オールコックの見た大坂の芝居その他

ワーグマン研究拾遺

抄録

I am interested in Charles Wirgman, a correspondent from the Illustrated London News. In my last essay on vol. 17 of this journal I wrote about his journey through Nara with British Minister Rutherford Alcock in 1861. This time I tried to write about their stay in Osaka.
Sir Rutherford Alcock also wrote about their journey in his 'The Capital of the Tycoon'. In Osaka they stayed at a temple for a few days and visited several shops, a theater, a melting works for copper and so on. These places are all anonymous. My intention to identify them proved successful as to some of them. But as for the theater and the title of the play they saw, I have not yet succeeded with all my effort, referring to the recorded programs of the plays performed in the Edo Era. This being my chief object, I think I will make further investigation.
On this journey several yaconins, i. e. government officers, escorted. One of them is mentioned in Alcock's book as Tarasaki. I found another officer's name and pursued his career. He was Rentaro Tanaka. He was later dispatched to France as one of the members of a mission headed by Chikugo-no-kami Ikeda. After the Meiji Restoration he was appointed vice-governor of a local government in the province of Tajima. But what has become of him after 1875 is unknown.