriSakamoto RyōmaFukuzawa YukichiKumazawa BanzanSakuma ShōzanMatsudaira Shungaku (Yoshinaga)Yamaoka Tesshū
Yoshida TōyōShimazu HisamitsuIwase TadanariAbe MasahiroŌmura MasujirōJohn ManjirōKusumoto IneKawai Tsugunosuke
People of the Edo period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.