Takami Senseki (鷹見泉石)
Senseki TAKAMI (August 3, 1785 to August 24,1858) was a Dutch scholar (a person who studied Western sciences by means of the Dutch language) in the Edo period and principal retainer in the Koga clan of Shimousa Province. His name was Tadatsune, but he was commonly called Matazo, Jurozaemon. His azana (adult male's nickname) was Hakuchoku. His go (pen name) was Senseki, Fusho, Taiseido, Kakinken. He also used the Dutch name Jan Hendrik Daper as his signature.
Career
In 1785, he was born near Koga-jo Castle as the eldest son to Tadanori TAKAMI (250 Koku of crop yields), who was working as Otsukaiban (a person responsible for order and patrol in the battlefield) of the Koga clan. Starting to serve as shirabeyaku kyuji (investigating assistant) in the domain in 1797, he served in a variety of posts including metsuke (inspector of foot soldiers), yonin joseki (senior officer handling domestic economy), bantokaku (head of security guard) and got promoted to karo (chief retainer) with 280 Koku of crop yield (500 Koku paid for his post) in 1831. The Doi clan, one fudai daimyo (a feudal lord in hereditary vassal to the Tokugawa family), held the important posts of the Tokugawa shogunate for generations. Toshiatsu DOI and Toshitsura DOI (father and son) also held important posts such as jisha-bugyo (magistrate of temples and shrines), Osaka jodai (the keeper of Osaka Castle), Kyoto shosidai (the Kyoto deputy), and roju (senior councillor of the Tokugawa shogunate). Sanseki accompanied the lords of the domain on their visits to various places throughout the country to help them do their duties.
His ability was highly praised as represented by the comment, 'Doi for Takami or Takami for Doi?'
In 1845, his salary increased to 330 Koku crop of yield, but he was dismissed from the office in 1846 and retired in Koga.
In 1858, he died in the retirement residence (present Takami Senseki Memorial Hall in Koga Historical Museum) in Hasemachi, Koga City,
He passed away at the age of 74.
With the increasing crisis awareness of foreign countries, he, as a major feudal lord who was in charge of the shogunate administration, had interest in foreign affairs at early stage. He tried to collect various literature covering geography, history, military science, astronomy, calendar system etc. He also greatly contributed to the development of western studies by his wide-ranging exchanges with the central people of that time in politics, culture, diplomacy such as Toshiakira KAWAJI and Hidetatsu EGAWA (key Edo shogunate figures), Kazan WATANABE and Hoshu KATSURAGAWA (Dutch scholars), Shogo MITSUKURI (geographer), Kokan SHIBA and Buncho TANI (painters), Shuhan TAKASHIMA (ballistic specialist), Kodayu DAIKOKUYA (returnee from Russia), Sanai ADACHI, Kunpei EGAWA, Sakusaburo NAKAYAMA (Japanese-Dutch translator), Johan Willem de Sturler (curator of Dutch trading house).
Portrait of Senseki TAKAMI
Kazan WATANABE's 'Portrait of Senseki Takami (housed in Tokyo National Museum)', appreciated as a masterpiece of the early-modern picture that incorporated the Western painting style, is designated as a national treasure. Blending two different painting style perfectly - the Oriental traditional painting one using drawing technique for describing eboshi (formal headwear for court nobles) and clothes and the Western style of shadowing and coloring methods for describing facial expression - succeeded in producing a high-quality picture that also expressed the inside of the character. The picture was drawn in 1838 when Senseki was 54 years old. It is the most recent national treasure in the category of paintings.
Diary of Senseki TAKAMI
The diary of Senseki TAKAMI mainly describes about his own official duties for 60 years since he started to work at the age of 12. Because of his wide circle of friends and his objective description, the diary is appreciated as a historical material. The diary describes in detail about the Rebellion of Heihachiro Oshio that broke out when the then lord of the domain, Toshitsura DOI, was working as Osaka jodai (the keeper of Osaka Castle) partly because Senseki himself suppressed the rebellion.
Unsurprisingly for a Dutch scholar, the diary indicates that he gave castella sponge cake to those concerned as gift, but it is unclear where the cake was made.