Stan. S. Katz

Author of The Emperor and the Spy

The Japan Society of New York City Honors the Visit of Prince Iyesato Tokugawa – Recently Discovered 1934 Photo

by Leave a Comment

Here is an important moment in history, when the leader of the Japanese peace and democracy movement met with his counterparts in the United States during a challenging period of U.S. Japan relations. This rare, perhaps one of a kind photo presents the Japan Society’s Annual Dinner event honoring Prince Tokugawa on Feb. 27, 1934 – This diplomatic goodwill gathering took place at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. [Source of photo: TheEmperorAndTheSpy.com archives – The actual photo is 14 x 22 inches in size.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above: Right half of the Feb. 27, 1934 photo: Prince Tokugawa and other dignitaries sit at a table on the front stage, with an American and Japanese flag hanging behind them. It is amazing how a photo can almost bring people and events back to life. As a potential, future, historical project, it would be interesting to identify as many guests as possible who attended this celebratory event. This current presentation will focus on the individuals seated at the front table.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above: Left half of the Feb. 27, 1934 photo

 

Historical note

The global economic depression of the 1930s, combined with the spread of communism and fascism contributed to an internationally unstable and dangerous period in history. Prince Iyesato Tokugawa (aka Prince Tokugawa Iesato 1863-1940), supported by his Japanese and non-Japanese allies, heroically devoted his diplomatic/political career to creatively striving to maintain goodwill between Japan and the U.S., as well as other nations.

Over the many years it took to create the recently published, illustrated biography on Prince Tokugawa, titled The Art of Peace, the author of this blog post was constantly surprised how this great statesman had largely been forgotten, despite Tokugawa having been the diplomatic face of Japan internationally for the first forty years of the 1900s, while also holding significant political influence domestically, as the President of Japan’s upper house of congress, The House of Peers.

 

During the 1934 Japan Society Annual Dinner, Prince Tokugawa eloquently declared:

“The bulk of public opinion and the best of character and intelligence was on the side of peace,” and that it was “most regrettable, that statements predicting war (between their nations) had been circulated on both sides of the Pacific and even on the other side of the Atlantic.”

“Thinking men in Japan do not wish to disturb the traditional goodwill and friendship that unite us with America, and I believe that sentiment is reciprocated by sensible people in this country. You on this side of the Pacific and we on the other side, all know that a war between our two countries would not only be unprofitable, but highly disastrous to both of us.”

To prove his above statement, Prince Tokugawa gave specific details highlighting the enormous economic interdependence of the U.S. and Japan, and clarified just how mutually beneficial America/Japan trade was. Prince Tokugawa admitted that Japan-U.S. relations had occasionally experienced some strains in the past, but that was true of many other nations as well. He recalled the success of the Four-Power Pacific Pact (signed on Dec. 13, 1921, during the Washington Naval Conference) between Great Britain, France, Japan and the U.S. The Four-Power Pacific Pact required any controversy arising out of any Pacific question, if not settled satisfactorily by diplomacy, should be considered and settled at a joint conference. These four nations agreed to respect the status quo in the Pacific and respect the territorial holdings of these countries and not attempt to pursue further territorial expansion.

Some of the other speakers at this gathering were: Reverend James DeWolf Perry, presiding Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States, and great-nephew of Commodore Perry; former Ambassador to Japan Roland S. Morris of Philadelphia; and Henry Waters Taft President of the Japan Society of New York City, who presided over this 1934 event. Henry W. Taft was the brother of former President William Howard Taft.

During this February 27th event, Henry W. Taft said, “Japan and the Americans were increasingly making themselves understood one to the other,” and that he believed that “despite occasional differences in national policies, the spirit of mutual helpfulness will grow and abide.”

Source: The New York Times article, February 28, 1934: “Japan Shuns War, Says Tokugawa”

 

-The below newspaper article comes from the Evening Star (Washington, District of Columbia) 26 Feb 1934, Monday Page 16. It highlights some of Prince Tokugawa’s other diplomatic engagements during his 1934 visit to the U.S. 

The Society Section headline stated: President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was going to hold a luncheon honoring Prince Tokugawa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The news article also mentioned that during his 1934 visit, Prince Tokugawa was hosted at other diplomatic events given by:

–Ambassador of Japan and Madame Saito

–U.S. Chief Justice and Mrs. Charles Evans Hughes 

–Ambassador of Spain Juan Francisco de Cardenas and his wife Senora de Cardenas 

–Miss Mabel Thorp Boardman – philanthropist involved with the American Red Cross

–Secretary of State Cordell Hull

– Under Secretary of State William R. Castle Jr. 

-Former Japanese Consul General and Madame Horinouchi

-While in Washington, D.C., Prince Tokugawa visited the American Red Cross National Headquarters and the U.S. Senate.

 

Prince Iyesato Tokugawa, supported by his Japanese and non-Japanese allies, was so influential in Japan & internationally, it was only after his passing in 1940, that a global war erupted in Pacific.

 

 

The Japan Society which sponsored the 1934 Annual Dinner that honored Prince Tokugawa’s visit, continues to this day as a leading U.S. organization committed to deepening mutual understanding between the United States and Japan in a global context. Now in its second century, the Society serves audiences across the U.S. and abroad through innovative programs in arts and culture, public policy, business, language and education.

Japan Society was founded on May 19, 1907 by a group of prominent New York business people and philanthropists, many of whom shaped the policies of exchange and collaboration that guided the Society until the outbreak of World War II. After the war, activities slowly resumed. The stewardship of John D. Rockefeller 3rd from 1952 to 1978 led to a unified vision, a firm financial foundation, and a revitalized mission that continues to inspire and sustain the organization.

Today, Japan Society, located at 333 East 47th Street, New York City, has evolved into a world-class, multidisciplinary hub for global leaders, artists, scholars, educators, and English and Japanese-speaking audiences. At the Society, more than 100 events each year feature sophisticated, topically relevant presentations of Japanese art and culture, and also open, critical dialogue on issues of vital importance to the U.S., Japan, and East Asia.

Photo taken Oct. 2008: (Source: Wikipedia, contributor Jim Henderson)

Source for the above description: the Japan Society website.

To learn more about this fine organization, here is their internet link:

https://www.japansociety.org/

 

 

To better recognize the guests seated at the front table with Prince Tokugawa, below are some enlarged segments of the photo. The guests have been numbered to assist in identifying them. Some have been identified, but if you recognize any who haven’t, please send this information thru the comment section at the end of this blog post. Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prince Tokugawa sits (seventh seat from the left), accompanied his son, Iyemasa Tokugawa, and their hosts. Obtaining good scanned images of the front table was challenging, in that the photographer took this photo from the furthest position from those being honored on the front stage, but an attempt has currently been made to add contrast and modify the lighting to enhance the image. The below sectional views used slightly different modifications to bring out the details as best as possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starting on the Left and moving right, the attendees have been given identifying numbers 1 to 15 to assist in identification. Below are further enlarged segments of the above photo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starting on the Left and moving right:

  • 1- Unknown

 

  • 2- Probably the former Japanese Consul General Horinouchi

 

  • 3- Probably the wife of former Japanese Consul General Horinouchi

 

  • 4- Iemasa Tokugawa (徳川 家正, March 23, 1884 – February 18, 1963, aka Tokugawa Iemasa, Iyemasa Tokugawa, Tokugawa Iyemasa, and Yoshihisa Tokugawa) – Iemasa Tokugawa was the son and supporting ally of Prince Iyesato Tokugawa. Iemasa was a political/diplomatic figure of the Taishō and early Shōwa periods. He was the 17th hereditary head of the former shogunal branch of the Tokugawa dynasty and the final President of the House of Peers in the Diet of Japan. At the time of this 1934 event, he was the Japanese Minister to Canada.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starting on the Left and moving right:

  • 5- Reverend James DeWolf Perry, presiding Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States, and great-nephew of Commodore Perry.

 

  • 6- Probably the wife of Reverend James DeWolf Perry

 

  • 7- Prince Iyesato Tokugawa

 

  • 8- Henry Waters Taft President of the Japan Society, presided over this 1934 event – He was the brother of former President William Howard Taft.In 1929, Emperor Hirohito honored Henry Waters Taft with the insignia of the Second Class of the Order of the Rising Sun, together with a diploma signed by the Emperor. This Insignia was presented to Taft by the Japanese Consul-General, in recognition of Taft’s fostering of international friendship.Source: The New York Times, June 28, 1929, Page 15Biographical note: In 1882, Henry W. Taft was admitted to the bar, and began the practice of law in Ohio. Shortly afterward, he joined Strong & Cadwalader, in New York City, later known as Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft. Taft became one of the most noted lawyers in New York – The law firm that continues to honor his name, Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft is headquartered at 200 Liberty Street in Lower Manhattan, and is New York City’s oldest law firm and one of the oldest continuously operating legal practices in the United States. It operates out of five offices across the United States and Europe. In addition to its Wall Street location, it has offices in Washington, D.C., Charlotte, London, and Brussels. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starting on the Left and moving right:

  • 9- Roland Sletor Morris (March 11, 1874 – November 23, 1945) was a U.S. diplomat and politician, and one of the founding partners of the international law firm of Duane Morris, in Philadelphia. Morris served as U.S. ambassador to Japan from 1917 to 1920 – To improve U.S. Japan relations in April 1917, the America-Japan Society, located in Japan, was born pledging friendly interexchange and fosterage of mutual understanding between the Japanese and American people. The first president of the Society was Kentaro Kaneko, a Harvard University graduate and one of the members involved in drafting the Constitution of the Empire of Japan; Roland Morris, US Ambassador to Japan at the time, was nominated as honorary president; Iyesato Tokugawa, Eiichi Shibusawa, Korekiyo Takahashi, Jokichi Takamine were honorary vice presidents; Inazo Nitobe, Takuma Dan, Junnosuke Inoue were on the list of the Executive Committee. They were leaders from political and business establishments, as well as from the academic community of that era.

 

  • 10- Probably the wife of Roland Morris: Augusta Twiggs Shippen West Morris, a relative of both Levi Twiggs and Edward Shippen.

 

  • 11- Unknown gentlemen behind candelabra

 

  • 12- Unknown lady

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starting on the Left and moving right:

  • 13- Unknown gentlemen

 

  • 14- Unknown lady

 

  • 15- Unknown gentlemen

 

 

The 1934 Japan Society Annual Dinner photo was discovered while doing research for the illustrated biography on Prince Iyesato Tokugawa titled THE ART OF PEACE.

The book cover presents Prince Tokugawa receiving an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Southern California during his 1934 visit to the United States – This degree was bestowed upon him by the president of USC, in recognition of  Prince Tokugawa’s many academic, diplomatic, and philanthropic contributions.

 

LINK TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE BIOGRAPHY

 

 

 

 

The 1909 Shibusawa Delegation visits Upstate, New York – U.S. and Japanese leaders come together in friendship over a Century Ago

by Leave a Comment

The Shibusawa 1909 Delegation is welcomed by the City of Ithaca.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Front cover to a celebratory Event Program/Dinner Menu (six page brochure) honoring the visit of Baron Eiichi Shibusawa & his wife, and his accompanying Japanese goodwill/business delegation.       

                       The description reads:

“To The Honorary COMMERCIAL COMMISSIONERS of Japan and the American Trade Experts at the Ithaca Hotel, Ithaca, New York. U.S.A. Friday, October 8, 1909” – (Photo of beautiful Ithaca Falls.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1909 Postcard of The Ithaca Hotel, where the event occurred.

 

Background History on Baron Shibusawa and his 1909 delegation:

Baron Shibusawa is known as the “Father of Japanese capitalism” and frequently referred to as the “Japanese J. P. Morgan.” An industrialist and entrepreneur, he was responsible for introducing Western-style capitalism to Japan during the Emperor Meiji period (1868-1912). With financial interests in railroads, steel, printing, gas, electric, mining, fishing, and oil, Shibusawa quickly became Japan’s wealthiest man. During his long life, Shibusawa helped launch over 500 companies, and was responsible for modernizing Japan’s economic and banking systems, including the introduction of paper notes. At one time, he was the director of seventy companies, however, he resisted direct ownership/control of most of the companies he helped launch, preferring an advisory role instead, giving more freedom for these new companies to determine their own strategies for growth.

Shibusawa founded the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the First National Bank of Japan – and for two decades, he was the chairman of the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce. His priorities went beyond pure profit, when referring to his business ventures, he called it stakeholder capitalism (rather than traditional capitalism). He felt strongly that the growth of a nation, economically and otherwise, depended on the involvement of many stakeholders. While profit was still a significant goal, he often integrated ethical beliefs, and even Confucianism, into his management practices. Beyond his business interests, he utilized his own funds to establish over 600 organizations aimed at social welfare, including hospitals, universities, and disaster relief programs among others.

At the start of the twentieth century, U.S. – Japanese relations reached a new stage, with Japan emerging as an economic powerhouse in the Pacific, combined with its growing military. To ease potential tensions between the two countries and also increase business/financial relations between their nations, a delegation of U.S. businessmen were invited to visit Japan in 1908. This invitation was sent to representatives of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of the Pacific Coast. This invitation came from the chambers of commerce of six major cities of Japan: Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, and Nagoya. Their invitation was accepted, and approximately sixty U.S. representatives made a tour of Japan, where they were received with generous and even lavish hospitality, not only by the people, but also by the imperial government. Prince Iyesato Tokugawa and Baron Eiichi Shibusawa were central figures in receiving this U.S. delegation.

-In appreciation for the fine cordiality shown to the U.S. delegation during their 1908 visit to Japan, an invitation in 1909 was now sent to the Japanese to tour the U.S. This invitation came from the Associated Chambers of Commerce of the Pacific Coast, whose membership included the chambers of commerce of eight principle cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Oakland in California, and Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, and Spokane in the Northwest.

Based on this pleasant invitation, in 1909, Baron Shibusawa headed a Japanese delegation to the U.S., which included many of Japan’s most prominent business leaders and notables. They sailed from Yokohama, on August 19, on the American steamship Minnesota, and arrived first in Seattle, Washington, on Wednesday, Sept. 1st. They left Seattle on Sept. 6th, and began their journey visiting 53 cities from the West coast to Boston, and returning from New York back to Los Angeles and then to San Francisco.

Of the fifty-eight members in this Japanese delegation, six were women (five of them the wives of the commissioners), thirteen private secretaries, and thirty-nine commissioners. They would travel 11, 000 miles thru-out the U.S. before returning home. This delegation included nine members of the Japanese parliament, two of the largest banking houses were represented by Baron Shibusawa, and the bank of Mitsui & Co. represented by Kenzo Iwahara, Managing Director. There were six other bankers in the group, and also representatives of nearly every line of industry and commerce, including the ownership and management of electric railways, shipbuilding, manufacturing of silk and cotton, exporting and importing, and stock market brokerage – The professions of law and medicine were also represented, as well as some well-known Japanese educators, authors, and newspaper writers.

Their main goals were to develop friendship between the two nations while encouraging bilateral trade and commerce. This sentiment was repeatedly expressed by Shibusawa and other commission members, as well as by their American hosts. The delegation made the news across the United States, during the course of their three month journey. They traveled in a specially outfitted ‘Million Dollar Train,’ provided by the American industrial community. Their meetings included many chambers of commerce. There were also tours of factories, power plants, fire departments, port facilities, mines, farms, schools, universities, libraries, theaters, churches, hospitals, and many other facilities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1909 – Ithaca, New York – Raised observation platform with a crowd gathered awaiting a Train’s arrival – This postcard gives a sense of the welcoming reception given for the Japanese Delegation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 1909 photo from The Coast magazine (Seattle, Washington).

Baron and Baroness Shibusawa (front center), with the other Japanese delegates and their wives, pose at the Forestry Building at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition. The delegation included bankers, presidents of the chambers of commerce from the largest cities in Japan, businessmen who were members of the Japanese Diet (Japanese Congress), and several Japanese consuls general, who were stationed in the United States. Delegates included representatives of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, lawyers, publishers, journalists, as well as a university professor and a physician. (Note: The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition was a world’s fair held in Seattle, Washington, publicizing the development of the Pacific Northwest. The fairgrounds became the campus of the University of Washington.) The Japanese delegation’s trip was arranged by Asahi, one of the largest newspapers in Japan (which is currently known as The Asahi Shimbun (朝日新聞).

At the train station in the City of Ithaca, a large reception was given for their honored Japanese visitors – This greeting party included the city’s current Mayor and nine former Mayors. Also attending were five former Presidents of the Village of Ithaca, as well as representatives of Cornell University, including Dean Charles H. Hull, members of his staff, along with eight Cornell professors. Also there to respectfully receive them were the student president and members of the Japanese Club of Cornell. The Ithaca Business Men’s Association, along with many others attended, as displayed in the Menu/Program.

To make the visitors’ experience in the U.S. more enjoyable, six members of the Associated Chambers of Commerce volunteered to accompany their Japanese friends/business colleagues, to assist in managing the events along their journey. Those six individuals are also highlighted within the Menu/Program.

In addition to the above, the U.S. government recognized the international significance of this Japanese visit and sent three U.S. representatives to accompany and be of assistance during their travels.

During their time in the U.S., they were greeted by many distinguished American leaders including President William Howard Taft, whom Baron Shibusawa and Prince Tokugawa had already befriended years earlier, when Taft had served as minister of war, under President Theodore Roosevelt.

Shibusawa and his delegation were also greeted by the inventor Thomas Alva Edison of General Electric, and James Jerome Hill of Great Northern Railway. When their continental journey ended, they left San Francisco on November 30, traveling to Honolulu, Hawaii, then arriving in Japan on December 17, 1909. With them, they carried fresh information on a wide range of industries, as well as many new cultural insights.

The stated goals of the Japanese delegation were:

-To increase and extend trade relations between the U.S. and Japan

-Improve personal acquaintances and friendly relations between representatives of both nations.

*It is significant to note that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1912, just three years after the 1909 visit of the Shibusawa delegation – It is most likely that this highly publicized Japanese business visit served as a catalyst connecting chambers of commerce across America into becoming a national organization. President Taft was one of the U.S. leaders that Shibusawa met with during his visit, and Taft is recognized as one of those who encouraged the establishment of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, to support and enhance the economy of the United States.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A lavish meal, followed by Five Minute Talks – This illustration and the four that follow are part of the Event Program/Dinner Menu brochure presented earlier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Japanese Delegates, along with those who managed the Party. This list is also presented with additional information in Note [1]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Representatives attending the event. This list is also presented with additional information in Note [2]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Committee Members – This list of notable citizens of Ithaca, is also presented with additional information in the Notes [3]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Committee Members (continued) the notable civic and business leaders of the Ithaca community, who put the Program together, were Speakers, arranged the Dinner, Decorations, and Music, and were part of the Evening Reception. *See Note [4] for more info about the two prominent speakers Robert H. Treman and Jared T. Newman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View of Cornell University – Ithaca, N.Y. – 1909 Postcard

 

 

Below is the top segment of a newspaper article that gave an overview of the Japanese delegates’ three month tour and also highlighted the hospitality they had received in the city of Buffalo, New York, three days prior to their reception in Ithaca. [The Buffalo Commercial – 05 Oct. 1909, Tue • Page 1]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

– The Shibusawa Eiichi Memorial Foundation / Museum (located in Japan) honors and preserves the legacy of Baron Shibusawa and his allies –  Their website is: https://www.shibusawa.or.jp/english/museum/                                                                      

 

The Honorary COMMERCIAL COMMISSIONERS of Japan felt so appreciative for the fine treatment they had received during their visit, that when they returned to Japan, they sent back a gift to the U.S.A..

It was given to a representative of Northwestern New York State, F. W. Rosenberger, Esq., a member of the City of Buffalo, New York Chamber of Commerce. He was also one of the U.S. representatives who attended the above event in Ithaca, New York. It is a Japanese silver two handled presentation cup on a square pedestal inscribed in Japanese on the base on one side, and in English on the other side, as shown in the below photos.

Decorated with Japanese dragon emblems around the top rim and an American eagle symbol in the circular area between them.

The English inscription reads:

Presented to F W Rosenberger, Esq. by the honorary commercial commissioners of Japan to U.S.A. 1909.

Marked Tamonten Tokio and signed in Japanese.

Meiji period.  Height 5 1/2″ Length 8″. Weight 28.25 troy oz.

This silver trophy was sent as a return gift from “The Honorary Commercial Commissioners of Japan to the U.S.A” (渡米実業団) to the people who took care of them.

The Japanese writing on the base of the above silver gift lists the names of many of the Japanese visitors who toured the U.S.A.

Further information about this gift is available in Note 5 in the Notes Section at the end of this blog post.

 

*The historical content for this article was discovered while researching for an illustrated biography.

This biography comes in two versions: The Art of Diplomacy and The Art of Peace. Both highlight the Japanese international statesmen Prince Iyesato Tokugawa (aka Prince Tokugawa Iesato) and his allies, such as Baron Eiichi Shibusawa – These true humanitarians devoted their lives to creatively promoting peaceful international relations, a prosperous global economy, and democracy – Two decades of historical research was combined with the discovery of hundreds of rare illustrations, to reveal many significant unknown events that shaped the destinies of the United States and Japan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PRINT & KINDLE EDITION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DIGITAL EBOOK EDITION [includes an additional 100 pages of historical notes to assist researchers]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTES FOR THIS BLOG POST

Note 1 –

List of the 1909 Japanese Delegates:

Baron Eiichi Shibusawa

M. Masuda, Private Secretary

Baroness Shibusawa

Miss Takanashi, Companion (niece of Baron and Baroness Shibusawa)

Michio Doi

Nagatake Fujiye

Rinnosuke Hara

I. Tanabe, Private Secretary

Ryuta Hara

Heizayemon Hibiya

R. S. Iiri, Private Secretary

Zenjuro Horikoshi

Madame Horikoshi

Tamenosuke Ishibashi

Morimatsu Ito

K. Kubota, Artist

Kenzo Iwahara

Yeinosuke Iwamoto

Suyeo Iwaya

T. Kadono

H. S. Hibi, Attendant

Kinnosuke Kamino

Baron Naibu Kanda

Baroness Kanda

Kunizo Koike

H. Iida, Private Secretary

Dr. T. Kumagae

Tokunosuke Machida

Kojiro Matsukata

G. Masaoka, Private Secretary

Toshio Matsumura

K. Midzuno Consul General

Madame Midzuno

Dr. Takajiro Minami

Buyei Nakano

T. Kato, Private Secretary

Kaichiro Nezu

S. Uyeda, Private Secretary

Nariyoshi Nishiike

J. Nishimura

Bokushin Oi

S. Oi. Attendant

K. Otani

K. Kameda, Private Secretary

Heibei Sakaguchi

K. Shibahara, Private Secretary

Sakutaro Satake

W. Natori, Private Secretary

A. Shito

K. Soda

Shingoro Takaishi

Narazo Takatsuji

Kumejiro Taki

S. Saito, Private Secretary

Madame Taki

Shinkichi Tamura

Torajiro Watase

Motosada Zumoto – also accompanied Baron Shibusawa when he returned to the U.S. in 1915, and a banquet was held to honor him. This 1915 diplomatic event attended by former Presidents Theodore Roosevelt & William Howard Taft – A PHOTO of that diplomatic gathering is presented as part of another Blog post on TheEmperorAndTheSpy.com) – M. Zumoto served as 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. In addition, M. Zumoto was the Director of the Oriental Information Agency of New York.

K. Matsubara

M. Nagai

Y. Numano

M. Kawasaki

T. Tanaka

H. Kozuka

Tokugoro Nakahashi

S. Murata, Private Secretary

 

Names of those who managed the 1909 event in Ithaca, New York

Consul General K. Midzuno (Consul General Midzuno also in a 1915 photo when Baron Shibusawa visited the U.S. again and a banquet was held to honor him, which was attended by former President Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft). A PHOTOGRAPH of that event is presented as a Blog post on the website: TheEmperorAndTheSpy.com). Consul General Midzuno is one of the Japanese officials linked to the Japanese gifting of the cherry blossom trees to the U.S. Capital in 1910 and 1912.

T. Kato

M. Kawasaki

H. Kozuka

 

Note 2 –

American Representatives at the 1909 Ithaca event

Associated Chambers of Commerce of the Pacific Coast

J. D. Lowman, Seattle, President

C. H. Hyde, Tacoma

Charles Stallman, San Francisco

O. M. Clark, Portland

H. Z. Osborne, Los Angeles

C. Herbert Moore, Spokane

 

Secretaries

Miss Elizabeth Gavlyn,

Miss Camilla Easty

 

U.S. Government

Roger S. Greene – State Department

Jackson S. Elliott – from Washington, D.C., representing Associated Press for the U.S. Dept. of Commerce and Labor

Professor John Paul Goode – University of Chicago

 

Other U.S. Representatives

Professor S. W. Gilman – from the University of Wisconsin, representing the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Milwaukee, and Duluth.

F. W. Rosenberger – from the city of Buffalo, he represented the Northwestern New York.

W. H. Manes – of the Chicago Association of Commerce, represents the cities of Chicago, Des Moines, and Omaha.

Governor David Rowland Francis (October 1, 1850 – January 15, 1927) was an American politician and diplomat. He served in various positions including Mayor of St. Louis, the 27th Governor of Missouri, and United States Secretary of the Interior. He was the U.S. Ambassador to Russia between 1916 and 1917, during the Russian Revolution of 1917. He was a Wilsonian Democrat. After graduating from University, David R. Francis became a successful businessman in St. Louis and served as the president of a grain merchant’s exchange. The St. Louis Mining and Stock Exchange was formed in St. Louis in the fall of 1880 with Francis as a founding member. Source: Wikipedia.

 

Note 3–

Below is a transcription of the names of the Committee Members for the 1909 event:

Reception at Train Station

Honorable Randolph Horton Mayor of the City of Ithaca, N.Y.

Former Mayors:

Jared T. Newman

Bradford Almy

George W. Miller

William R. Gunderman

William C. Elmendorf

David B. Stewart

Leroy G. Todd

Clinton D. Bouton

Henry A. St. John

 

Former Presidents of the Village of Ithaca:

Albert H. Platts

P. Frank Sisson

Charles J. Rumsey

Collingwood B. Brown

D. Waite Burdick

 

Business Men’s Association:

Charles C. Howell, President

Former Presidents:

Francis M. Bush

Edwin Gillette

George H. Baker

 

Representatives of Cornell University:

Dean Charles H. Hull

Emmons L. Williams, Treasurer

Professor Henry H. Wing

Professor Othan C. Guerlac

Professor Arthur W. Browne

Professor Charles H. Tuck

Professor Charles H. Tuck

Professor Henry N. Ogden

Professor Martin W. Sampson

Professor Ernest Merritt

Roscoe G. Edlund, President’s Secretary

Japanese Club of Cornell:

Shiro Sano, President

N. Kuroda

T. Odaira

M. Morita

T. Ogata

S. Nakamigawa

J. Murakami

T. Okabe

 

Marshal: Paul S. Millspaugh

 

Executive:

Honorable George E. Priest

Honorable Randolph Horton

Julius M. Clapp

James B. Taylor

Charles C. Howell

William M. Driscoll

 

Finance

Jacob Rothschild

Oliver L. Dean

Nathan Hanford

Thomas G. Miller

Fred C. Barr

James A. McKinney

Patrick Wall

 

Cornell University Campus:

Dean Charles H. Hull

Treasurer E. L. Williams

 

Press:

Bert R. Mitchell

Bryan B Dunne

Lewis A. Clapp

 

Automobiles to pick up visitors:

J. Mitchell Morrison

Honorable Edwin C. Stewart

Herbert L. Cobb Earnest D. Button

Ebenezer M. Treman

Louis P. Smith

F. Harry Warner

Ernest D. Button

 

Note 4- Robert Henry Treman (1858-1937) was one of the two speakers at the 1909 event honoring the visit of the Shibusawa Delegation.

Based on the author of this article’s enthusiasm for nature and his prior visits to beautiful upstate New York, here is some additional information about Robert Henry Treman, who was an amazing environmentalist and nature lover: Treman was born into an influential Ithaca family in 1858.  He attended local schools and Cornell University and joined the family hardware business in Ithaca in 1878.  During his association it grew from a small local business to a large corporation. His family also owned an iron foundry, and they had controlling interests in the Tompkins County Bank, the Ithaca Gas Light Company, and the Ithaca Water Works.  The Treman family acquired land around Buttermilk Falls and other creeks in case they needed to tap the water for their company.  In 1891 he was elected director of a local bank and in 1932 became Chairman of what was eventually known as the Tompkins County Trust Company.  He was also a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York from 1913 to 1931.

In 1891, Treman also became a trustee of Cornell University, a post he held for 45 years.  He worked with fellow trustee Henry Sackett to improve the Cascadilla and Fall Creek glens near the Cornell campus.  This period after the Civil War was a time of increasing awareness of the America’s natural environment.  The Trustees of Reservations was established in Massachusetts in 1891 to protect the natural environment in that state.  California quickly followed suit. By the 1920s the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society had become prominent.  A movement to establish state parks grew up, encouraged by the increased interest in automobile touring.

About 1915, as Treman was bringing friends to visit the Enfield gorge — a well-known Ithaca scenic destination — he noted the decline in the hamlet of Enfield Falls.  Remembering his family association from his childhood days, he made arrangements to buy the mill as well as the miller’s house.  He closed the mill, which was still operating, temporarily.  During World War I, Treman and his wife Laura continued to buy properties in the area.  In 1920, when most of the property in the hamlet of Enfield Falls had been acquired, Robert and Laura donated the land to New York State to establish a state park to be called Enfield Glen Reservation.  Treman was chairman of the Enfield Falls Reservation Commission from 1920 to 1924.  He also donated land, which had been acquired as a possible water source for the city of Ithaca, along Buttermilk Creek to create another park in 1923.  He then continued to serve as Chairman of the Finger Lakes Commission, which also oversaw other parks in the area, from 1924 until his death in 1937.

[Source of the above biographical info: The Friends of Robert H. Treman State Park, chartered thru the State Education Department of the State of New York.  Its purpose is to conduct educational and history-related programs, services, and activities in keeping with the nature of the park, to assist in fund raising activities, the purchase of objects, equipment, and supplies for the benefit of the park, and to support this park for the benefit of the local community, the residents of the State of New York, and the general public.]

 

– Jared Treman Newman – the other listed speaker at the 1909 event honoring the visit of the Shibusawa Delegation – Jared Treman Newman was an Ithaca, New York attorney, 1893-1896, and Mayor, 1907-1908; Cornell University Trustee, 1895-1903 and 1907-1933; and a bank official. Cornell University Class of 1875.

 

NOTE 5

Further details about the silver gift given by the Honorary Commercial Commissioners are as follows: Its photo appears on the gravure page of the following book, and the circumstances are described on page 627 of the following book.

渡米實業團誌 | WorldCat.org

https://search.worldcat.org/en/title/1020991311

渡米實業圃誌 – Tobei Jitsugyōdan – Google ブックス

https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=HBOlWY_1Q30C

 

Parts of this book is cited in “Shibusawa Eiichi Denki Shiryo,” which states that Rosenberger was a member of the Buffalo Chamber of Commerce and served as the Northwest New York State representative when accepting the Honorary Commercial Commissioners of Japan.

第32巻（DK320013k）本文｜デジタル版『渋沢栄一伝記資料』｜渋沢栄一｜公益財団法人渋沢栄一記念財団

https://eiichi.shibusawa.or.jp/denkishiryo/digital/main/index.php?DK320013k_text#DK320013k-0005

 

紐育州西北部代表者（バッファロー商業会議所会員）

エフ・ダブリュー・ローゼンバァガー殿

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

by 7 Comments

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 3rd 1915 banquet event based on a December 4th, 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 4th, 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 4th, 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

Image result for william howard taft

Circa 1915  Photo source: Biography.com

 

 

 

3-           Albert Shaw

File:Portrait of Albert Shaw.jpg

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.

File:Picture of Chinda Sutemi.jpg

Circa 1913 Photo source: Harris & Ewing

 

 

 

 

8-      Baron Shibusawa Eiichi

Circa 1918  Photo source: Wikipedia

 

 

 

 

9-          Jōkichi Takamine

File:Jokichi Takamine.jpg

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 20th Century.