Maebashi as a Silk Road Centre. 前橋 日本のシルクロードをたどる
Maebashi as a Silk Road Centre.
前橋 日本のシルクロードをたどる
My first impression as we drove into Maebashi was of how large and straight the roads were going up to the station. The centre of the city is spacious and the city hall is architecturally impressive. This spaciousness is actually a result of being bombed during the Second World War（第二次世界大戦の空襲）. Many historical buildings in Maebashi have also been burnt down, as they were made of wood and were perhaps flimsy in construction. In spite of this razing of the past, Maebashi played a hugely important role in the industrial revolution, and it is because of its importance as a silk road location, that it became the prefectural city instead of the nearby, and larger, Takasaki. There were several figures I was able to learn about who played key roles in the building of Maebashi.
初めて前橋を訪れ、駅までの道がなんて広々としているのだろうと感じました。
道が広いのは第二次世界大戦の空襲の結果によるものと知り、多くの歴史的建物をこの街は戦火により失ったことに思いを馳せました。
今に残る建物は少なくても、この街は、日本の絹にとって重要な役割を果たした場所でした。県都・前橋は生糸で作られたことを今に伝える方々にお会いしました。
Nicholai, Samurai and Silk ロシア人司祭二コライ・前橋藩士と絹
The only person here not directly connected with silk, and the only non-Japanese, was a Russian orthodox （正教会）priest by the name of Nicholas or Nicholai（ニコライ）. After graduating seminary in 1860, and taking the tonsure, he volunteered to be the priest for the Russian consulate（函館ロシア領事館） that had been opened in Hakodate in 1861. He eagerly studied Japanese, Japanese culture and Buddhism. Nicholas travelled around Japan and he came to Maebashi, where he met Fukazawa Yuzo（深澤雄象）, a high-ranking samurai（重臣）, born in Kawagoe（川越） in 1833, but who moved with his lord, Matsudaira Naokatsu（松平直克）, to Maebashi in 1867. It was the end of the Tokugawa period, and with economic stagnation and the inability of the feudal government to provide hope to the people, many were disillusioned with the way of bushido（武士道）. Fukazawa was very impressed with both Nicholas’s teachings and his lifestyle and he became a Christian, was baptized（洗礼） in 1879. In 1881 there were 278 Russian orthodox christians in Maebashi. The first Russian Orthodox Church in Japan in Maebashi in 1875. This church now stands on land that was donated by Fukazawa after his silk union, Seishigen sha（精糸原社）, moved to another location. Rev Kuwabara（桑原司祭） told us that all the priestly robes used to be made of silk from Kiryu（桐生）, and the church has also sent Nishijin textiles（西陣織） to Russia.
正教会の司祭ニコライは函館の領事館付き司祭として働いていましたが、日本各地に布教にでます。ニコライと前橋藩士（元川越藩士）の深澤雄象との出会いはとても興味深いものです。江戸幕府が終わり、世の中の価値観が大きく変わる時、今までの武士道に代わる拠りどころをキリスト教に求める士族が多かったのでしょう。深澤は前橋藩の上級武士でかつてはキリスト教徒を取り締まる立場でした。そんな深澤が敬虔な正教会信徒となり、経営する製糸工場でも女工たちに聖書を教えます。深澤は日本で初めての器械製糸所の責任者でもありました。後に士族経営の製糸工場をグループ化した精糸原社を仲間と設立、その同じ敷地にこの教会はあります。前橋城に近い、かつての深澤屋敷の跡地です。桑原司祭によると、かつての司祭服は桐生で織られた絹織物、そして西陣の織物がロシアに献上されたこともあったそうです。
（左）前橋ハリストス正教会の桑原司祭とシーラさん。（中央）ニコライが深澤雄象に授与したイコン（右）ニコライから洗礼を受ける喜びを伝える深澤の手紙（製糸仲間の星野長太郎宛）
Within about a five-minute walk there are churches from five different denominations in Maebashi. Through the development of the silk industry, significant figures in Japan were coming into contact with new ways of thinking from outside Japan and Christianity was beginning to take root. Small churches were founded associated with many of the silk mills that were built in the Gunma area.
この教会から徒歩圏内に５つの宗派のキリスト教の教会が集まっているということは前橋の面白いところです。世界にも稀で「教会通り」とも称されています。製糸とキリスト教、どちらも横浜での外国人との貿易がはじまり日本のなかで広まっていきました。群馬県の製糸工場の特徴はキリスト教との関係が深いところが多いということです。同志社大学の創立者の新島譲は安中藩士として生まれ、函館に渡り、当時函館の領事館付き司祭だったニコライと出会います。前橋には新島襄ゆかりの日本基督教団前橋教会もあります。
通称「前橋教会通り」にある教会のひとつ。イギリス国教会の流れをくむ聖公会の前橋聖マッテア教会。昭和27年に再建された。
Maebashi Silk Mill 日本で初めての洋式器械製糸所・前橋藩営器械製糸所
（写真右）藩営前橋製糸所（日本で初めての洋式器械製糸所。この写真は勝山製糸に払い下げ後のもの。アーツ前橋パネル展より転載）
（写真左） 当時の場所に建てられた記念碑とシーラさん。製糸には水を使うので市内を流れる風呂川の脇にある。
Along with Fukazawa Yuzo, another Kawagoe man（川越藩士） who moved to Maebashi （前橋）and was working for the Matsudaira clan （前橋藩）was Hayami Kenso（速水堅曹）. He was ordered to start an export business in Yokohama（横浜） in 1869, for the clan, and he learned about silk mill technology from Casper Muller of Switzerland. Muller favoured the technology used in Italian mills. Hayami, influences by Muller started the very first mechanized silk mill in Japan in Maebashi in 1870, first with 3 wooden spinning machines, by a roadside and then with 12 wooden spinning machines at Iwakami（岩神）.
明治３年（1870）前橋藩は日本で初めての器械製糸所を前橋に開設します。責任者は深澤雄象、実務は速水堅曹が担い、速水はイタリア人技師ミュラーから製糸の技術を習います。
In 1879 Adams（英国公使館書記官アダムス）, a diplomat from the UK, and Brunat（ブリュナ）, a silk trader from France, and other officials visited Maebashi（前橋） and other silk production sites, and Adams wrote a report. The purpose was to stop the quality of the silk exported from falling. He wrote a second report the following year and in it recommended that Japan modernize their silk-mills using European technology. This report was read not only by Parks, the British ambassador（英国大使）, but by the Merchant Control Office in Yokohama and by Jardine Matheson, who went to Maebashi to suggest doing a joint venture with the Maebashi clan(前橋藩）, to improve the quality of silk. However, their plan was rejected, as they were demanding a great deal of capital, and the Maebashi silk producers did not want to hand control to a partner in a joint venture.
1879年、英国公使館書記官アダムスたちは深澤たちの製糸所を訪問し、上州の製糸事情についての報告書を英国大使、横浜商工会議所に送ります。前橋生糸の粗悪品が出回るようになったのでそれを阻止するためでした。前橋の生糸を国際商品として英国も重要視していたのです。報告書を読んだ英国商社のジャーデイン・マセソンは製糸工場の共同経営を前橋藩に持ちかけます。しかしこれは金額が折り合わず、また、前橋藩が外国企業との共同経営を望まなかったため実現しませんでした。
In 1872 the government backed and large-scale silk factory of Tomioka would open（富岡製糸場の開設）. This silk mill was built in brick and used French technology, had iron equipment, and was fired with coal imported from France. Tile makers from Fukaya had to learn to make bricks and establish a brick company, iron foundry technology was introduced and large scale heavy equipment was installed in the factory. The government insisted that the coal was the best quality so shipped it from France. This huge project was against the advice of Brunat who became the first manager, and who also believed that Japanese style mills could be adapted to improve silk reeling quality using Italian technology. It was probably inspired by the powerful Shibusawa Eiichi (渋沢栄一), who had been to Europe and was particularly impressed with the quality of French fabrics produced in Lyon（リヨン）. Hayami（速水堅曹） would go on to be the 3rd manager, (and later 5th manager) of Tomioka（富岡製糸場） in 1879. Tomioka was not so much successful from either technological nor financial points of view. The initial capital and the running costs of such a venture were immense. It was more successful in a symbolic role to demonstrate to the world that Japan was now a civilized and technically advanced nation.
レンガと鉄を多用した大規模な官営製糸工場の推進はフランスで先進事例を学んできた渋沢栄一が任されていました。前橋製糸所に関わった速水は富岡製糸場の３代と５代の場長として手腕をふるいました。
富岡製糸場は技術的にまた、経済的にも成功例とは言い難い点もありますが、開国間もない日本が、近代国家として西洋の技術を取り入れ、近代化をすすめていく力があるのだというアピールには成功しました。
Aimig for Direct Trade 絹の直輸出をめざして
In 1870 the clan system was abolished（廃藩置県）, and the samurai had to made money themselves, so Fukazawa（深沢） set up a silk factory for samurai and their families. Like Hayami, who was influenced by Muller, he believed that quality silk could be produced with wooden equipment, and adjustments to the Japanese technology already in use. Fukazawa（深沢）, Hayami（速水）, Hoshino Chotaro（星野長太郎）, and his brother Arai Ryoichiro （新井領一郎）who was sent to New York, continued to export silk directly to New York, without going through the British company （英国商社ジャーデインマセソン）Jardine Matheson. However, as an agent, Jardine Matheson paid for goods within a month, whereas exporting directly did not bring any return until the goods were sold at their destination, which could take up to six months.
1870年に廃藩置県となり、武士は藩という後ろ盾を失いました。深澤と速水は失業した武士とその家族たちが働く製糸工場を速水の兄の桑嶋と始めます。また、出来た生糸をジャーデイン・マセソンなど商社を通さずにニューヨークに直輸出するために星野長太郎、新井領一郎、埼玉県狭山の清水宗徳とともに生糸直輸出会社「同伸社」を立ち上げました。資金力のある外国商社は、生糸の代金を1ヶ月以内に支払いましたが、速水たちの直輸出の場合は実際に現地で売れて現金が入金されるまで6ヶ月もかかりました。
The silk traders had a hard times, but in spite of that Maebshi silk became so famous around the world that the product was just called
Maebashi and not silk.
先駆的に立ち上げた速水たちの直輸出の会社は苦難が続きましたが、前橋の生糸は世界で取引をされ、海外の市場では生糸のことを「シルク」ではなく「マエバシ」と呼んでいた時期があったほど、前橋の生糸はさかんに輸出されました。
We were able to speak with Fukazawa’s grandson（深澤雄象の子孫）. He showed us the park in front of his house which is where the Fukazawa silk mill stood. Eventually it was destroyed in a fire. He only ever remembers the space as a park.
深澤たちが設立した蚕糸関連施設「研業社・関根製糸場」の跡地を訪問しました。今は前橋市関根町片原公園になっていますが、その向かいに深澤の子孫の方が今もお住まいでした。製糸工場は前橋城の部材を移築した立派な建物でしたが、明治時代に火事で焼失しています。今は記念碑とケヤキの木が時代の移り変わりを伝えてくれています。
士族の深澤たちが建てた研業社・関根製糸場。前橋城の建物が使われ、桑園から製糸まで手掛ける大規模なものだった。アーツ前橋のパネルより転載（右）今は跡地が片原公園となり記念碑が建つ（中央）その敷地の向かいに今も深澤雄象のご子孫が住む。シーラさんとご子孫の方（左）
Shiobara Family and Egg Production (sanshu) 蚕種業・塩原家
In order to make fine quality silk, it is important to use the best quality of eggs（蚕種） possible. A great deal of research went into the development of good quality eggs and also into egg storage. This business was called sanshu（蚕種）, and it was a competitive business. Each year farmers would buy the eggs to raise silk worms, so the sanshu wanted to make sure that their farmer customers were repeaters.
The Shiobara family（塩原家） were shanshu （蚕種屋）from 1881. Their house is now an important cultural property. It is a huge wooden building whose majesty is not expressed through photographs. The first floor comprised the office, living quarters and guest rooms. The second and third floors were entirely devoted to the silk worms（蚕室）. The windows on both sides ensured excellent ventilation（換気）. Other buildings on the site are for storage and cold storage （蚕種貯蔵蔵）of the eggs. The building is almost 30 metres in length and 13 metres wide. It was used for raising eggs until 1979, and many important documents about the techniques of farming eggs, and the union of the sanshu are on the premises. The building is an important landmark of Maebashi’s silk producing history.
「良い生糸は良い蚕」から言われます。生糸のまち前橋の郊外で蚕種業も発達しました。蚕種業は各産地から毎年養蚕農家への売り込みがある競争の激しい分野です。結果は養蚕の出来不出来ではっきりとでます。塩原家は明治14年から蚕種を始め、その母屋は国の重要文化財に指定されています。1階部分は事務室や家族の生活の場として使われました。2～3階は蚕室で、屋根の上のヤグラは換気のためのものです。間口30m,奥行きも13mの大きな建物は前橋の蚕種業の隆盛を今に伝えます。
Shimomura Zentaro 生糸商人・前橋初代市長 下村善太郎
One of the biggest movers and shakers in the
silk industry business in Maebashi was Shimomura Zentaro （生糸商人下村善太郎）born 1829. He had an inauspicious start, going into business, but spending all his money on gambling, he and his wife ran away to Hachioji . Here they learnt to spin thread, and he became successful as a silk trader after
returning to Maebashi. He realized early on the importance of communication with Yokohama, and was getting information fast using riders on horseback. He traded silk directly overseas, and later
he also started to trade eggs too. He was one of the people who ensured the quality of the silk worm eggs（蚕卵紙） that Japan exported overseas. These were in great demand because pebrine disease(微粒子病) infected many silk worms around the world. Shimomura became incredibly wealthy from
trading in silk. In 1866, he helped in rebuilding Maebashi Castle（前橋城の復興） when the Matsudaira clan （前橋藩）came back to
Maebashi after living in Kawagoe（川越） for about a hundred years,
abandoning the castle. Unfortunately, the castle didn’t last long, as the government most castles torn down a few years later after the reformation. Shimomura was also known for
philanthropy（慈善家）, helping to build hospitals and give to poor
people who lost their homes in the frequent fires, floods and cholera epidemics that plagued Maebashi. He built warehouses with earthen walls, which saved many people in a ferocious fire. Shimomura was instrumental in helping set up the first
bank （銀行）in Maebashi, and also in building a
railway（鉄道）, the original purpose of which was to transport silk
to Yokohama. When the clans were abolished he became the first mayor（前橋初代市長）, and the city of Maebashi became the prefectural center（県都）, rather than the neighboring Takasaki. He was also involved in the building of Rinkokaku（臨江閣）, now an important cultural property（国の重要文化財）, a beautiful building in the modern Japanese style built in 1884 as a guesthouse （前橋の迎賓館）for official guests to Maebashi. The annex, which contains a huge room of 100 mats in
size, was added in 1910 as a reception area for the National Industrial Expo which was held there in that year. In the Japanese garden there is also a small tea house, which was built when the
main building was constructed. The venue is now available to view and is used by Maebashi citizens for all kinds of events. A bronze statue of Shimomura (初代市長下村善太郎の銅像)near the city office commemorates his contribution to the history of Maebashi. His
grandson lives quietly in Maebashi, in a simple Japanese house that his grandfather would certainly have approved of.
前橋の初代市長の下村善太郎は幕末から明治にかけ、生糸で財を成した人物です。
川越から松平大和守が前橋に戻ったのも前橋商人たちが、利根川の洪水で崩れてしまった前橋城の再建に大きく寄与したからです。前橋城は「お蚕城」とも呼ばれました。下村は火災で家を無くした人たちのための建物を作るなど社会慈善事業家でもありました。前橋の迎賓館と言われる「臨江閣」の建設や銀行、鉄道、県庁誘致など前橋のために尽くした人物でした。前橋市役所には彼の銅像があります。そして、とても幸運なことに、この下村善太郎の子孫の方に会うことができました。
前橋初代市長・生糸で財を成した下村善太郎の子孫を訪ねて
（上左）前橋初代市長・下村善太郎（1827－1893）私財を投じて前橋の発展に尽力した。臨江閣のパネルより転載（上右）子孫の下村洋之助さんに取材するシーラさん。善太郎の息子は東京に出て福沢諭吉とも親しく交流した
前橋市役所には彼の銅像があります。そして、とても幸運なことに、この下村善太郎の子孫の方に会うことができました。
下村洋之助さんは善太郎の曾孫にあたります。医学部大学教授として長年群馬県の医療に貢献されてきました。現在は下村家に遺された
膨大な資料の整理を行われています。
My trip to Maebashi opened my eyes to realize that the silk road did not just arrive at Japan and stop at the port of Yokohama. The importance of exporting silk for Japan was so great that it initiated building the infrastructure for brick building, iron foundries and railways, and the import and export business necessitated the move towards a cash economy and the use of banks. The silk thread is stronger than I ever imagined.
日本は古くからのシルクロードの終着点でもありましたが、横浜開港後にはシルクを輸出することで鉄道、金融、銀行などの社会基盤を整えていくことができたのです。日本の生糸は私が思っていた以上に日本の近代化に寄与したことを前橋で改めて感じました。前橋には「絹のものがたり」がまだまだ埋まっているようです。 ぜひみなさんも前橋の町を訪れてみてください。
* reference 参考資料
_pdf (jst.go.jp)THE IMPACT OF THE OPENING OF THE PORTS ON DOMESTIC JAPANESE INDUSTRY: THE CASE OF SILK AND COTTON* By SHINYA SUGIYAMA
in the references of Sugiyama's paper. British Parliamentary Papers (BPP) (1867) "Correspondence respecting the Revision of the Japanese Commercial Tariff," LXXIV [3758]. (1870a) "Further Report from Mr. Adams on Silk Culture in Japan," LXV [C.72]. (1870b) "Further Paper respecting Silk Culture in Japan," LXV [C.194]. (1871) "Report by Mr. Adams on Deterioration of Japanese Silk," LXVII [C.388]. (1880) "Foreign Trade in Japan for 1878," LXXV [C.2551]. (1887a) F. O.Miscellaneous Series, No. 7, "Report on the Import Trade of Great Britain with Japan,"
前橋商工会議所編「製糸の都市前橋を築いた人々」「絹先人考」シルクカントリー双書
＊和文については一部説明を追記しています。