10 remarkable facts  in the history of Katsu Kaishu

Portrait of Katsu Yasuyoshi (勝安芳, 1823 – 1899), By Unknown author, Wikipedia

10 Remarkable Facts in the history of Katsu Kaishū

Count Katsu Kaishū, (Hakushaku), also called Katsu Yoshikuni, or Katsu Awa was born on March 12, 1823, in Edo (now Tokyo), Japan. He was a Japanese naval officer who worked towards improving the country’s defense department.  He was one of the few high officials of the shogun ate to be employed by the new imperial government. Even though though his influence with the navy was minimal, he served in the senior advisory capacity on the national policy

Katsu Kaishū played an important role in westernizing Japan, Kaishū also helped save Japan by preventing the outbreak of civil war. Though loyal to the Tokugawa until the end, after recognizing the inevitable end of the shogunate, Kaishū decided to surrender Edo Castle to Saigo Kichinosuke of the opposing imperial of forces, saving millions of lives in Edo and ultimately, the face of modern Japan. 

Apart from his role in the modernization of Japan’s navy, Katsu Kaishū was also an avid learner and a well-respected historian and writer. 

He later died on 21st January 1899 and was buried by his wife Tami near the site of their home on the shore of Senzoku pond, which is Senzoku-ike- Koen in Tokyo.

1.He served as a head naval cadet

Under the advice of Dutch Naval officer, Katsu served as head naval cadet at the Nagasaki Naval Academy between 1855 and 1859.It  was a naval training institute that was established by the government of Tokugawa shogunate in 1855 until when it transferred Tsukiji in Edo 1859.

2.Ensured peaceful transition of power in Meiji restoration

He negotiated for peace with the representatives of the revolutionary alliance of the Choshu army. During the travel, he had no bodyguard with him but did it all alone .

The Meiji Restoration was  a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. It led to enormous changes in Japan’s political and social structure that spanned both the late Edo period and the beginning of the Meiji era.

3. He demonstrated loyalty in his line of work

Katsu Kaishū by Motoyama Hakuun (1871-1952) – Edo-Tokyo Museum – Sumida, Tokyo, Japan.
By Hakuun Motoyama – Own work, commons Wikimedia.

In 1866, katsu was appointed the negotiator between the bakufu forces and anti-shogunal domain of Choshu and was later on  he served as a chief negotiator for the Tokugawa bakufu by ensuring that there was a corresponding peaceful and orderly transition of power in the Meiji.

Katsu remained loyal to Tokugawa despite his sympathy for the opposition. He respected his duty to act in the best interest of his Lord Tokugawa Yoshinobu which was the oath he took during training. After the collapse of the Tokugawa force which took part in late 1867 he negotiated the surrender of Edo castle to Saigo Takamori.

4.He saved Edo inhabitants and the entire Japanese nation

He surrendered the Edo castle to Saigo in return for war not breaking out and also to save the life of Yoshinobu. Therefore, war was stopped and the life of millions was spared including the entire future of the Japanese nation. He is therefore particularly known for his role in the surrender of Edo.

5.Katsu was the most prominent of all the Tokugawa remnants

Katsu Kaishū Memorial Museum, By Indiana jo – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.

Being a Japanese naval officer who reformed his country’s navy and played an mediatory role in the Meiji Restoration and restoration of the power to the emperor. He therefore became the most prominent of all the Tokugwa remnants. This is because he was one of the few high official of the shotgunate to be employed by the new imperial government.

8.He unified the Japanese naval force

He surrendered the Edo castle to avoid civil war between the Japanese. This helped in stopping disunity and unifying them against colonizers who were watching the revolution from afar. This had made the Japanese a weak nation.

 Following his return to Japan, he held a series of high-ranking posts in the Tokugawa navy, arguing before government councils in favor of a unified Japanese naval force led by professionally trained officers in disregard of promotion and assignment due to hereditary status.

9.He shared his knowledge of the western culture which brought light to the Japanese administration

War in Japan was the order of the day. When Katsu visited the United States, he documented information such as the bill of rights and the democracy and shared it with the government . After his returned worked to modernize the Japanese navy and the develop the country’s coastal defenses.

10. He was promoted to the title of Hakashuku (Count) in the Kazoku peerage system

Katsu Kaishu（勝海舟） was a politician in Japan about the last years of the Edo period.
By Published by 改造社 – Japanese book 『勝海舟』, commons Wikimedia

Katsu was elevated to the title of Hakushaku( count) in 1887 in the Kazoku peerage system. The Kazoku peerage system was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan that existed between 1869 and 1947. They succeeded the feudal lords and court noble but later on in the 1947 constitution they were abolished.

In addition, he  also documented all his ideas in a book called Hikawa Seiwa which contains naval issues.