Life Minakata Kumagusu

1 life

1.1 childhood , years in tokyo
1.2 years in u.s.
1.3 years in london
1.4 first year home
1.5 years in nachi
1.6 settled in tanabe
1.7 protests against shrine consolidation
1.8 fundraising minakata botanical institute
1.9 emperor hirohito , kumagusu
1.10 last years

life

minakata kumagusu came japan in 1900 after 14 years of unique study experience abroad in u.s. , england. settled in wakayama prefecture, birthplace, until death in 1941. lived in tanabe city 1904 1941. minakata devoted entire life studies of natural history , folklore, , contributed number of articles british science magazine nature , british folklore magazine notes , queries. actively involved in anti-shrine-consolidation protests , nature conservation movement in japan. worshipped great scholar no degree , loved locals called him minakata sensei (the teacher) or minakata-san (mr. minakata), while branded oddball. more 60 years after death, minakata’s achievements , life history has been made clear number of books , papers including complete works of minakata kumagusu , diary of minakata kumagusu, , research still ongoing.

childhood , years in tokyo

minakata kumagusu born in castle city of wakayama on april 15, 1867, second son hardware dealer yahei minakata, 39, , wife sumi, 30, , raised 3 brothers , 2 sisters. since childhood, had had extraordinary interests in natural world , demonstrated marvelous memory. @ age of 7 transcribed encyclopedia.

to develop talent, yahei, self-made man, sent minakata newly opened wakayama middle school (now toin high), unconventional merchant family days. minakata’s thirst knowledge growing bigger @ home recited chinese classics , transcribed books had learned heart @ collector’s place. transcribed wakan sansai zue, encyclopedia of 105 volumes, , honzo komoku, illustrated books of flora, in on 5 years famous episode period. @ school, however, remained low achiever. finish lunch , observe frog or crab in empty lunch box.

after finishing middle school, went tokyo in march 1883. following year entered preparatory school of tokyo university. among colleagues masaoka shiki, natsume sōseki, , bimyo yamada, later became eminent figures of japanese literature. again minakata not interested in school , spent more time outside university transcribing books in libraries, visiting zoos , botanic gardens, , collecting artifacts, animals, plants , minerals. @ news miles j. berkeley, world-famous british cryptogamist, , american botanist moses a. curtis had collected 6,000 species of fungi including slime molds, minakata decided produce illustrated book cover more. in february 1886, following failure @ end-of-year exam, came home , told father go america. opposed, yahei gave in son s enthusiasm , let him go.

years in u.s.

minakata boarded city of beijing in yokohama in december 1886. next month ship arrived in san francisco, , started study @ pacific business college experience american life (business not favorite subject).

in august 1887, moved lansing, michigan, , enrolled @ michigan state school of agriculture. 1 night in november 1888, however, in trouble drinking binge couple of japanese , american friends in dorm. took responsibility alone save others expulsion , next morning left ann arbor.

minakata met bright japanese students in ann arbor, home of state university. while keeping company them, stayed away university , studied on own reading books , collecting plants in mountains, particularly cryptogams including fungi , lichens. in october 1889, read biography of conrad gessner, swiss naturalist , leading figure of modern biology, , swore become japan s gessner, when quest wonders of cryptogams began.

when heard william w. calkins, retired american colonel , collector of lichens, in florida there still many undiscovered plants, minakata ready go. 2 microscopes, books, pistol, insect catchers medicine box , plant press had bought in ann arbor, minakata went jacksonville in april 1891. collected plants , animals while staying jiang, supportive chinese vegetable storekeeper. after 3 months enthusiastically collecting plants , animals, moved key west, florida, havana, cuba in mid-september.

after month in havana, japanese circus rider visited him. encounter brought him new adventure of traveling in port-au-prince, caracas, valencia, , jamaica circus working mahout s hand. enabled him collect precious fungi , lichens in west indies. in january 1892 returned jacksonville , worked on plants had collected in florida , cuba @ jiang s. when jiang wound business in august, minakata moved new york. in september put end 6 years in america , got aboard city of new york bound uk.

years in london

british museum

after crossing atlantic ocean, ship arrived @ liverpool. in london, minakata visited yoshikusu nakai, branch manager of yokohama shokin bank, old friend of minakata family wakayama. man handed him letter tsunegusu, 1 of younger brothers, beloved father s death. minakata totally devastated.

he lived in downtown london rents cheap. while working on herbaria , exchanging specimens , letters william w. calkins , allen, visited british museum, south kensington museum , other galleries. introduced japanese asian antique dealer kataoka prince. in august 1893, minakata read in nature magazine, favorite since time in u.s., thesis titled 5 articles composition of constellations. questions inspired him write reply.

kataoka prince, had noticed erudition of shabby-looking man, introduced him sir augustus wollaston franks, of british museum. thereafter, minakata visited museum ask advice franks. using fragmented dictionary borrowed landlady, completed article titled constellations in far east in 30 days. article published in nature, , became known among intelligentsia. contributed regularly magazine after , started writing notes , queries. continued contribute number of articles , letters magazines after returning japan , won reputation worldwide authority on oriental studies.

his rising reputation opened door friendships notable figures including frederick. v. dickins, registrar of university of london, people british museum including sir robert k. douglas, director of oriental printed books section , charles h. read, successor franks. visited british museum every day. while immersing himself in rare books of ages east , west, particularly in fields of archeology, anthropology, folklore , religion, copied them notebooks. collection of 52 thick notebooks period called london extracts kept in minakata residence , minakata kumagusu museum. pages densely covered tiny letters put in english, french, german, italian, spanish, portuguese, greek , latin.

douglas, impressed extensive knowledge, offered minakata job @ british museum, declined offer in light of freedom. instead, helped make catalog of books , manuscripts of library , conducted historical research on buddhist statues of museum using expertise accumulated through reading , transcribing of large number of books including classics , encyclopedia since childhood.

one of highlights in london getting know sun yat-sen, father of chinese revolution. minakata put in diary how hit off straight away on first acquaintance @ douglas’s office in british museum in march 1897 , developed friendship through visiting each other , talking till late every day. descriptions, though brief, reveal closeness between 2 friends. company lasted 4 months until sun had leave london asia in july.

in october 1893 met toki horyu, later chief abbot of kōyasan temple complex, relationship deserves special mention. minakata , toki, senior him, opened each other , exchanged frank opinions religion. wrote each other until later years.

many famous figures japan visited minakata in london. astonished @ erudition , shocked @ total lack of interest in daily life. although highly regarded scholars, minakata experienced discrimination because of ethnicity, cause frequent reckless behaviors leading departure british museum in december 1898. frequent delay of money expected family in japan forced him take job translating titles calligraphy collection @ south kensington museum , sell ukiyoe friends. high hopes of becoming assistant professor @ soon-to-be opened japanology program in cambridge or oxford gone when plan turned down. forced straitened circumstances, made decision in despair leave uk, had spent 8 years. in september 1900, minakata got on board awa maru @ thames , went home.

the first year home

bust of minakata kumagusu in wakayama city

in october 1900, awa maru arrived @ kobe after 45-day voyage. tsunegusu shocked see elder brother appear in shabby suit made of flimsy fabric mosquito netting. astounded minakata had come tons of books , specimens no degree. minakata found temporary shelter @ brother s in wakayama.

after while, minakata heard sun yat-sen in yokohama settlement political refugee , wrote him. in february 1901 sun came wakayama. although first reunion in 4 years disturbed police detail, sun happy take risks see old friend. gift, sun left favorite panama hat. later sent minakata reference letter addressed inukai tsuyoshi, guardian in japan , later prime minister. letter, never used, kept in minakata residence , hat on display in minakata kumagusu museum. friendship survived while; sun sent specimens of lichen hawaii , minakata wrote back, drifted apart , never met again. after sun s death, minakata expressed sorrow in reminiscence , wrote: friendship changes seasons.

years in nachi

in october 1901 minakata left wakayama boat katsu’ura, lived @ branch of minakata sake distillery, run brother tsunegusu, until october 1904. in nachi spent time collecting fungi , algae around region. 1 day, while collecting lichen @ ichino-taki falls, met young man, shiro koaze, shipping company worker. koaze, disciple, going minakata research on slime molds life. koaze sent specimens every port called offered financial support. koaze, close friend shigeru uematsu, backed minakata materially , spiritually.

minakata active in nachi. collected insects , plants, made microscope slides , colored illustrated manuals, read hundreds of books, completed draft english translation of hojoki: ten square feet hut co-authored frederick victor dickins, , proofread primal text of japan dickins. resumed writing nature , notes , queries. embraced wildlife in kumano mountains, minakata, based on extensive knowledge of world, studied interaction between spiritual material world, , participated in heated debates on nature , life, including religious 1 horyu toki. completed origin of swallow-stone myth (ensekiko), study had planned @ end of time in uk, considered pinnacle of research presented in english.

settled in tanabe

after 3 years , 21 months research on plants in kumano region, kumagusu left katsu ura in october 1904 , walked tanabe, collecting specimens on way. on arrival fell in love tanabe thought “a quiet place nice people, cheap commodities , beautiful weather , scenery.” decided settle, rented house , started easy life. invited friends , had parties @ nearby luxury restaurants , teahouses; hired geishas, drank, sang dodoitsu , otsue, favorite party pieces, , played strange performances.

in fall of 1905 minakata donated 46 specimens of slime molds british museum. arthur lister, president of british mycological society, had them introduced in journal of botany, vol. 49, second report of japanese fungi, following first report on specimens sent prof. miyoshi of tokyo imperial university. article, led minakata new world of friendship lister , daughter gulielma, milestone in career toward world-class slime mold researcher.

in july 1906 @ 40 minakata married matsue, 28, fourth daughter of munezo tamura, chief priest of tokei shrine. tamura, former samurai of kishu-tokugawa clan, sinologist knowledge of chinese wisdom had influenced matsue’s upbringing. late marriage (for woman in days) due devotion father , destitute family had supported teaching sewing , flower arrangement.

in july 1907 couple had first child, kumaya. @ first sight of baby boy minakata wrote: “stayed awake till dawn watching baby” , expressed joy of becoming father. after birth of kumaya marriage rocky. after matsue turned parents few times, gradually reduced alcohol. kept in diary every detail of kumaya, how moved , talked, shows deep love , expectations son. minakata woke @ 11 , worked @ home sometime in afternoon till 5 o’clock next morning sorting specimens, drawing pictures, conducting research, reading , writing. while weaving, matsue, housemaid, nervous care of weepy kumaya. daughter fumie born in october 1911.

minakata resumed copying books around in 1909. extract of daizokyo, scriptures owned hōrin-ji temple, took full 3 years, particularly demanding job. “to read copy. you’ll forget when read it, you’ll never forget when copy it.” propagated belief , put practice himself. tanabe extracts period consist of 61 volumes. on top of contributions had made british journals , magazines since coming home, minakata started writing journals , newspapers in japan. using lot of citations signature style of research papers, first-hand folklore evidence , antiquities included. used extraordinary memory , archives accumulated through interviews.

protests against shrine consolidation

yanagita kunio (1940)

in 1906 government imposed shrine consolidation regulations under shrines in village or town should merged. wakayama prefectural government pushed hard enforcement of regulations. in japan there used shrine in each community, small, centripetal force unite people, provider of recreations , object of worship, , few exceptions, stood in deep forests.

minakata worried consolidations not ruin historical buildings , antiquities but, cutting trees, damage scenery , natural life around them. contributed opinion every edition of local paper, muro shinpo. sent objection letters major papers in tokyo , osaka , appealed leading researchers support, including jinzo matsumura, notable botanist , professor of tokyo university, whom minakata wrote long letters criticizing deeds done central , prefectural governments. yanagita kunio, counselor of cabinet legislation bureau , later father of japanese folklore, supported campaign disseminating copies of 2 letters minakata nisho concerned. supported locally young morihei ueshiba.

in august 1910 minakata arrested trespassing when threw bag of specimens meeting held in tanabe junior high school (now tanabe high). although drunk, did out of rage when not allowed talk 1 of attendees, government officer in charge of promotion of regulations. during 18 days in jail pending trial read books , hunted slime molds in building. when released, refused leave saying: “this place quiet no visitors , cool. want stay longer.”

as enthusiasm moved public opinion, irrational regulations gradually lost momentum. in 1920, 10 years arrest, regulations confirmed useless house of peers , abolished. ultimately, minakata’s efforts saved couple of forests, number of shrines , forests had become extinct during decade. approached various social movements , public bodies in charge of national heritage list in order promote protection of precious environment including kashima island in tanabe bay. battle continued until last years, why called pioneer in ecology today. in february 1911, when mountain god loves stonefish published in journal of anthropological society of tokyo, minakata received letter yanagita. when correspondence between 2 (which going make significant contribution study of japanese folklore) began.

in july 1914 kumagusu s reputation spread nationwide, following newspaper report on announcement walter t. swingle, head of office of crop physiology , breeding investigation of department of agriculture, invite minakata us. dr. swingle came tanabe in may 1915 announce appointment in person. although having intended accept offer, declined because of family matter.

fundraising minakata botanical institute

in april 1916, minakata obtained property, minakata residence, under ownership of tsunegusu. large garden became open-air laboratory observe plants, frogs, , turtles. study place writing , microscopic research on plants. godown organized stacks containing number of books , materials.

he published numerous research papers folklore based on previous research papers of natural science published , articles shrine consolidation. more scholars , celebrities received , busier became writing, more had stay home , conduct botanical research in backyard. change enabled him discover famous minakatella longifila lister — new genus of slime mold named gulielma lister, president of british mycological society — persimmon tree in garden in 1917.

it around time governor of wakayama prefecture , friends finished planning of minakata botanical institute. prospectus drafted tanaka chōzaburō , promoted 30 big names including political , literary worlds, including hara takashi, Ōkuma shigenobu, yorimichi tokugawa, , rohan koda.

minakata came tokyo first time in 36 years , spent 5 months raising money. day after day visited notable figures in politics , academia including prime minister takahashi korekiyo asking support. collected considerable sum, less prospect amount. continued fundraising campaign @ home.

the famous ‘resume’ written responding request yoshio yabuki, deputy branch manager of nippon yusen in osaka, whom had asked donation. resume, written on 7.7m long paper using fine strokes, autograph of extreme importance understand real minakata , perhaps longest resume in japan , first resume ever known in light of volume , quality of information contains.

in march 1925, kumaya became ill , went hospital in wakayama city. after going home recuperate, minakata shut gate against visitors. lasted 3 years until kumaya moved hospital in kyoto in may 1928. fair success of fundraising in tokyo offset in way unfulfilled promise of tsunegusu, 1 of major promoters of project. didn’t provide 20,000 yen, part of donation, caused rift between 2 brothers. minakata had trouble making living because of expensive medical bills. lessen financial burden, minakata published 3 books in 1926. books, compilations of theses published in various journals, gave reader insight arguments consistent throughout years , revealed again erudition, aroused admiration of public.

emperor hirohito , kumagusu

emperor hirohito, biologist, had shown strong interest in slime molds since prince regent. prince, had read monograph of slime molds gulielma lister , told dr. hirotaro hattori of national biological research institute of wish see specimens. having learned interest, shiro koaze approached minakata , friends tokyo university. in november 1926 team prepared , presented prince hirohito collection of 90 specimens of 37 genera of japanese slime molds. bore signatures of koaze presenter , minakata selector.

in march 1929, dr. hattori secretly visited , requested minakata give lecturer on slime molds hirohito, emperor, in future royal visit wakayama region. minakata telegraphed acceptance. no precedent commoner giving imperial lecture, became center of public attention , extremely busy preparing specimens. on june 1, 1929, had been raining since morning. minakata headed kashima island in frock coat had bought in america , kept years. after taking emperor walk in woods on island, minakata, while showing specimens, gave 25-minute lecture, on board royal ship nagato, on slime molds , marine life majesty. presented emperor gifts including 110 specimens of slime molds kept in empty taffy boxes.

a chamberlain recalled: rumors of eccentricity had made me doubt capability, worry turned out utterly groundless when met well-mannered , polite man. gentleman had experience of living abroad traditional japanese showed respect imperial family. glorious day in minakata s life. in afternoon, took pictures of him , matsue in finest attire @ studio , shared moment relatives , close friends giving sweets had received imperial household. next year, in commemoration of emperor’s visit kashima, monument erected on edge of dense wood near point majesty had landed. inscribed on monument poem minakata wrote hoping island protected forever benevolence , power of emperor. in may 1962, more 30 years later, majesties emperor , empress visited southern wakayama again. inspired view of kashima hotel room on shirahama beach emperor composed waka poem:

the poem inscribed on monument erected in front of minakata kumagusu museum overlooking kashima island.

last years

the sino-japanese war broke out in 1937, war escalated, people’s life impoverished. minakata not exception. loss of old friends gave him additional blow. gradually ruined health , stayed in bed. although collapsing many times, continued work towards completion of nihon (the illustrated manual of japanese fungi; drawing pictures), writing notes , giving advice colleagues.

in december 1941, after pacific war had erupted, minakata in critical condition. on 29 december murmured, “i can see purple flowers blooming on ceiling” , closed 75 years of life filled ups , downs. buried @ kouzanji temple in tanabe city overlooking kashima island.