The purpose of this paper is to make clear how the bonds issued in exchange for kinsatsu and the national banking system were proposed, inquired, and introduced, and how the national banking system was adopted in spite of the strong opinion that the European central banking system was the best, during the period of the 'bank dispute', which has not yet been fully considered. The conclusions of this study are as follows. 1. Hirobumi Ito, Eiichi Shibusawa, and the Section of Revision of the Ministry of Finance, reading Element of Political Economy written by A.L.Perry or its translation by Rinsho Mitsukuri, came to know the legal Tender Act, the National Currency Act, etc., published by G.P.O. And after they proposed the method of redemption of kinsatsu by the delivery of the bonds issued in the new government-note in exchange for kinsatsu, they requested to visit the U.S.A. to study the national banking system, so as to cope with Inoue's apprehension of people-government unity and to introduce the national banks. 2. During Ito's stay in America, two designs about banking system stood face to face. One was the national banking system asserted by Ito, and the other [Bank of Japan→Gold Bank] by Kaoru Inoue and Shigenobu Okuma. Although the latter two were modeled after the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, the organ of circulation and use of the government note, different from the Gold Bank which was the bank to issue the bank note. The origin of the Mitsui Gold Bank was not in the scheme of Bank of Japan but of the Gold Bank. 3. After Ito's return to Japan, the disqute over the banking system didn't arise at once because Ito was to engage in the management of the Osaka Mint Agency. There was a general agreement to establish the 'genuine bank, but it was during Ito's absence from Tokyo that the Mitsui Gold Bank was sanctioned promptly. 4. Shibusawa ordered Gen-ichiro Fukuchi to translate the National Currency Act and a part of the Elements of The Political Economy by Francis Wayland. At the same time he explained the European banking system in Rikkairyakusoku (How to Establish a Company) written and edited by himself. Thus he had been engaged with both of the designs of banking system, knowing that they were different from each other. 5. The dispute between Ito and Yoshida took place in September 1871, when it became necessary to consider the connection between the two designs. The dispute continued till November. By that time Inoue had come to support Ito's design, and the main disputed point came to be which banking system was more appropreate to redeem kinsatsu, to issue bank notes, and to manage banks in their early years. After all they decided to adopt the system of national banks because they thought it to be of primary importance to redeem kinsatsu.
View full abstract