Official

Hawaii is now one of the American states, but it was a kingdom that lasted for eight generations for about 100 years from 1795 to 1893. The first one was Kamehameha the Great, Queen Liliukarani, who wrote Aloha Oe when she was destroyed.

The 7th generation King Karakaua is the older brother of Riliuo Karani. At that time, it is also known as "Mary Monak (a cheerful king)" who focused on the revival of classical hula, despite being dominated by Western white forces, not only politics, military and economy but also culture and religion. You. The Marymonak Festival, the highest peak festival of hula held every year in Hilo, Hawaii, was also named in memory of King Karakaua.

King Karakaua went on a 10-month-long journey around the world in 1881 (Meiji 14). On the way, I stayed in Japan for 12 days, and my accommodation in Tokyo was Yan Liaokan.

There are a total of 13 state guests welcomed by the Yan Liao Pavilion during the 24 years, and it is also noteworthy that the "monarch (such as the king or the president)" was the only one King Karakaua. (Click here to expand the state guest list.)

※The table is from "The Age of Yan Liao Pavilion: p.92".

The image of King Karakaua is wikipedia public domain.

King Karakaua's circumference was compiled in a book called "Around the world with a king" by Armstrong, who was an attendant, and published in 1904. Hiroshi Aramata published a Japanese translation with detailed explanations based on materials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at that time, a huge amount of newspaper articles, and a diary (memos) during his trip by Karakaua (1995).

At that time, Hawaii was under control by white forces, as I wrote above. Armstrong is also a white man, and he himself wrote, "I can't publish it during his lifetime," because he himself wrote, "I can't publish it very much during the king's life" (^^)

The purpose of King Karakaua traveling around the world was to "strengthen the position of the Kingdom of Hawaii by cooperating with other countries" and "to attract immigrants to Hawaii, which is undergoing a drastic decline in population due to the plague brought by whites."

As part of this, he had secretly proposed to Emperor Meiji a marriage between Japan's Yamashina (15 years old at that time) and his niece, Princess Kaiurani (5 years old at that time). (The right photo is an adult kaiurani)

Unfortunately, the marriage was not realized, but since 1885, immigration measures for Hawaii, which is called "government about immigrants," were implemented.

※The image of Princess Cayurani is wikipedia.public domain

The Yan Liao Pavilion appears in the original book under the name "Enriokwan". Some Karakaua party thought to be the whole Yan Liaokan = Hamarikyu, but about the Yan Liaokan itself ...

"There are so many rooms equipped with the finest furniture of both Japanese and European styles. On the table in the changing room, there are plenty of sweets that were served at the meeting with the Emperor earlier. ・-- There are only three of us in this spacious mansion. There were many servants waiting in the hall and in the bedroom.'

"... I unraveled the heavy dress and looked into many rooms in the palace. Every room has delicate and exquisitely designed furniture and a very expensive Satsuma-yaki vase."

・・It seems that it was a luxurious interior and furnishing.

Of course, I didn't stay in Yan Liao all the time during my stay, but during my daily lunch and dinner, I went to Senso-ji Temple and Ueno Park, visited paper mills and printing mills, and visited the Army Academy and Naval Academy.

Also, it seems that the standard to invite state guests at that time was `` theater at Shintomiza '', and in the theater of King Karakaua, all-star performances such as Danjuro Ichikawa, Kikugoro Onoe, Sadanji Ichikawa, etc. It is said that "Mochizuki", "Rohiki Dandanura" and "Kocho Mai" were performed.

■The Mystery of Edo Bay

The description when King Karakaua and his party arrived in Japan is "We steamed up the Bay of Edo". It's a steamed up because it's a steamship, but I'm more concerned about "Bay of Edo" than that.

According to Hiroshi Aramata's commentary, "Edo was renamed Tokyo in 1868, but the name of Edo Bay has been used for a while since then."

However, the name "Edo Bay" was the first word used by Ryotaro Shiba in "Ryoma Go", and it seems that it did not exist in the Edo period or Meiji period before that. (Edo Bay wikipedia text and its references)

So why did King Karakaua write "Edo Bay" ...? ？

The same wikipedia also states, "The Japanese map of Venice in 1690 shows the notation of Edo Bay in your own language." In other words, the name "Edo Bay" may have been transmitted to Hawaii via Western Europe before coming to Japan, not from the Japanese.

■Otheanic

When King Karakaua came to Japan, it was a steamboat called "Othanic" (pictured above).

This steamboat is the first steamboat (until the outer ringboat) created by a company called "White Star Line", but it is actually famous for this company, another ship. Yes, it's that "Titanic" company (^^).

※The image of the oceanic is wikipedia.public domain