Sharaku

■Chuo-ku History Shoyo <2>-Maejima Memorial Hall, which stands at the birthplace of the father of mail-

　Maejima Hisoka, the father of modern postal mail, was born in 1835 in Shimoikebe Village, Kubiki-gun, Echigo Province (now Shimoikebe, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture). I visited the Maejima Memorial Hall (pictured) located at the site of the birthplace.

　The two-story building displays artifacts, manuscripts, and materials. Just a local junior high school student came to visit for extracurricular study. The location is about a 20-minute drive from Takada Station, Echigo Tokimeki Railway Company's Myoko Haneuma Line (formerly JR Shinetsu Line).

　According to the explanation board of the museum, in 1920 (1920), the site of the birthplace was handed over by the villagers. In 1922 (1922), a monument was erected. In 1931 (1931), the Maejima Memorial Hall was set up to remember his feat. It was donated to the country in 1937 (1937). It is currently operated as a branch of the Japan Post Co., Ltd. Postal Museum.

　For information on the museum, please visit the Postal Museum website https://www.postalmuseum.jp/guide/maeshima.html.

 

A wide range of achievements, including postal systems

A wide range of achievements, including postal systems ■Chuo-ku History Shoyo <2>-Maejima Memorial Hall, which stands at the birthplace of the father of mail-

　The establishment of the modern postal system began with a proposal in 1870 (1870), and studied the postal system at U.K. The following year, in 1871, the postal system was started at the station. It was a modern transition of the old mechanism, such as the inn station system and the pilgrimage system in the Edo period. (The photo shows the nameplate of the birthplace of Nihonbashi Post Office and the bust of Mr. Takashi Maejima)

　Other achievements contributed to the development of modern Japan, including the proposition of the relocation of Edo, the promotion of the land and shipping industry, the holding of the National Industrial Expo, the establishment of the Kunnin, and the construction of railways.

Life of Takashi Maejima

Life of Takashi Maejima ■Chuo-ku History Shoyo <2>-Maejima Memorial Hall, which stands at the birthplace of the father of mail-

　The Joetsu City Museum held a special exhibition commemorating the 180th anniversary of Mitsue Maejima's birth in 2015. I would like to follow my life based on the catalogs (photos) at that time.

　Born as the second son of the Ueno family, his birthplace, he lost his father when he was young and taught the joy of learning from his mother. He went to Edo at the age of 12. When Perry arrived in 1853 (1853), he became a contact valet and saw ports and turrets nationwide to consider national defense. After that, he traveled to Hakodate and Nagasaki to learn surveying, navigation, English, and mathematics. After reigning the great government, he became a public servant of the Sunpu clan. He has held key positions such as the second principal of Tokyo College of Technology (later Waseda University) and the president of Kansai Railway.

　Maejima changed his name four times. He served to the Meiji government as "Kaminobusa Goro" in Joetsu, "Maki Taizo" in Edo, adopted by the Shogunate, "Raisuke Maejima" and "Mitsu Maejima". .

　In April 1919 (1919), he closed his 84-year-old life at a villa in Nishiura Village, Kanagawa Prefecture (currently Ashina, Yokosuka-shi). （@AM)