イギリスにおける平田禿木 (1)

抄録

In 1903, Hirata was sent to go to England for three years as a student of the Department of Education in order to study “English and a Method of Teaching English”.
On the 21st of Fubruary, he left Yokohama for England, taking with him words of encouragement and farewell gifts presented by his teachers and his students. He arrived in London at the end of April. While staying in Japanese Cosulate, he saw the sights of London and sometimes visited the museums. He also frequented the theaters with his friends to see the plays such as “Much Ado About Nothing, ” “Dante, ” “Sapho, ” “Tristram and Iseult”.
He met Mr. Osman Edwards again whom he had maintained a close friendship with in Japan five years before. When he was in Japan to study Japanese plays and actors, he was accompanied by Hirata to the plays (Noh and Kabuki) and sometimes translated his essays of “On Japanese Plays” into Japanese so that Edwards could contribute to Japanese magazines.
This time, Edwards welcomed Hirata warmly, showing him around London to see the art museums and theaters. He often took Hirata to the Playgoer's Club.
Hirata also visited Hogetu Shimamura. Shimamura had been staying in England for a year as a student from Waseda University and began a friendship with him in London. Before long Hirata decided to go and study at Oxford University and moved there. Hirata's association with Hogetu in Oxford continued until he left for Germany at the end of July in 1904. The state of their association can be seen in “Diary from March 8, 1902” written by Hogetu himself. Hirata associated with Japanese students in Oxford with an introduction from Hogetu. In October he began to present himself at the lectures of Dr. H. Sweet, Prof. Walter Raleigh, Prof. A.S. Napier, Lecturer E.de Selincourt at Merton, Magdalen, Balliol College and so forth.