高砂市を歩く（７６） Bannto Yamagata i n English

  以前、あるところで、英語で山片蟠桃について紹介したことがあります。

　「山片蟠桃物語」の付録として、付け加えさせていただきます。

　　Banto Yamagata  (Yoneda Cho Kazume・Takasago City)

　　　　A Materialist of the Edo Period

　　Banto Yamagata thought that human beings could not live on Venus and Mercury, because of their proximity to the sun and their extreme heat. Although, he did believe that human beings were living on other planets.　He was the first person in the world who tried to logically prove that aliens lived elsewhere in the universe.

　　Banto was born in Kazume (Yoneda Cho in Takasago City) in 1748. His father’s name was Jube Hasegawa. His father sold cotton and his store’s name was Itoya (the shop selling threads). In later years,In later years, Banto inherited his uncles family`s fortune, the Hasegawa family. His uncle had been helping brokage rice in Osaka with the Masuya Family at this time. After this, he changed his name to Kyube Hasegawa. At this time, he was 13 years old. When he was 22 years old, the master of Masuya also passed away. However, Yoshishige who succeeded Masuya was 6 years old at that time. So, Banto had to bear a heavy responsibility and Masuya was faced with difficult management. Ten years later, Masuya had prospered greatly as a result of Banto’s effort. Later, he was given the family name of Masuya, Yamagata.

*　(picture)　Banto Yamagata is a materialist of the Edo period. His scientific thinking became the substructure of the science in the Meiji era. His statue is built at the park in Kazume (Yoneda Cho, Takasago City) where he was born.

　　While Banto carried out busy trade, he could not indulge in his passion for study. He therefore entered into the Kaitokudo₍₁₎ and learned astronomy from Chikuzan Nakai. When Banto was 55 years old, he began to write a book, Yumeno Shiro (A Castle in Dream) in order to summarize his ideas and knowledge. Yumeno Shiro was completed 20 years later.

　　The contents of Yumeno Shiro stated many things that surprised people at that time. Here are some of Banto’s opinions from Yumeno Shiro .

〇  Although the idea that Amaterasu Omikami ( the Central God of Japan) _(2), illuminated Japan is good, it is not rational to believe that this God illuminates the whole world.

〇 Leaders are made by their followers. There are not sovereign from the beginning.

Banto severely refuted Japanese classical scholar’s opinions. He attacked what he believed to be superstitions:

〇 A person who is struck and killed by lighting is not a bad man. It is only by chance and is a natural phenomenon.

〇 Man’s action stops with death. There is absolutely no immortal soul.

　　Thus, Banto was against what he perceived to be superstitions and mythologies. Moreover, we should consider and explain the importance of learning. In his following statement, we can understand his thinking well.

〇 It is based on the rich knowledge of astronomy and geography that Europeans can sail the seas freely. Courage is born by the knowledge.

　　Of course, it seems that Banto acquired such new ideas from many books. But, he was probably influenced by the Kaitoku-do. The main motto of the Kaitoku-do was as follows. “Learning does not concern itself with rank or class.” Banto studied in such an egalitarian atmosphere.Banto was a merchant and his rational ideas may have come from his trade activity.

　　Before long, the Edo Shogunate which ruled for 250 years closed its curtain. Japan adopted new knowledge from Europe and the U.S. from that time on. The knowledge of Banto has become a bridge between Japan and Western countries.

　　Banto`s life, Nobu, unfortunately passed away in 1810. After this sadness and old age overcame Banto. He lost his eyesight short after. After passing on his business, he visited Kazume (his home town in Takasago) with eyes which could not see. Two years after his visit to his home town, he passed away peacefully in 1821. He was 74 years old, then.

 　Notes

　 (1) Kaitoku Do was founded in 1724 by the people ofOsaka. Chikuzan Nakai was serving as a professor.

 　(2) It is said that the Imperial Household was born from this God of mythology in Japan. This God is deified in Ise (Mie Pref.) and is in the central God in　Japan.