The
eagle in the West,
the tiger in the East
the tiger in the East
Harukichi
Shimoi, Comrade Samurai
Harukichi Shimoi (下位春吉, 1883-1954) is
nowadays an almost little known name only. However one hundred years ago his
cultural action gave a big stimulus in studying Japanese art and above all
literature in Italy and Europe.
He was born in Fukuoka Prefecture in an ancient samurai family and after studying English literature at Tokyo, charmed by Dante and his Divine Comedy he decided to move to Italy and he reached Naples in 1915. Since 1916 begins to cooperate with Royal Asian College in Naples (Reale Istituto Orientale now known as Naples Eastern University, the oldest school of Sinology and Oriental Studies of Europe) where he taught Japanese language and literature until 1926. Harukichi founded in Naples Sakura (1920-21), the first European review which let not only the great Japanese writers and artists of the past be know in West but also some contemporary like Yosano Akiko (与謝野 晶子, 1878 – 1942). In his book Versificazioni giapponesi published in 1920 Harukichi Shimoi translated into refined Italian words the famous haiku by Matsuo Bashō 古池や蛙飛びこむ水の音, “O, laghetto antico!... / Ecco! / Un tonfo di rana...”('An old pond - a splashing sound of a frog jumping in').
He was born in Fukuoka Prefecture in an ancient samurai family and after studying English literature at Tokyo, charmed by Dante and his Divine Comedy he decided to move to Italy and he reached Naples in 1915. Since 1916 begins to cooperate with Royal Asian College in Naples (Reale Istituto Orientale now known as Naples Eastern University, the oldest school of Sinology and Oriental Studies of Europe) where he taught Japanese language and literature until 1926. Harukichi founded in Naples Sakura (1920-21), the first European review which let not only the great Japanese writers and artists of the past be know in West but also some contemporary like Yosano Akiko (与謝野 晶子, 1878 – 1942). In his book Versificazioni giapponesi published in 1920 Harukichi Shimoi translated into refined Italian words the famous haiku by Matsuo Bashō 古池や蛙飛びこむ水の音, “O, laghetto antico!... / Ecco! / Un tonfo di rana...”('An old pond - a splashing sound of a frog jumping in').
Anyway Harukichi was
not only important for Japanese literature: he took part in First World War as
a military volunteer soldier in the Italian Royal Army and he taught karate
lessons the soldiers at frontline. In this occasion he met the well-known
Italian poet and writer Gabriele D’Annunzio (1863-1938) and their friendship will
last till death. D’Annunzio, connoisseur of Japanese art and culture, names Harukichi
“Camerata Samurai” (Comrade Samurai) and praises his literary inspiration and
likewise his valor in battle. In 1919 Harukichi Shimoi followed the Italian
poet during the Impresa di Fiume
("Fiume Exploit") and became one of the most trusted collaborators of
D’Annunzio as his personal messenger. In fact between
1919 and 1920 Harukichi had the task of diplomat between the Italian Regency of
Carnaro and Italy.
At this time probably it happened the encounter between Harukichi and Mussolini director of newspaper called Il Popolo d’Italia. Mussolini learnt from Harukichi about Byakkotai (白虎隊, "White Tiger Force") and he was deeply affected by it. During the Boshin War (戊辰戦争, 1868-69), fought between samurai clans faithful to Shogun and supporters of Tennō Meiji, the warriors of Byakkotai from Aizu region at Fukushima killed themselves by seppuku since they thought their lord died. Mussolini was deeply moved by this story of honour and loyalty and in 1928 he offered a column from Pompeii with the epigraph: “S.P.Q.R. / Nel segno del littorio / Roma / madre di civiltà / con la millenaria colonna / testimone d’eterna grandezza / tributa onore imperituro / alla memoria degli eroi di Biaccotai / Anno MCMXXVIII VI Era Fascista” (“S.P.Q.R. / In the sign of the fasces / Rome / mother of civilization / with millenary column / witness of eternal greatness / pays tribute imperishable / to the memory of the heroes of Byakkotai”). Even nowadays the column is still on Iimori hill (飯盛山) at Aizu-Wakamatsu where the White Tigrs killed themsleves.
At this time probably it happened the encounter between Harukichi and Mussolini director of newspaper called Il Popolo d’Italia. Mussolini learnt from Harukichi about Byakkotai (白虎隊, "White Tiger Force") and he was deeply affected by it. During the Boshin War (戊辰戦争, 1868-69), fought between samurai clans faithful to Shogun and supporters of Tennō Meiji, the warriors of Byakkotai from Aizu region at Fukushima killed themselves by seppuku since they thought their lord died. Mussolini was deeply moved by this story of honour and loyalty and in 1928 he offered a column from Pompeii with the epigraph: “S.P.Q.R. / Nel segno del littorio / Roma / madre di civiltà / con la millenaria colonna / testimone d’eterna grandezza / tributa onore imperituro / alla memoria degli eroi di Biaccotai / Anno MCMXXVIII VI Era Fascista” (“S.P.Q.R. / In the sign of the fasces / Rome / mother of civilization / with millenary column / witness of eternal greatness / pays tribute imperishable / to the memory of the heroes of Byakkotai”). Even nowadays the column is still on Iimori hill (飯盛山) at Aizu-Wakamatsu where the White Tigrs killed themsleves.
In the second half of
the twenties Shimoi Harukichi came back to Japan and translated the books of D’Annunzio,
famous in Japan in the early Twentieth century. Shimoi’s daughter Momoyo lived
in Italy as well. In fact she married Ono Hichiro, correspondent of Mainichi Shinbun in Italy. Ono Hichiro maintains a good relationship with Mussolini
insomuch as during the Italian Social Republic in 1944 Mussolini’s mistress Claretta Petacci was hosted by Ono family in their
mansion near the Lake Garda for a while. Kimiko, the daughter of Ono Hichiro,
has been interviewed by journalist Yoshikawa Kazunori in Tokyo and she revealed
an anecdote of which she was eye witness: when il Duce phoned up Claretta
during her stay in Kimiko’s family mansion, he said “moshi, moshi”. When Claretta spoke on the phone she replied to him jokingly
“moshi moshi, watashi yo”.
After the
fall of Mussolini affairs between Japan and Italy suddenly broke-up. With a
grotesque epilogue: the Parri Cabinet, in office for a short time, on July 15,
1945 declared war against Japan destroyed yet by American bombings. A
declaration of war against a defeated country which was never ended by a peace
treaty ... then at present Italy would be only on paper ... still at war with
Japan!
The figure of Shimoi lights up the early
cultural relationships between Italy and Japan, two distant and different countries
which at that time rested upon the basis of shared values. Moreover the
figure of Shimoi lights up an historical period considered by many only as a dark
one, but instead it was made of light and shade, just as the concept of Yin (阴) and Yang (阳),
philosophical cornerstone of the Far East.
Floriano Terrano
西洋のワシと、東洋のトラ
カメラータ侍・下位春吉
下位春吉(しもい はるきち。1883〜1954)という名は現在、ほぼ無名に近いであろう。しかし100年前、彼の文化活動がイタリアとヨーロッパにおいて、日本芸術と、とりわけ日本文学の研究のためのたいへん大きな推進力となったのである。

さて、春吉の業績は文学活動においてだけではなかった。彼は第一次世界大戦においてイタリア軍に志願入隊し、前線の兵士たちに空手を教えた。そしてその時期に彼は、詩人であり作家であるガブリエーレ・ダンヌンツィオ(1863〜1938)と知り合い、生涯を通しての友人となったのである。ダンヌンツィオは、日本の芸術と文化に精通しており、春吉のことを“Camerata Samurai”(侍の同胞。カメラータとは、ファシスト党員同士の呼び方であった)と呼び、春吉の文学的霊感や戦争における活躍ぶりを賞賛した。


1920年代の後半に日本に戻った下位春吉は、ダンヌンツィオの作品の翻訳に取り組み、そして自身の文学的責務を続行する。イタリアでの彼の影響力は間接的にではあるが存続していた。というのも、春吉の娘である桃代は、毎日新聞社のローマ支局に赴任した小野七郎と結婚するのであるが、小野七郎はムッソリーニと良好な関係を結んでおり、イタリア社会主義共和国時代の1944年、ムッソリーニのパートナー、クラレッタ・ペタッチが小野一家のガルダ湖畔の別荘にしばらくのあいだ客として滞在しているのだ。小野七郎の娘である紀美子は、東京において取材を受けた際、ある秘話について証言している。ガルダ湖の小野家の別荘にペタッチが滞在していた時、ドゥーチェ(ムッソリーニ統帥)は「もしもし」と言って電話をかけてきていた。そしてクラレッタも電話に出ると、彼女もふざけて「もしもし、私よ」と応えていたということである。
ムッソリーニは、在イタリア日本大使、日高信六郎とも非常に親しくしていた。おそらくムッソリーニは日高に、英国首相ウィンストン・チャーチルと交わしたあの有名な失われた往復書簡の写しの保管を託したのではないかと、思われる。しかし歴史はその埃まみれの幕の後ろに全てを包み隠してしまい、戦後、日高は一貫してその写しの所持を否定している。

遠くて異質の二つの国イタリアと日本が、根底で価値観を共有していた時代に、下井という人物が両国の最初の文化的交流に光をあてた。そして、多くの人々にただ暗黒と見なされている歴史的時代にも、少しの光を投じた。闇しか無いように思える時代であっても、まさに極東の哲学の基盤である陰陽論の通り、実際は光と陰によって成り立っているのである。
(Giornale Luce A0570 dated May
1930: Mussolini at the Exposition of
Japanese Painting
(Giornale Luce B1255 dated 02.16.1938: The opening ceremony of the “Società Amici del Giappone” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imM0rclq720)
(Giornale Luce C0240 dated 04.18.1942: Mussolini
visits at location of
the “Società Amici del Giappone” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um5yLRkqSiE)
http://www.perseonews.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3743
http://www.perseonews.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3743
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