Military Reform by Murata Seifū, a Vassal of the Hagi Domain

Studies on the characteristic features of military reform during the final phase of Japan's early modern period have focused on how westernization was carried out. However, it is too one-dimensional to think that Japan's modern military might was created solely through the westernization of the army. In fact, both the Bakufu and the various domains struggled in various ways as they groped towards the creation of a modern military force, and the actual creation of a westernized army did not begin seriously until the very beginning of the Bakumatsu period. Indeed, in thinking of the characteristics of military reforms undertaken by the Bakufu and the domains during final phase of Japan's early modern period, it is necessary not to focus exclusively on westernization in considering of how they sought to deal with the foreign threat from the Kansei period on. With such interest in mind, in this paper I take up Murata Seifil, a reform leader of the Hagi domain, and consider the characteristics of the military reforms undertaken in this domain. The Gokoshiki ikken josho, written by Murata in 1840, clearly describes the military reforms sought by the Choshu domain during the final phase of Japan's early modern period. Based on this document, I consider its character under the following three points. First, the characteristic feature of foreign affairs and the Hagi domain's reaction to it from the Kansei to the Bunka-Bunsei periods, lies in the fact that it was closely related to the compilation of history. The "defense against foreign ships" that Murata developed in the josho after the Bunka-Bunsei periods was developed with reference to the question of how to understand the significance of military exploits of the domain's first three lords in the context of the military reforms of the domain. This held an important place in the work of historical compilation. Second is the relation between the military formation called Jingijin and the organization of western rifle troops. The Jingijin was formed on the basis of the Tenzanryu, the most advanced school of Japanese gunnery at that time. Later it sought to develop a more effective military technology and organization by absorbing elements from the Takashima school of western gunnery and Kunitomo gunnery. What is to be noted here that the Jingijin did not arise from the desire for military westernization. The teachings of the Takashima school was appropriated in order to study the military technology of the enemy western powers. Third concerns the "Familial Military Arts" which was reconsidered in this process. This arose from the recognition that the Mori family descended from a lineage related to the Oe family. The Chinese school of military arts transmitted by the first three lords of the domain was emphasized as being the "Familial Military Arts." In Murata's josho, this "Familial Military Arts" is placed within the context of the lineage of the successive lords of the Oe-Mori families, and the Jingijin is situated at the ultimate extension of this lineage. In these ways, the military reforms of the Hagi domain during the final phase of Japan's early modern period was carried out under pressure from western powers by seeking a "reactionary" reforms on the one hand and by groping towards a new type of military reform on the other