Piracy is the act of taking a ship on the high seas from the possession or control of those who are lawfully entitled to it. Therefore there was a traditional belief for centuries in England that the taking of a ship belonging to a power at war with England or taking one belonging to a non-treaty power was considered 'an honourable means of livelihood'. It was only when an English ship was attacked by a fellow countryman that this act was called piracy. One of the outstanding pirates who were captured and executed was Captain William Kidd (c. 1645-1701) who harassed the ships of the London East India Company on the seas along the southern coast of India. Consequently, because of his execution, the owners of English ships bound for India became more aware of the piratical dangers. Captain Kidd, however, cried out even on the scaffold that he was not guilty because he carried a letter of marque, a certificate of protection issued by the government when he left the land of America for the Island of Madagascar. I am not in a position now to discuss in detail whether or not he deserved execution, but I believe that Captain Kidd was made a pawn in a deadly political game.
I have herein introduced three typical stories of pirates. The first is Sir Walter Scott's The Pirate published in 1822. The second is Captain Marryat's The Pirate published in 1836. The third one is taken from Pyle's Book of Pirates published in 1903. Pyle's book is a collection of the stories of pirates who sought their hideouts or dens on the small islands in the Caribbean Sea or on the eastern coast of America before the American Independence, or even after until telegraphic systems and steam-engines proved effective in pursuing those sea rovers.

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Former clansmen of Yonezawa had come up to Tokyo one after another from the HANSEKI-HOKAN (the return of the land and people from the feudal lords to the Emperor) on, though they were small in number. Some were in expectation of attending school there, some of finding employment, and others of holding a position in the government institutions. But administrative organization was still incomplete, and educational institutions were few and poor in substance, too.
The persons, whose careers were referred to in this paper, were the representative ones from Yonezawa, and it was those pioneers who tried hard to inspire the younger generation from their province and lead them to play active parts in each field, making a contribution to national prosperity after the middle period of the Meiji era.
Following the pioneers' courses or careers, we realize the transition of educational system in Japan in those days. From that point of view, it may be said that the investigation of their courses is to find out the significant materials for study of the history of education in the early years of the Meiji era.

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At the beginning years of Meiji era the Takamatsu Clan carried out a series of educational innovations. Among them were the establishment of the Institute of Western Studies and sending three students to England. The students were Junkichi Yamada, Shuji Matsuda, and Kozo Takahara. They had been studying English in Osaka when they were selected as the students to be sent to England on scholarships from the clan. They left Yokohama on March 3, 1871. While they were studying engineering in England, the Japanese Government replaced the clan in 1872 to provide them with new scholarships. Thus they worked for Koubu-sho (Ministry of Engineering) after they returned to Japan and made a large contribution to the development of modern Japan.

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Ninjun Takasugi was a granduncle of the great revolutionist Shinsaku Takasugi. Because Heibei Tagami adopted Ninjun as his heir, however, his final name was Uheida Tagami. In the late period of Edo era, Uheida was one of the advanced scholars of the Dutch language in Choshu which had a very progressive Daimyo. He translated many Dutch military books, mainly concerned with modern artillery, and introduced modern technologies to the Shogunate and his home province of Choshu. His translations played an important part in the period of the Meiji Restoration; however, his life and work have not been fully studied or recognized yet. In this article, his life will be reviewed and his achievement in Meiji Restoration will be discussed based on a recently discovered translation by him of an artillery book.
In 1817, Uheida was born as the third son of Kozaemon Takasugi who was great grandfather of Shinsaku Takasugi in Hagi the capital of Choshu. Details of his younger days are not cleared. At first, he entered the Meirin-kan, the academy of Choshu. He studied conventional Japanese curriculums in this school. Then he went to Nagasaki and studied the fundamentals of the Dutch language and artillery. When he was 30 years old (1847), he went to Edo, the capital of old Japan and was admitted into the private school of Genboku Ito who was one of the most famous Dutch-style medical doctors of that period. In this school, many students gathered and studied the Dutch language. In a short time he became the supervisor of students instead of his teacher Genboku, because his ability to understand the Dutch language in the area of military technology was on a par with his teacher Genboku. He translated many Dutch military books for the Shogunate and for Daimyo Nabeshima of Saga. “The Shore artillery defence” is the only work of his which still remains. We found it at Nagasaki Library's Aokata-Bunko. He finished this work in August, 1849. This book was not just a simple translation of one Dutch textbook. In this textbook, he introduced four modern Dutch military textbooks, and explained the defence method of sea shore by artillery. We can imagine that when Nabeshima the Daimyo of Saga constructed his artillery bases on Saga shore, this work of Uheida was very useful to him.
In 1851, Uheida came back to his home province Choshu. In this time, the pressures to reopen Japan to foreign countries became greater. Finaly, through American navy admiral Matthew C. Perry this happened in 1854. After this time Japan experienced a great revolutionary period. As Choshu was a hotbed for revolutionary activity against the centralized federal Shogunate, Uheida acted as a modern millitary specialist at Choshu. He introduced modern Western style technologies to Choshu's military preparation. Unfortunately he did not see much of the results of the Restoration, because he died in 1869, the second year of new Meiji Era.
Uheida Tagami is not too famous as a Western-style Dutch scholar of late Edo period. His period of Dutch scholarship was short : however, he acted as a military specialist and made his mark upon the war between the Shogunate and Choshu, or new Meiji government.

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On December 19, 1936, an unveiling ceremony of a monument was held at Zempukuji, which is a temple in Tokyo and is the site of the first American Legation in Japan. The monument, which remains now, is that of Townsend Harris, the first American ambassador. The dedication of the monument was sponsored by the America-Japan Society, but the man who executed it was Takashi Masuda, the founder of the Mitsui Bussan and Co..
Why did he execute the building of this monument? It was because, if I borrow Ambassador Grew's words, he was perhaps the last surviving link between Townsend Harris and the present.
It was at the age of thirteen when Takashi Masuda first saw Harris at Zempukuji. In order to learn English he went there on foot every day. His English teacher was Onojiro Tateishi stationed there as an interpreter. Soon afterward getting a job at the Foreign Office of the Shogunate, he was ordered to work in a small temple by the side of Zempukuji, and was allowed to live there.
As he was a messenger boy for the Shogunate officials attached to the American Legation, he did not come into direct contact with Harris. But he had many opportunities to observe him at a distance.
Masuda said in his address on the unveiling ceremony of the Townsend Harris Memorial, “The distinguished appearance of Townsend Harris holding his position with characteristic firmness and serenity amid incendiarisms and assassinations inspired a boy of thirteen with a naive but intense admiration akin to hero-worship.”
He had since then cherished the sense of such great respect for Harris that he was ready to make a speech entitled “Memories of Seventy Years Ago”, when he was asked to address at the memorial meeting for Harris held under the auspices of Phi Beta Kappa in Japan. This speech of his was recorded in a booklet entitled 'An American Shrine in Tokyo, Memorial Meeting for Town-send Harris held at Zempukuji.'

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What publicity was given to A. B. Mitford by the influential newspapers is the main theme of this paper. The author chose 11 English newspapers and 6 Japanese ones, including 2 English editions. Mitford won distinction in many fields; 'a successful diplomatist', 'an interesting politician', 'an accomplished author', 'a great gardener', or 'horticulturist', 'orientalist' and 'photographer'
The author examined obituaries to know what field was most weighed. A close cheque was made on the five main fields; 'diplomatist', 'author', 'politician', 'gardener' and 'photographer'. 'Gardener' and 'author' are more appreciated than other fields. As a gardener, he is known as a reformer of wellknown parks in London and a 'horticultulist of many kinds of bamboo of orient orgin. As an author, he is known as the author of 'Tales of Old Japan', which is called a 'classic' or a 'standard book', 'Memories', 'The Garter Mission to Japan' and 'The Bamboo Garden'. Between those two fields, 'gardener' is a little more valued than 'author.'

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In the early Showa period, until World War II, there increasingly arose opinions of abolishment of English teaching in schools and even against the use of English words and phrases in public, but contrary to such a trend there were several trials on the part of English teachers to improve the teaching system and the methodology itself.
Fortunately the period saw a couple of unique methods being successfully introduced in Middle School Education -one was called the 'Fukushima Plan' at Fukushima Middle School and another the 'Shonan Plan' at Shonan Middle School. And these two good teaching examples of the Oral Method began to influence the front scene of English teaching in middle schools and prevail in Japan, though with a touch of modification.
As far as the 'Shonan Plan' is concerned, we have scarecely seen a research work published so far except one I did last year, while the 'Fukushima Plan' was well studied by Tetsuo Konno and a bit by myself. I was also very lucky to be able to consult the research paper by Konno.
These two plans had a common origin in terms of applying the Oral Method proposed by Harold E. Palmer who, in 1922, was invited to Japan by the Ministry of Education as an adviser. Needless to say, however, each plan had its own characteristics deriving from its unique educational environment including each principal's ideas on teaching, the traditions of the schools, teachers' abilities and personalities, students' learning abilities and so on. I thought of comparing these two plans in an attempt to make clear the differences and the identical aspects between the two. I am hoping this kind of work will help scholars make further studies concerning similar teaching methods prevailing at that time.

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It is four years since Ryoyo High School in Kyoto closed its characteristic education of 'Yohdai.' This particular education was very famous among Kyotoities. They say that the reason why the school closed its educational system is that it can not go along with the times. I was very regretful for it. So I would like to follow the nature and essence of the educational system of that school and reveal how its system contributed to English education here in Japan.

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Though Yasujiro Shimizu paid indispensable roles in the history of English studies in modern Japan, he still remains unknown to us.
This report intends to introduce him as clearly as possible, casting a light on his young days, especially when he was employed as a teacher at Doshisha and Naniwa-Joggako (now Osaka-Jogakuin).
Firstly, he was an early member of Osaka Church, having an intimate acquaintance with Rev. Paul Sawayama.
Secondly, he was an earnest teacher of English at so many Christian schools including Meiji-Gakuin, Shoan-Joggako (now Heian-Jogakuin), Doshisha and Naniwa-Joggako.
And lastly, he was famous for his abundant scholarship in English literature, being the president of Japan Academy of English Literature in 1880s.

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Nobushige Amenomori sent his paper “War and the Japanese Women” to the Atlantic Monthly in 1905 but it was not published and forwarded to W. E. Griffis so that it might be recommended to some other publisher. But it was left unpublished. The imaginable reason for the unpublished paper was that Amenomori died in 1905 when he wanted to publish his paper.
When this paper was written, the war had broken out between Russia and Japan. His aim to write this paper was that he wished Japan to win the war and to inspire American people with the spiritual background of the Japanese women who carried out their duty at home as mother, wife, and daughter.
Amenomori emphasized the opposite aspects of the Japanese women from those who such foreign writers as Lafcadio Hearn and Alice M. Bacon described from the view of aestheticism and subjection. And he also considered a Japanese woman not as some idealized person but as a human being. He thought Japanese patriotism came from the respect and loyalty to the Emperor and the imperial family and that Japan must be much stronger among other nations with the knowledge of Western civilization. His final dream in life was to see that the Orient and the Occident would be united into world peace.

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A fire broke out at the dormitory in the University campus, Hongo, late at night, January 25, 1889, causing the death of a medical student and injuring several students, of literature and medicine. The scene of the fire was depicted by students in their diaries and Dr. Erwin von Balz, German professor of medicine, whose official residence was not far from the dormitory, described what he saw during the catastrophe. The cause of the fire was the careless treatment by the dormitory servant of the oil-lamps then widely used.
Ten days passed and on February 7, the minister of Education, Arinori Mori gave address to all the students in the University hall, 'at the request of the President of the University, ' he added. In his address the minister referred to the recent fire and felt regret for the conduct of the University staff and students. Hearing the comment of the minister, the students felt indignant.
On February 11, the National Foundation Day, the long-waited-for Constitution of Japan was promulgated and the solemn ceremony was held in the Imperial Court in the presence of the Emperor. Arinori Mori was preparing to leave for the Imperial Palace, when a young man called at the hall of the official residence, saying he had a secret information what the indignant students would do for the minister, and he would tell it minutely to the minister himself. Then he stabbed Mori by a sharp cooking knife.

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Through the new treaty of 1858, the port city of Yokohama became a center of introducing Western ideas to Japan. Many Baptist missionaries have made various contributions in Yokohama.
In July, 1853, Jonathan Goble, a sailor on Commodore Perry's ship, came to Japan. Later in April, 1860, he returned to Japan as a missionary, lived in a temple, and began his Japanese study.
After returning to the States in November, 1871, Goble came to Yokohama again with Nathan Brown in February 7th, 1873. This was just before the end of the ban against Christianity on February 24th. On March 2nd Goble and Brown organized the First Baptist Church of Yokohama.
Goble translated part of the Bible into Japanese and published Matthew in 1871. In 1879 Brown translated the first Japanese New Testament.
A. A. Bennet opened the Yokohama Baptist Theological Seminary in 1884. In 1886, Mrs. Brown founded a girls' school which Miss Clara Converse took over in 1890 and it was named Soshin Girls' School. In 1901, J. L. Dearing opened Yamate English Night School. In 1819, Kanto Gakuin Middle School opend at Miharudai in the city.

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The writer published an article in 1982 on the teenaged Nitobe, focusing on his background in English study and how it affected his brilliant career in his latter days as one of the leading and genuine “internationalists” in modern Japan.
The present writer feels it still necessary to explore further into Nitobe's youthful years -his early twenties -between the two-year period of being fresh from Sapporo Agricultural College and that of resigning as a public servant in Sapporo to “go down south” to enter Tokyo University for further study.
Utilizing some of the newly-obtained English letters Nitobe wrote to one of his best friends, the writer is to depict Nitobe's intellectual life then, including his extensive readings in humanities and social sciences and his religious struggle with Christianity. Thus, the present article on this 2-year period is to bridge the existent gap shown in the conventional, biographical studies on this versatile world citizen.

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