Shiga Shigetaka 1863-1927 by Masako Gavin

Author:Masako Gavin [Gavin, Masako]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Ethnic Studies, General, Regional Studies
ISBN: 9781136118982
Google: 2zQsBgAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2013-01-11T03:42:34+00:00

Shiga's Global Journeys

Prior to a study of Shiga's continuing criticism of the imperial education system, we will look at some of the highlights of his career in later years. He was no longer active in national party politics, and while the structure of the imperial education system was reaffirmed through the National Morality Movement, he devoted himself to education: delivering seminars and writing/editing books, particularly geographic texts.1 From 1895 he was a lecturer in geography at the Tokyo senmon gakkō (present Waseda University), and became a professor at this institution in 1911. In total he taught there for thirty years continuing to update his geography textbooks — a somewhat thankless task which nevertheless demonstrates his devotion to this field of study.2

Shiga travelled extensively during this period (see map, pp. 66–68). From August 1904 to January 1905 (during the Russo—Japanese War), he accompanied the besieging army to Port Arthur as a war correspondent and observed the siege of the fortress from the headquarters of General Nogi Maresuke (1849–1912).3 In 1909 he published an account of these experiences in Taieki shōshi (Observations of the Great War). Tokutomi Sohō is believed to have helped in financing its publication.4 Shiga also played an important role as a geographer for the subsequent demarcation of Japanese territory in Sakhalin in 1906 when in charge of land survey and preparation of the official map.5

Commencing in March 1910, a further trip took Shiga to Singapore, Cape of Good Hope, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United Kingdom. He visited the residence of Victor Hugo (1802–1885) in Paris, and he became even more inspired in his mission as a journalist by Hugo's words, ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’.6 He attended the Anglo—Japanese Exhibition in London and the Argentine National Centennial. In June he delivered a lecture at the Brazilian Geographical Society (founded in 1883) in Rio de Janeiro and was presented with honorary membership.7 He also lectured in Hawaii, California, Mongolia and Manchuria. However, by this time, anti-Japanese sentiment had surfaced in the United States, Hawaii, Australia, Korea, Mongolia and elsewhere. As an advocate of emigration, Shiga was deeply concerned about the rejection of overseas Japanese. As we will see, he visited Fresno, California and Hawaii in 1912 to study the problem.

In 1914, Shiga was invited to a world conference in Washington DC, stopping over in Canada, Cuba and Texas. In 1917, he was nominated by the Royal Geographic Society of the United Kingdom to the position of honorary correspondent.8 From August 1922 to March 1923, he visited South Africa and South America, and from December 1923 to July 1924, India, the Middle and Near East and North America.9 An account of the last journey was published in 1925 as Shirarezaru kuniguni (Countries Unknown to Japan). Thus, in later life, he remained fully engaged in education and journalism, and stayed informed of rapidly-changing world affairs.

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