Abstract
This study is about the involvement of an ordinary individual in the Philippines during the Meiji period. Jose Moritaro Tagawa, 1864-1920,was a well-known businessman in Manila during the first half of the American period. This paper discusses the details of his life and activities and also describes the early Japanese commercial sector in Manila.
Tagawa's involvement was purely accidental, as can be seen from his family background and lack of education. It was the flexible nature of his character which enabled him to adapt to Philippine culture. He was the first Japanese to settle in Manila on a long-term basis around 1891. Being a trader and Japanese married to a Filipina, he lived in a multicultural setting and was able to link Filipinos, Westerners, and Japanese. He pioneered in the development of Japanese commerce in Manila but after World War I he retreated from the forefront of business and the Japanese community. This action seems to be largely due to a deep sentimental attachment to Japan.
