Friendship of Motohiko Nadori” – Letters written by Motohiko Nadori to Tadayuki Otsu, the second son of Seifu Murata, are exhibited.

Last updated:

Feb 26, 2016
About the writer:

Nagato Tourism Convention Association

The exhibition features a letter from Motohiko Hashidori to Seifu Murata's second son and close friend, Tadayuki Otsu. The Murata Seifu Memorial Museum continues to display the panels used in the exhibition "Motohiko Nudori and His Wife Kotobuki," which was held until January 11, 2016, and newly exhibits a letter from Motohiko Nudori to Kiyofu Murata's second son, Yusetsu Otsu, under the title "The Friendship of Motohiko Nudori". Otsu Yusetsu was a close friend of Motohiko, and they were imprisoned together when the Shogunate's reverence for the Shogunate took control of the Choshu domain after the Revolution of 1867, and they shared the same difficult time. We hope you will take this opportunity to view these valuable documents that reveal the deep friendship and interaction between the two men.

Exhibited Materials

(i) Letter of 1903

The episodes are full of humanity, such as Aritomo Yamagata laughing at the fact that he would be disappointed by the retirement of his favorite geiko, Sayo (Issei Maehara?) being accused of male sexuality, and sending rubberized clothing to Yui Yuki.

(ii) Letter of 1877

When Motohiko was imprisoned after the Forbidden Change, his wife, Kotobuki, offered him a teacup. Tadasetsu, who was imprisoned with Motohiko, named the teacup "Zukuniu (Mimizuku Monk)". This letter was written when he made a porcelain cup similar to Zukuniu himself and presented it to Yui Xue. It is clear that the hardships they went through together were deeply engraved memories.

(iii) Letter of 1877

After the death of his wife, Kotobuki, a proposal to marry Bun was made, but the heart of the matter is that Bun is not happy about it. Apparently, he is following the teaching of his teacher of Chinese studies in the Matsumoto school (Shoin or Tamaki Fuminoshin?) that "a lady should not have a husband again," so he asks her to persuade him. It is clear that the people of the Sugi family also trusted Yusetsu.

(iv) Letter of 1882

A letter reporting his remarriage to Fumi (Miwa), dated 1882 (the official marriage took place in May 1881). He also sends words of encouragement in response to the fact that sericulture in Yamaguchi was not going well. The encouragement of sericulture was a consideration for the economic hardship of the samurai class, and his political stance can be said to be an expression of the sincerity he had inherited from Shoin.

(5) Letter, ca. 1878

Motohiko has stayed in Hagi for the first time in a long time, but he no longer has any drinking companions and is fed up with attending to the complaints of his relatives, who have been deprived of their vested interests. This letter is a clear indication of their friendship over the years, and shows Motohiko's desire to meet and share a drink with them.