Former Presidents Theodore Roosevelt & William Howard Taft secretly attend a 1915 diplomatic banquet in N.Y.C. honoring the visit of Baron Shibusawa. Their goal to establish a strong US Japan alliance for World War One. This photo was only recently discovered.

This is the only known photo of a significant 1915 U.S. Japan diplomatic event. The description on the photo’s lower left corner states:

Dinner to Baron Shibusawa. East & West Meeting, Sherry’s [Restaurant] New York City, December 3, 1915.  (Actual photo size: 20 by 12 inches.)

This original photo is age-darkened and missing a small segment in the lower left. These imperfections have been corrected during the restoration process as shown in the photos below:

 

INTRODUCTION

This almost discarded photo was acquired by the author of this blog post while researching for  a biography on Prince Tokugawa Iesato (1863-1940) titled The Art of Peace, which is also now available in a “general reader” edition titled: The Art of Diplomacy. Both versions also highlight Baron Shibusawa Eiichi (1840-1931). Prince Tokugawa & Baron Shibusawa were lifelong friends and allies who promoted successful domestic policies in Japan and strove for peace internationally. They were among the most powerful and inspiring leaders of Japan during the first decades of the twentieth century.

Prince Tokugawa held the influential position of President of Japan’s upper house of congress, the House of Peers, for thirty years, and was so politically influential in promoting democracy and international goodwill, that it was only after his death in 1940, that Japan was pressured into allying with the Axis Powers during World War Two.  

Baron Shibusawa is known as the ‘Father of Japan’s Modern Economy of Japan,” and recognized for having launched Japan’s first national bank, as well as helping start hundreds of other business ventures, many of which exist to this day. He also supported hundreds of social welfare organizations. To honor his memory in 2024, Baron Shibusawa’s likeness will be on the face of the highest denomination Japanese currency bill, the ten thousand yen note.

 

 

 

 

 

 

General visitors are most welcome to explore this material, while at the same time this blog post invites those who are able to kindly assist in identifying the attendees at this important 1915 diplomatic event. Small segments of the restored 1915 photo have been enlarged and each attendee has been given an ID number, with the numbering starting from the upper right corner of the photo and moving counterclockwise around the large banquet table.

Thanks go to out to the American Historical Association for highlighting this blog post in their website discussion room, so my fellow AHA members from around the world  might contribute to the identification of the unknown guests at this 1915 event. AHA membership includes university professors, high school teachers, archivists, librarians, general historians, historical writers, along with many other professionals who share a passion for history.

Of the sixty-five guests, thus far a dozen prominent individuals have either been identified or their names are known as having been at this event. They include: presidents of universities, political and social rights activists, founders of publishing firms, newspaper editors, journalists, biographical and historical fiction authors, also business/finance and government leaders. This photo offers a new perspective on early U.S. Japan relations, while highlighting many of the most influential individuals in the U.S. over a century ago.

-This is an invitation to those individuals or organizations who are able to identify any of the as-of-yet unknown individuals in the 1915 Photo, please share your insights thru the Comment section at the end of this blog post. Please include the attendee’s ID number and anything else you might know about that person, including internet links when available. Thank you so much for being part of  what I believe will be an engaging and enjoyable historical research project, and how exciting to see from where around the world this information will come from.

Thank you.

 

The Shibusawa Eiichi Memorial Foundation / Shibusawa Memorial Museum

 

 

This fine organization located in Tokyo commemorates the legacy of Baron Shibusawa Eiichi, known for his high ethical values in business and for his many social welfare/humanitarian contributions. The museum collects and displays documents and artifacts from his life. Adjoining the main museum building is the tranquil Old Shibusawa Garden. That garden and two structures from the original Shibusawa estate, the Bankoro Cottage and the Seien Bunko Library, date from the Emperor Taisho era (1912–26). These buildings have been designated as Important Cultural Properties by the Japanese government.

The Head Librarian for the Information Resources Center of the Shibusawa Eiichi Memorial Foundation, Toru Shigehara, kindly assisted in my research. They knew of the December 3^rd 1915 banquet event based on a December 4^th, 1915 New York Times article which mentioned the event and gave the names of some attendees, but they weren’t aware a photo had been taken of this event. They found it most surprising and exciting to hear that former U.S. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft had attended, because the December 4^th, 1915 New York Times article made no mention of this. Below is a Review:

“Dear Dr. Stan S. Katz,
We appreciate your kindness and all the work you have done to promote understanding of Shibusawa Eiichi and US-Japan relations as a whole. I wish you all the best in your current and future endeavors.

With gratitude,”

Toru Shigehara: Head Librarian/Information Resources Center,
Shibusawa Eiichi Memorial Foundation and Museum located in Japan

——————————————————————————————————-

Of the sixty-five attendees at the event, the December 4^th, 1915 New York Times article only mentioned the below ten individuals: Comparison photos could be found online for nine of them. Only one, M. Zumoto, had no photos available.  Four additional attendees have since also been identified, leaving fifty-two guests yet to be recognized. One possible clue: some attendees might have been members of the Japan Society or the Nippon Club. Both are U.S. Japan goodwill organizations that continue to be active to this day and are located in New York City.

Below are the names given in the New York Times article.

• Baron Shibusawa Eiichi
• Willard D. Straight
• Osward G. Villard
• William Morgan Shuster
• Dr. Albert Shaw 
• Don C. Seitz 
• Edward J. Wheeler
• Dr. Toyokichi Iyenaga (one of the two hosts for the 1915 event)
• Dr. Jōkichi Takamine (the other host for the 1915 event)
• M. Zumoto – both the translator and secretary for Baron Shibusawa. He was also a part owner and editor of The Japan Times – Japan’s largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper, currently  published by The Japan Times, Ltd. (株式会社ジャパンタイムズ) of Tokyo. M. Zumoto was also the Director of the Oriental Information Agency of New York.

 

During the 1915 diplomatic event there was a frank discussion presented between Baron Shibusawa and Willard D. Straight on the following topics:

-How to improve relations between the U.S. and Japan.

-How to eliminate injustices and discrimination against Japanese-Americans living in the U.S.

-Both Shibusawa and Straight felt optimistic about Japan-U.S. relations and that problems could be solved with justice and benefit to both nations.

– They discussed the possibility of the U.S. and Japan working together to peacefully assist China in her development, to the economic gain of all three nations. The translator for Baron Shibusawa was M. Zumoto.

-Another discussion was between Osward G. Villard and Morgan Shuster regarding the recent outbreak of war in Europe. They recognized the U.S. might soon find itself in that conflict. They discussed how America’s resources might best be spent in preparation for that conflict. They commented that Japan and America should work together to go against the “criminal” powers who had started the war.

-Other speakers at the Baron Shibusawa event were Dr. Albert Shaw, Don C. Seitz, and Edward J. Wheeler.

Source: New York Times, December 4th, 1915: “Plea for Japanese Now in California: Baron Shibusawa Asks That Fair Treatment Be Accorded in Land Legislation. / Opportunities in China / He Urges That This Country Combine with Japan in Developing New Republic.”

During his 1915 visit to the U.S., Baron Shibusawa also met with President Woodrow Wilson.

What is most surprising about this 1915 banquet event is that in spite of the many magazine and newspaper editors and journalists in attendance, the media made no mention of Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft being in attendance to honor Shibusawa – The reasons for this secrecy are open to conjecture, perhaps, with WWI having just begun in Europe, it was considered prudent not to advertise where U.S. and Japanese leaders could be targeted, in that these two nations would find themselves playing an essential role in the Allies’ victory in that major conflict.

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prior Introduction

Section I – Presentation of larger segments from the 1915 banquet photo.

Section II – Presentation of smaller segments from the 1915 banquet photo, which have been further enlarged to aid in individual identification.

Section III – List of the already recognized attendees, with the source photos that helped identify them. This section will include crediting those who assisted in identifying them.

 

 

Section I

Below are some larger sections of the restored 1915 photo:

The first two photos highlight where during the event, Baron Shibusawa had probably been seated near Theodore Roosevelt – Roosevelt is centered beneath a grand chandelier and just two seats to his right is the vacant chair where Shibusawa sat. It took creativity on the part of the photographer to capture such a large gathering in one photo. Shibusawa went to the other end of the table to stand near William Howard Taft, allowing the photographer to incorporate all the attendees into one photo, while at the same time capture a larger image of their honored guest, Shibusawa. [Notice the reflection in the mirror behind Roosevelt, it reveals the front section of the table.] This event took place at Sherry’s, one of the most impressive New York City banquet facilities of its time.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enlarged segment from the restored photo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Further enlarged section from the prior photo, highlighting Theodore Roosevelt centered beneath the chandelier.   

Shown below, Shibusawa is at the other end of the table closer to William Howard Taft (seated far right, next to the gentleman whose image reveals only half of his face).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Standing at Shibusawa’s right is the Japanese-American Dr. Jōkichi Takamine, one of the two hosts for this event. Dr. Takamine was a highly successful and respected chemist and businessman who helped establish a pharmaceutical company that continues to this day. Standing at Shibusawa’s left side is Count Chinda Sutemi Japanese Ambassador to the U.S.

Dr. Takamine, Ambassador Sutemi, Prince Tokugawa, and President Taft were all closely linked to the gifting of the cherry blossom trees to Washington, D.C. in 1912. Further details of this Japanese gift are presented in another blog post on this website.

 

Section II – Presentation of smaller segments of 1915 banquet photo:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attendees Right to Left: 1, 2, 3

1- Unknown

2- William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857 – March 8, 1930) the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913). Taft was the chosen successor of Theodore Roosevelt, and was succeeded by Woodrow Wilson. After Taft’s presidency, he became the 10th Chief Justice of the United States from July 11, 1921 – February 3, 1930, the only individual to hold both offices.

3- Albert Shaw (July 23, 1857 – June 25, 1947) was a prominent American journalist and academic of the early 20th century. In 1890, Shaw was elected professor of international law and political institutions at Cornell University, but resigned the post in 1891 to establish an American edition of the Review of Reviews. The Review of Reviews was a noted family of monthly journals founded in 1890-1893 by British reform journalist William Thomas Stead (1849–1912): It was established across three continents in London (1891), New York (1892) and Melbourne (1893). Shaw served as editor-in-chief of this publication until it ceased publication in 1937. Shaw was also a member of the American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts. This AAS was both a learned society and national research library of pre-twentieth century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society in the United States with a national focus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attendees Right to Left: 4, 5, 6

 

4- Unknown

 

5- Edward Jewitt Wheeler (1859-1922) was the Editor of The Literary Digest. The Literary Digest was an influential American general interest weekly magazine published by Funk & Wagnalls. Founded by Isaac Kaufmann Funk in 1890, it eventually merged with two similar weekly magazines, Public Opinion and Current Opinion. Beginning with early issues, the emphasis was on opinion articles and an analysis of news events. It offered condensations of articles from American, Canadian and European publications. Type-only covers gave way to illustrated covers during the early 1900s. In the 1920s, the covers carried full-color reproductions of famous paintings. By 1927, The Literary Digest climbed to a circulation of over one million. In 1938, it merged with the Review of Reviews, only to fail soon after. Its subscriber list was bought by Time.

Wheeler was also the Editor of The Voice, 1884-1898; President of the Poetry Society of America, 1909-1919; Trustee of Ohio Wesleyan University; Officier de l’Instruction Publique. He was also Managing Editor of The Homiletic Review, a temperance publication.

Wheeler also served as Secretary of the Westerleigh Collegiate Institute (1896–1900). Westerleigh Collegiate Institute was the first school on Staten Island to provide a complete kindergarten-to-college education; the surrounding neighborhood, previously called National Prohibition Park, gradually came to be known as Westerleigh.

 

6- Unknown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attendees Right to Left: 7, 8, 9

7- Count Chinda Sutemi (珍田 捨巳, January 19, 1857 – January 16, 1929) was the Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. at the time of the 1915 banquet event. Sutemi studied at DePauw University and got his B.A. in 1881, and M.A. in 1884. From 1890 to 1894, he served as Japanese Consul in San Francisco, California. In 1897, he was appointed first Japanese Minister Plenipotentiary to Brazil, following the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two states in 1895. He served as Japanese Ambassador to Germany from 1908 to 1911, to the United States from 1912 to 1916, and to the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1920, during which time he took part in the Japanese delegation to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 at the end of WWI…Sutemi was also a Methodist minister.

Count Chinda stood at Shibusawa’s left side, and Dr. Jōkichi Takamine was on Shibusawa’s right side in the photo: Ambassador Chinda and Dr. Jōkichi Takamine are closely linked to the gifting of cherry blossom trees to Washington, D.C. in 1912. It was Ambassador Chinda’s wife Japanese Viscountess Iwa Chinda and President Taft’s wife First Lady Helen Herron Taft, who each ceremonially planted one of the first two Japanese gifted cherry blossom trees in the U.S. Capital in 1912. This diplomatic gesture has since become the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival, one of the most celebrated goodwill events in Washington, D.C., attended by hundreds of thousands of Americans and visitors from around the world.

 

8- Baron Shibusawa Eiichi (渋沢 栄一, March 16, 1840 – November 11, 1931)

 

9- Dr. Jōkichi Takamine (高峰 譲吉, November 3, 1854 – July 22, 1922) a famous chemist and highly successful businessmen, who became the first President of Sankyo Company, Ltd., a pharmaceutical company. Sankyo Company Ltd. was founded in 1899, and was initially named Sankyo Shoten Company Ltd. It was launched through a joint investment by businessmen Matasaku Shiobara, Shotaro Nishimura and Genjiro Fukui. Two of their first successful products were the digestive enzyme Taka-Diastase® (launched in 1894, Dr. Jokichi Takamine discovered the enzyme from a fungus). In 1902, they launched Adrenalin®, an adrenal cortex hormone agent. Dr. Jokichi Takamine had discovered and patented the isolation of adrenalin. In 1910, Dr. Umetaro Suzuki, a future Sankyo scientific adviser, made the world’s first discovery of vitamin B1 (Orizanin®) in rice bran and established a foundation for the theory of vitamins.

In 1913, Sankyo Shoten Company, Ltd., changed its name to Sankyo Co., Ltd, and appointed Dr. Jokichi Takamine as its first president. He remained its president from March 1913 – July 1922.

In 2005, Sankyo Shoten Company, Ltd., merged with Daiichi Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd., both of them were century-old pharmaceutical companies. The name of the company from this merger is Daiichi Sankyo Company Ltd., a global company and the second largest pharmaceutical company in Japan. It is a producer of medical equipment, pharmaceutical products, and veterinary medicines. Number of employees 32,229 (as of December 2013). Company headquarters: Tokyo, Japan.

Sources: Wikipedia and the pharmaceutical company website: www.daiichisankyo.com

Additional information about Dr. Jōkichi Takamine: in 1905, he established The Nippon Club, to tighten the unity of the Japanese community and to develop a better relationship with the American people. Since then, The Nippon Club, which is the only Japanese social club in the U.S., has contributed to the continued friendship, not to mention ongoing business and cultural exchange between the two countries through various events, workshops and cultural classes. By holding athletic events and cultural activities, as well as by providing the facilities where these events can occur, The Nippon Club has cemented itself as one of New York City’s oldest cultural institutions. It continues to serve the community from the center of the world’s most international metropolitan area. Source: The Nippon Club website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attendees Right to Left: 10, 11, 12

10- Unknown

11- Willard Dickerman Straight (January 31, 1880 – December 1, 1918) American investment banker, publisher, reporter, Army Reserve officer, diplomat and by marriage, a member of the Whitney family. Straight was the founder of the American magazine: The New Republic, which remains one of the most influential liberal magazines in the United States from its launch in 1914. The magazine was begun by Straight with Herbert David Croly as its editor. The New Republic reflected the progressive movement and sought reforms in American government and society. Among its early editors or contributors were Randolph Silliman Bourne, Walter Lippmann, and Malcolm Cowley. The journal supported the formation of labour unions, the eight-hour workday, and woman suffrage. It also supported President Woodrow Wilson’s foreign policy during World War I, but later broke with him and opposed the Treaty of Versailles. The magazine’s popularity declined in the 1920s, when its liberal viewpoint was out of favour, but it revived in the 1930s. After earlier opposing him, The New Republic ended up supporting President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration and the New Deal. Source: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica…Today, The New Republic continues to take a largely modern liberal stance on governmental fiscal policies and social issues.

12- Unknown

 

Additional notes:

During Baron Shibusawa’s 1915 visit to New York City, he was also the luncheon guest of Colonel Theodore Roosevelt (oldest son of former President Theodore Roosevelt) at Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, 25 miles east of Manhattan. George Walbridge Perkins and Clarence H. Mackay were present at this luncheon to meet Baron Shibusawa.

While in the U.S., Baron Shibusawa also enjoyed a visit to the Pan-Pacific Exposition of 1915-1916, held in San Diego, California. The current expansive Balboa Park in San Diego, is largely composed of exhibition buildings from that wonderful event. The first beginnings of the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park, began with a popular Japanese Teahouse at that exposition.

 

Below are some larger segments from the 1915 restored photo. Certain segments of the photo have greater clarity in the half-tone versus the black and white version:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right to left: Attendees numbered from 1 to 27

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right to left: Attendees numbered 10 to 27

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attendees Right to Left: 13, 14, 15

13- William Morgan Shuster (23 February 1877 in Washington, D.C. – 26 May 1960 in New York City), was an American lawyer, civil servant, and publisher, who is best known as the treasurer-general of Persia by appointment of the Iranian parliament, or Majles, from May to December 1911. Shuster tried to free Persia from Russian and British colonialism, so Persia could gain independence and control its own destiny. Shuster felt he could improve the Persian economy. However, due to great pressure put on him by Russia and Britain, Shuster was forced to leave Persia. He felt bitter and wrote a book condemning the colonial powers. Upon his return to the U.S., Shuster entered the publishing industry and became president of Century Publishing in New York. He led the firm, which had been established in 1870, through a merger with Appleton in 1933 and Crofts in 1947. By his death in 1960 the firm was known as Century-Appleton-Crofts.

14- Unknown

15- Unknown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attendees Right to Left: 16, 17, 18

16- Unknown

17- Unknown

18- Unknown

 

 

Attendees Right to Left: 18 to 29

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attendees Right to Left: 19, 20, 21

19-  Don Carlos Seitz (1862-1935) American newspaper correspondent and manager. He was also an accomplished biographer and historian. He served as city editor (1889–91) of the Brooklyn Eagle, assistant publisher of the New York Recorder (1892–93) and managing editor of the Brooklyn World (1893–94), and thenceforth was connected with the New York World as advertising manager (1895–97) and as business manager after 1898.  Note: The Brooklyn Eagle, originally The Brooklyn Eagle and Kings County Democrat, was a daily newspaper published in the city and later borough of Brooklyn, New York, for 114 years from 1841 to 1955.

Don Carlos Seitz’s historical books and biographies include: Discoveries in Everyday Europe (1907), Writings by and about James McNeill Whistler (1910), Elba and Elsewhere (1910), Letters from Francis Parkman (1911), The Buccaneers (1912), Whistler Stories (1913), Braxton Bragg, general of the Confederacy (1924), Joseph Pulitzer; HIs Life and Letters (1924), Under the Black Flag: Exploits of the Most Notorious Pirates (1925), The Great Island: Some observations in and about the Crown Colony of Newfoundland (1926), and The James Gordon Bennetts: Father and Son Proprietors of the New York Herald (1928, a biography about newspaper publishers).

 

20- Unknown

21- Unknown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attendees Right to Left: 22, 23, 24

22- Unknown

23- Unknown

24- John Huston Finley (October 19, 1863 – March 7, 1940) was a Professor of Politics at Princeton University from 1900 to 1903, and the third President of the City College of New York from 1903 until 1913, when he was appointed President of the University of the State of New York and the 2nd Commissioner of Education of the State of New York from 1913–1921. He was also the 9th President of the American Geographical Society from 1925–1934 – His position in the American Geographical Society placed him in contact with the great explorers and fliers of the day, who signed their names for him on a terrestrial globe, which he presented to the Society in 1929. During World War I he headed the Red Cross Commission in Palestine.

In 1921 Finley was appointed The New York Times associate editor. On April 21, 1937, The Times announced Dr. Finley’s appointment as editor-in-chief. He held that position until Nov. 16, 1938, when because of poor health he took the title of editor emeritus. During his long distinguished career he received honorary degrees from over thirty colleges and universities, and twelve governments bestowed thirteen decorations on him.

During the 1915 banquet event honoring Shibusawa, John H. Finley recalled an incident when the Baron visited the U.S. back in 1902. Mr. Finely stated that writing poetry was a passion for Baron Shibusawa. Finley related that Baron Shibusawa had become friendly with Townsend Harris, the first American Minister to Japan, who went there in 1856 and stayed many years. Mr. Harris died in New York in 1878, and on the day of Baron Shibusawa’s arrival to New York in 1902, he asked to be taken to his friend’s grave. When he reached it he pinned a personal poem he had written to Mr. Harris upon the tree overhanging the grave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attendees Right to Left: 25, 26, 27

25- Unknown

26-Unknown

27- Unknown

Vacant Seat between 27 and 28: presumed to be where Count Chinda Sutemi Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. sat during this event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attendees Right to Left: 28, 29

28- Unknown

29- Unknown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attendees Right to Left: 28 to 54  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attendees Right to Left: 30, 31, 32, 33, 34

30- Unknown

31- Unknown

32- Unknown

33- Theodore Roosevelt (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919) 26th President of the United States: in office September 14, 1901 – March 4, 1909

34- Dr. Toyokichi Iyenaga (1862-1936) one of the two hosts of the 1915 banquet. Dr. Iyenaga was Japanese by birth, but came to America early in his life, where he received a PhD degree from Oberlin in 1887 and a PhD degree from Johns Hopkins in 1890. After his education in the United States, he returned to Japan and from 1890 to 1895 he was professor of political science at Waseda University and Higher Commercial College in Tokyo, Japan. In 1895 he was appointed secretary for the Department of Foreign Affairs, and in 1898 he became a commissioner of the Formosan government to India, Persia, Turkey, and China. He was also lecturer at the University of Chicago from 1901 to 1920 and at Columbia University from 1913 until retirement. While in New York he operated a news bureau known as the East and West. He also spent some time in Washington, D.C. as an aide to the Japanese ambassador to the United States.

 

The Vacant seat between 34- Dr. Toyokichi Iyenaga and 35- Jacob Henry Schiff is presumed to be where Baron Shibusawa Eiichi sat during this event. This would place Dr. Toyokichi Iyenaga between Baron Shibusawa and Theodore Roosevelt to assist in translation between these two statesmen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attendees Right to Left: 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40

35- Jacob Henry Schiff (born Jakob Heinrich Schiff; January 10, 1847 – September 25, 1920) was a Jewish-American banker, businessman, and philanthropist. He helped finance the expansion of American railroads and the Japanese military efforts against Tsarist Russia during the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War.

Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Schiff migrated to the United States after the American Civil War and joined the investment firm Kuhn, Loeb & Co. From his base on Wall Street, he became a foremost Jewish leader from 1880 to 1920 in what later became known as the “Schiff era.” He grappled with all major Jewish issues and problems of the day, including the plight of Russian Jews under the Tsar, American and international anti-Semitism, care of needy Jewish immigrants, and the rise of Zionism. He became a director of many important corporations, including the National City Bank of New York, Equitable Life Assurance Society, Wells Fargo & Company, and the Union Pacific Railroad. As a sign of the close relationship with Baron Shibusawa, in the 1915 banquet, Mr. Schiff sits at the right side of Baron Shibusawa.

36- Unknown

37- Unknown

38- Unknown

39- Unknown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attendees Right to Left: 39, 40, 41, 42,

40- Oswald Garrison Villard (1872–1949), was the publisher of both the New York Evening Post (which describes itself as the nation’s oldest continuously published daily newspaper), and The Nation (the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States, covering progressive political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis). Oswald was the son of railroad tycoon Henry Villard and grandson of abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison. He used his fortune to promote liberal causes, including women’s suffrage, anti-imperialism, and Negro uplift. Villard originally supported Booker T. Washington, believing education was the solution to the “Negro problem,” but the Brownsville affair and Atlanta riot convinced him of the need for a stronger strategy. The “Committee for the Advancement of the Negro Race” (1906) he envisioned became the blueprint for the NAACP. Villard funded the NAACP’s budget and provided free office space in the New York Evening Post building.

41- Unknown

42- Believed to be Motosada Zumoto (aka M. Zumoto) the Japanese with dark mustache. Zumoto was both the translator and secretary for Baron Shibusawa – He was also a part owner and editor of The Japan Times – Japan’s largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper, currently  published by The Japan Times, Ltd. (株式会社ジャパンタイムズ) of Tokyo. M. Zumoto was also the Director of the Oriental Information Agency of New York. A full facial image of M. Zumoto is presented at the end of this blog in Section III. This image comes from another blog post on this website that presents a 1934 diplomatic event. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attendees 39 to 54, starting from the back of the photo and moving forward

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attendees 43 to 48 starting with the individual furthest back and moving forward:

43- Unknown (not looking forward)

44- Unknown

45-Unknown

46- Unknown

47- Unknown (resting head on his hand)

48- Unknown (eyes looked closed)

49- Unknown [only the top of his head is shown and his face does not appear in the following photo. A mystery guest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attendees 50 to 53 starting with the individual furthest back and moving forward:

50- Unknown

51- Unknown (entire face shown)

52- Unknown (has mustache)

53- Unknown (wearing glasses, chin is not visible)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Larger view of the left side of the banquet table: Attendees 35 to 61

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attendees 52 to 59 starting with the individual furthest back and moving forward:

52- Unknown (has dark mustache; was shown in prior photos)

53- Unknown (shown in prior photos)

54- Unknown (looks Asian or African American?)

55- Unknown (brown mustache)

56- Unknown

57- Unknown

58- Unknown

59- Unknown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attendees 58 to 61 starting with the individual furthest back and moving forward:

58- Unknown (also listed in earlier photo)

59- Unknown (also listed earlier photo)

60- Unknown

61- Unknown

 

 

Left to Right: Attendees 61 to 65

The Vacant chair between attendees 63 and 64 is presumed to be where Dr. Jōkichi Takamine sat during this event. As one of the two hosts of this event, Dr. Takamine likely sat at one end of the large banquet table near William Howard Taft, while the other host, Dr. Toyokichi Iyenaga, sat at the other end of the table between Baron Eiichi Shibusawa and Theodore Roosevelt, allowing him to serve as a translator for these two statesmen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left to Right: Attendees 62 to 63

62- Unknown

63- Unknown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Left to Right: Attendees 64 to 65

64- Unknown

65- Unknown

 

Based on suggestions from The American Historical Association fellow members and further research, here are the names of some Japanese who accompanied Baron Shibusawa during his 1915 visit to the U.S., who might be in the 1915 photo:

• M. Zumoto – editor/part-owner of Japan Times, Director of the Oriental Information Agency of New York, both the translator and secretary for Baron Shibusawa.
• The Baron’s son: T. Shibusawa
• The Baron’s son M. Shibusawa
• M. Masuda, the private secretary for Baron Shibusawa
• Z. Horikoshi, a silk merchant who also accompanied Baron Shibusawa during his 1909 visit to the U.S.
• K. Noguni
• S. Hoyomi
• I. Wakita, managing Director of the Tokyo-Sakaye Bank
• T. Yokoyama – businessman 
• K. Noguchi on the staff of the First Bank of Tokyo

 

Section III

As displayed above in Section II, there were many fascinating and inspiring individuals who attended the 1915 event honoring Baron Shibusawa’s visit. 

Below are the photos that were utilized for comparison.

This section will also include the names of those individuals and organizations who assist in identifying the guests at this event.

 

2-    William Howard Taft

Circa 1915  Photo source: Biography.com

 

 

 

3-           Albert Shaw

Circa 1910                                             Circa 1989  

Photo source: Wikipedia

 

 

 

 

5-      Edward Jewitt Wheeler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Circa 1900. In the above photo he is forty-one years old.

In 1915, during the Shibusawa banquet, he was fifty-six years old.

 

 

 

 

7-     Count Chinda Sutemi Japanese Ambassador to the U.S.

Circa 1913 Photo source: Harris & Ewing

 

 

 

 

8-      Baron Shibusawa Eiichi

Circa 1918  Photo source: Wikipedia

 

 

 

 

9-          Jōkichi Takamine

Circa 1920  Photo source: Science History Institute

 

 

 

 

11-   Willard Dickerman Straight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Circa 1915  Photo source: Geni.com

 

 

 

13-      William Morgan Shuster

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Circa 1912  Photo source: Wikipedia

 

 

 

 

19-       Don Carlos Seitz (1862-1935)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1931  Photo Source: The Library of Congress

In the above photo he was 69 years old.

In the 1915 photo, he was 53 years old.

 

 

 

24-     John Huston Finley (October 19, 1863 – March 7, 1940)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The above photo is labelled as no later than 1903 – Source: Wikipedia

John Huston Finley appears to be 40 years old.

How would he look twelve years later? 

In the 1915 banquet photo, he was 52 years old.

 

 

 

33-       Theodore Roosevelt

1911  Photo source: U.S. National Park Service

 

 

 

34-      Dr. Toyokichi Iyenaga

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 10, 1918  Photo source: Underwood & Underwood 

 

 

 

35-    Jacob Henry Schiff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1903 – Photo source: Wikipedia

 

 

 

40-             Oswald Garrison Villard

 

 

 

 

 

 Circa 1910  Photo source: NAACP Collection, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.

 

 

42-          M. Zumoto

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 27th, 1934 – Source: TheEmperorAndTheSpy.com photo archives

 

 

Section IV

The illustrated biography of Prince Tokugawa Iesato brings to life this fascinating period of history and the friendship and alliance between Prince Tokugawa and Baron Eiichi Shibusawa, as they promoted goodwill between the US and Japan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Available in a Print and Kindle EBook Edition

 

 

 

 

 

Prince Tokugawa Iesato’s biography is also available in an expanded digital edition titled: THE ART OF PEACE. 

This edition is similar to THE ART OF DIPLOMACY, but it presents an additional 100 pages of historical notes to assist researchers.

Both versions offer a new significant perspective on U.S. Japan relations during the first half of the 20^th Century.