Iwamoto Yoshiharu

2.1. Background and Family

Iwamoto Yoshiharu was born on July 30, 1863 (Bunkyū 3, 6th month, 15th day, in the old lunar calendar), in Izushi, Izushi Domain, which is now part of Toyooka City, Hyōgo Prefecture. He was the second son of 井上藤兵衛_{Inoue Tōbei}^Japanese, a Confucian scholar. In 1868 (Keiō 4), at the age of six, he was adopted into his maternal line by his uncle, 巌本範治_{Iwamoto Hanji}^Japanese, who was a chief retainer of the Fukumoto Domain.

2.2. Education and Intellectual Influences

In 1876 (Meiji 9), Iwamoto moved to Tokyo and began his formal education at Nakamura Masanao's Dōjinsha school. There, he engaged in intensive studies of English, Chinese classics, and liberalism. During this period, he was significantly influenced by the ideas of Western thinkers such as John Stuart Mill and Herbert Spencer.

In 1880 (Meiji 13), he advanced his studies at Tsuda Sen's Gakunōsha Nōgakkō, an agricultural school, where he focused on agriculture. From the following year, he began contributing short essays to the school's publication, 農業雑誌_{Nōgyō Zasshi}^Japanese (Agricultural Magazine). He was also a devoted reader of Ninomiya Sontoku's Hotokuki. In 1884 (Meiji 17), he was baptized by the pastor Kimura Kumaji at Shitaya Church, which is now known as the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church Toshimaoka Church. After completing his studies at Gakunōsha, he became involved in editing 農業雑誌_{Nōgyō Zasshi}^Japanese and contributed articles to 基督教新聞_{Kiristokyō Shinbun}^Japanese (Christian Newspaper).

3.1. Advocacy for Women's Education and Social Reform

Iwamoto was a forceful advocate for fundamental changes in Japanese society concerning women's roles. He passionately called for improved education for women, the expansion of their civil rights, and the establishment of marriage on the basis of mutual love and respect between husband and wife. However, his progressive views were tempered by traditional expectations regarding women's domestic roles. He maintained that women's primary place was in the home, and their education should prepare them to manage efficient, hygienic, and economical households, thereby enabling them to raise intelligent, moral, and service-minded children. He was also a committee member of the Tokyo Prostitution Abolition Society, established in 1890, and campaigned against prostitution in various regions.

3.2. Publishing and Journalism

In 1884, Iwamoto collaborated with Kondō Kenzō to launch the magazine 女学新誌_{Jogaku Shinshi}^Japanese (New Magazine for Women's Studies). The term "Jogaku" itself was defined by Iwamoto as "studies for improving women's status, rights, and happiness." Although this initial venture lasted only one year, it laid the groundwork for their more enduring publication.

In 1885, Iwamoto and Kondō founded Jogaku Zasshi (女学雑誌_{Jogaku Zasshi}^Japanese, Women's Studies Magazine), which became a highly influential publication. Iwamoto wrote extensively for the magazine under various pen names, including Gessha Shujin, Gessha Shinobu, Zekū-shi, Midori, Momiji, and Kasumi. In the same year, he became the chief editor of 基督教新聞_{Kiristokyō Shinbun}^Japanese. Following Kondō Kenzō's sudden death in May 1886, Iwamoto took over as the editor of Jogaku Zasshi. In June 1887, he also became the nominal editor of 東京婦人矯風雑誌_{Tōkyō Fujin Kyōfū Zasshi}^Japanese (Tokyo Women's Temperance Magazine), published by the Tokyo Christian Women's Temperance Union. In 1890, he co-founded 女学生_Jogakusei^Japanese (Girl Student) with Hoshino Tenchi, a magazine that featured contributions from students of 18 Christian girls' schools. He eventually stepped down as editor of Jogaku Zasshi at the end of 1903.

3.3. Role in Meiji Girls' School

Beginning in 1885, Iwamoto played a pivotal role in the establishment and operation of Meiji Girls' School (明治女学校_{Meiji Jogakkō}^Japanese) in Kōjimachi, Tokyo. He was among the key founders, alongside figures such as Tsuda Umeko, Kimura Kenzō, Shimada Saburō, and Tada Umachi, and also served as a teacher. After the sudden death of Kimura Abiko, Kimura Kenzō's wife and a director of the school, in August 1886, Iwamoto became the head teacher (教頭_kyōtō^Japanese) in March 1887, taking on significant administrative responsibilities. In 1892, he was appointed principal of the school.

The school faced financial difficulties due to a lack of economic aid from churches and missionaries. In February 1896, a devastating fire destroyed most of the school buildings, including the main schoolhouse, dormitory, and teachers' residences. This tragedy was followed shortly by the death of his wife, Wakamatsu Shizuko, who had been suffering from lung disease. Iwamoto worked to rebuild the school, but in the spring of 1904, he retired from his position as the school owner (校主_kōshu^Japanese). The school eventually closed in 1909, with some critics attributing its downfall to controversies surrounding Iwamoto's personal life.

3.4. Literary and Intellectual Debates

Iwamoto was an active participant in the intellectual discourse of the Meiji era. On April 11, 1889, he published an essay titled "Literature and Nature" in Jogaku Zasshi, influenced by Ralph Waldo Emerson. In this essay, he argued that "the best literature reflects nature as it is." This view sparked a notable debate with Mori Ōgai, a prominent literary figure, who countered in the May 11 issue of 国民之友_{Kokumin no Tomo}^Japanese that beauty in literature emerges only through "idea." Iwamoto responded by asserting that human nature naturally follows nature, but Mori continued his rebuttal. The debate persisted until Iwamoto's final response on June 11.

His influence also extended to the literary Romanticists associated with Meiji Girls' School and Jogaku Zasshi, including Hoshino Tenchi, Kitamura Tōkoku, Shimazaki Tōson, and Hirata Tokuboku. However, these writers eventually found it difficult to continue working under Iwamoto's direction and, in 1893, went on to found their own influential literary magazine, 文学界_Bungakukai^Japanese.

3.5. Business Ventures and Overseas Activities

Beyond education and journalism, Iwamoto engaged in various business and overseas activities. In 1905, as a member of the 大日本海外教育会_{Dainippon Kaigai Kyōikukai}^Japanese (Great Japan Overseas Education Association), he traveled to Korea with Oshikawa Masayoshi. He became involved with the 皇国移民会社_{Kōkoku Imin Gaisha}^Japanese (Kōkoku Immigration Company), which handled Japanese immigrants to Brazil. By 1907, he was a central figure in the 明治殖民会社_{Meiji Shokumin Gaisha}^Japanese (Meiji Colonization Company), which managed immigration to Peru. He traveled to Peru the following year. However, the Meiji Colonization Company became embroiled in controversy, facing accusations of illegal distribution and issues with delayed or undelivered remittances for immigrants in 1908 and 1909, leading to its suspension and eventual dissolution.

In 1912, Iwamoto was involved in the founding of Cafe Paulista, a coffee direct import company established by Mizuno Ryū of the Kōkoku Immigration Company, and served as a director. In 1916, he established a trust partnership company on the former site of Meiji Girls' School. Later, in 1924, he became a director of Nikkatsu, a major Japanese film studio.

6.1. Later Activities and Ideology

Even after retiring from his direct role at Meiji Girls' School, Iwamoto continued to engage in religious and political activities. In 1899, shortly after the death of Katsu Kaishū, a prominent statesman of the late Edo period and early Meiji era, Iwamoto compiled and published 海舟余話_{Kaishū Yowa}^Japanese (Remaining Tales of Kaishū), which consisted of conversations he had serialized in Jogaku Zasshi. He later revised and re-published this work as Kaishū Zadan (海舟座談_{Kaishū Zadan}^Japanese, Kaishū's Discourses) in 1930, further expanding it in 1937. His close relationship with Katsu Kaishū, whom he frequently visited, began when he sought an introduction for Kimura Abiko Shōden in 1887.

In his later years, Iwamoto became involved in political circles, even intervening in the cabinet formation of Hayashi Senjūrō. He named his own residence "神政書院_{Shinsei Shoin}^Japanese" (Divine Government Academy) and actively promoted State Shinto. He notably wrote a preface for the book 大日本は神国なり_{Dainippon wa Shinkoku nari}^Japanese (Great Japan is a Divine Nation), reflecting his embrace of nationalist and Shinto ideologies.

6.2. Death

Iwamoto Yoshiharu passed away on October 6, 1942 (Shōwa 17), at his home in Nishi-Sugamo, Toshima Ward, Tokyo. He is buried in Somei Cemetery.

8.1. Books

• 吾党之女子教育_{Wagatō no Joshi Kyōiku}^Japanese (Our Party's Women's Education), Meiji Girls' School, 1892.
• 教育学講義_{Kyōikugaku Kōgi}^Japanese (Lectures on Pedagogy), Jogaku Zasshi-sha, 1893.
• 偉人物_Ijinbutsu^Japanese (Great Figures), Jogaku Zasshi-sha, 1894.
• Takahashi Dengorō, Jogaku Zasshi-sha, 1895.
• 女学雑誌集 巌本善治 篇_{Jogaku Zasshi-shū Iwamoto Yoshiharu-hen}^Japanese (Jogaku Zasshi Collection: Iwamoto Yoshiharu Volume), in Meiji Bungaku Zenshū 32 (Complete Works of Meiji Literature Vol. 32), Chikuma Shobō, 1973. This collection includes various essays he published in Jogaku Zasshi, such as:
  • "小説論_{Shōsetsu-ron}^Japanese" (Theory of Novels), Issues 82-84.
  • "文人記者の伉儷_{Bunjin Kisha no Kōrei}^Japanese" (Marriages of Literary Journalists), Issues 94-95.
  • "理想之佳人_{Risō no Kajin}^Japanese" (Ideal Beautiful Woman), Issues 104-108.
  • "女学の解_{Jogaku no Kai}^Japanese" (Explanation of Women's Studies), Issue 111.
  • "小説家の着眼_{Shōsetsuka no Chakugan}^Japanese" (Novelist's Point of View), Issue 154.
  • "国民之友第四十八号 文学と自然_{Kokumin no Tomo Dai Yonjūhachi-gō Bungaku to Shizen}^Japanese" (Kokumin no Tomo No. 48: Literature and Nature), Issue 159.
  • "此の大沙漠界に、一人の詩人あれよ_{Kono Daisabaku-kai ni, Hitori no Shijin Areyo}^Japanese" (In This Great Desert World, Let There Be One Poet), Issue 161.
  • "風流を論ず_{Fūryū o Ronzu}^Japanese" (On Elegance), Issue 210.
  • "婚姻論_Kon'in-ron^Japanese" (On Marriage), Issues 273, 275, 277.
  • "非恋愛を非とす_{Hi-Ren'ai o Hi to Su}^Japanese" (To Deny Non-Love), Issue 276 (a rebuttal to Tokutomi Sohō's "Hi-Ren'ai" in 国民之友_{Kokumin no Tomo}^Japanese Issue 125).
• "演劇の改良_{Engeki no Kairyō}^Japanese" (Improvement of Drama), in Kindai Bungaku Hyōron Taikei 9 (Compendium of Modern Literary Criticism Vol. 9), Kadokawa Shoten, 1972.

8.2. Edited Works

• 木村鐙子小伝_{Kimura Abiko Shōden}^Japanese (A Short Biography of Kimura Abiko), Jogaku Zasshi-sha, 1887. (Includes a letter from Toyama Masakazu).
• 偉人物_Ijinbutsu^Japanese (Great Figures), Jogaku Zasshi-sha, 1894.
• Takahashi Dengorō, Jogaku Zasshi-sha, 1895.
• In memory of Mrs. Kashi Iwamoto, with a collection of her English writings, Z. Iwamoto, Tokyo, 1896. (Reprinted by Ōzora-sha, 1995, supervised by Yamazaki Tomoko).
• 海舟余波_{Kaishū Yowa}^Japanese (Remaining Waves of Kaishū), Jogaku Zasshi-sha, 1899. (Dictated by Katsu Kaishū).
• Kaishū Zadan (海舟座談_{Kaishū Zadan}^Japanese, Kaishū's Discourses), Iwanami Shoten, 1930. (A revised edition of 海舟余波_{Kaishū Yowa}^Japanese).
• Kaishū Zadan (増補_Zōho^Japanese, Enlarged Edition), Iwanami Shoten, 1937. (An expanded edition of the 1930 version).
• Kaishū Zadan (新訂_Shintei^Japanese, Newly Revised, annotated by Katsube Shincho), Iwanami Shoten, 1983. (A new revision of the 1937 edition).
• Kaishū Zadan (ワイド版_Waido-ban^Japanese, Wide Edition), Iwanami Shoten, 1995. (A wide-format edition of the 1983 revision).

8.3. Supervised Works

• 廃物利用_{Haibutsu Riyō}^Japanese (Waste Utilization), by Takahashi Yōryō, Keizai Zasshi-sha, 1885 (Volume 1) and 1886 (Volume 2). (Also known as Keizai Hihō Haibutsu Riyō Sutaremono Yōikata).
• 廃物利用 経済秘法 すたれ物用ゐ方_{Haibutsu Riyō Keizai Hihō Sutaremono Yōikata}^Japanese, by Kondō Kenzō, Keizai Zasshi-sha, 1887.

8.4. Translations

• 女の未来_{Onna no Mirai}^Japanese (Woman's Future), by Frances King Carey, Yoron-sha, 1887.
• "人肉質入裁判_{Ninjū Shitsuirei Saiban}^Japanese" (The Trial of Human Flesh Pawning), a translation of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, published in Bungaku Sōshi, 1885. (Included in Meiji Hon'yaku Bungaku Zenshū Shinbun Zasshi-hen 1 (Shakespeare-shū 1), Ōzora-sha, 1996).
• "不思議の新衣裳_{Fushigi no Shin Ishō}^Japanese" (The Emperor's New Clothes), a translation of Hans Christian Andersen's story, published in Jogaku Zasshi, 1888. (Included in Meiji Hon'yaku Bungaku Zenshū Shinbun Zasshi-hen 46 (Andersen-shū), Ōzora-sha, 1996).
• "三人の姫_{Sannin no Hime}^Japanese" (Three Princesses), a translation of a work by William Shakespeare, published in Jogaku Zasshi, 1887. (Included in Meiji Hon'yaku Bungaku Zenshū Shinbun Zasshi-hen 2 (Shakespeare-shū 2), Ōzora-sha, 1996).