Abstract
Purpose: Keisuke Ito (1803-1901) was a professor at the University of Tokyo, Japan’s first doctor of science, and a baron. He was a botanist working at Koishikawa Botanical Garden. He was also a Dutch-style doctor. His third son is Kenzaburo (1851-1879). The actual situation of interactions between Keisuke, Kenzaburo and Ito's fellow countrymen Shokei Shibata (1849-1910) and his older brother Shu (Sekitai) Nagasaka (1845-1924) will be revealed from Keisuke Ito’s Diary (1873-1881).
Method: The historical material used is Keisuke Ito's Diary (1873-1881) (handwritten). Decipher the relevant parts of his diary to uncover the intimate reality (Collection of Nagoya city Higashiyama Botanical Garden). The deciphering of the diary is entirely by the author and is not a quotation from the printed material.
Results: The two sons (Shokei Shibata and Shu Nagasaka) of Shuji Nagasaka (a doctor in the Owari domain) whom Keisuke has known since his days as a doctor in the Owari domain, and Keisuke and Kenzaburo had a close relationship both in public and private life in Tokyo. The author reveled the actual state of that exchange.
Conclusion: Keisuke Ito, Kenzaburo Ito, Shokei Shibata, Shu (Sekitai) Nagasaka, the factors that connect these four people are (1) they were from Nagoya, Owari domain (2) they were related to the University of Tokyo (3) they were medical experts (4) they were active as residents of Tokyo, and (5) they had a strong
relationship of trust and interacted closely on a daily basis. As a friend of Kenzaburo and deeply respected by Keisuke Ito, Shokei Shibata sometimes visited Keisuke's house (14, Masago-cho, Hongo) and worked hard to treat Kenzaburo's illness as a counselor and doctor. Also, his older brother Shu (Sekitai) Nagasaka worked hard to treat Keisuke's illness (rheumatic disease). Nagasaka also created the text for Keisuke Ito's tombstone (Yanaka Cemetery, Tokyo).
