Historical Dictionary of United States-Japan ... - Bakumatsu Films

MURAYAMA, TOMIICHI • 183
arranged the Iwakura Mission, looked after Japanese students at
American colleges, and wrote Life and Resources in America with
the help of Charles Lanman. He later served as Japan’s minister
to China and England, and then as minister of education from
1886 to 1889. He co-founded the Meirokusha, or “Meiji Six Society,”
that promoted liberalism and progressivism in the 1870s.
Although Mori clearly became more conservative and nationalist
by the 1880s, he was assassinated on 11 February 1889—the same
day the Meiji Constitution was promulgated—by an ultra-nationalist
who believed Mori did not show proper respect to
Japan’s native Shinto religion. See also CIVILIZATION AND
ENLIGHTENMENT; FUKUZAWA, YUKICHI; MEIJI ERA.
MORRISON INCIDENT. In 1837, the unarmed, private American
ship Morrison attempted to return three Japanese castaway sailors
turned over to Americans in Macao by the British, but was driven
away when local officials fired on the vessel with small coastal guns.
Although the captain of the American ship sent two notes in Chinese
indicating his desire to return Japanese castaways, Japanese officials
acted strictly in accord with centuries-old sakoku policies of not allowing
Western ships to approach—except Dutch ships—and foreigners
or Japanese castaways were prohibited from coming ashore.
These policies were strengthened by the Expulsion Edict of 1825,
which directed officials to fire on Western ships. The Morrison returned
to Macao and left the Japanese castaways to fend for themselves.
The Morrison Incident motivated some samurai-scholars to
question the Tokugawa shogunate’s policies concerning relations
with the West. Two scholars who publicly criticized these policies
were arrested, jailed, and allegedly committed suicide.
MORSE, EDWARD (1838–1925). An American biologist hired as a
yatoi, or “foreign expert” by the Japanese government in 1877.
Morse conducted archaeological research and taught at Tokyo University
until 1883. He also collected ceramics, many of which are at
the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
MURAYAMA, TOMIICHI (1924– ). Tomiichi Murayama was born
in Oita Prefecture. He was first elected to the House of Representa-