[Jo Neesima and Doshisha University]

The other day I visited the graves of Jo Neesima (Joseph Hardy Neesima) , founder of Doshisha University, and his wife Yae. At the southern end of the Philosophical Path, a steep path up the mountain from the road next to the Wakaoji Shrine leads to the Doshisha Cemetery, where Doshisha-related people are laid to rest. 1890, when the devout Christian Jo Neesima ended his life, it is said that a procession of 3000 people carrying the coffin followed the path from the chapel of Doshisha University to the top of the mountain. He was 46 years old. His life was so short compared to the magnitude of the work he left behind that it is astonishing how densely he lived his life.

Jo Neesima (real name: Shimeta) was born in 1843 as the son of a samurai of the Annaka clan in Jyoshu (now Gunma Prefecture). He was an active child, but after a serious head injury at the age of 8 while playing, his attention turned to his studies. At a young age, the lord of the domain took note of his talent and took him under his wing, but in order to attend the Dutch school, he frequently neglected his duties and skipped out of the domain's residence. When he was 17, he joined the naval academy and met Manjiro Nakahama, a.k.a. John Manjiro, who was teaching there. At the same time, he was also a teacher at the Dutch Academy. At the same time, he borrowed a book about the United States from a teacher at the Dutch school, and was shocked by its democratic government, education, and welfare policies. Furthermore, reading a Chinese translation of the Christian Bible strengthened his conviction that he should work for the freedom of the people by obeying God rather than following his parents or clan. At the time, the shogunate was on the verge of collapse, and the contradictions of society were being placed on those living in the lower classes. Christianity was forbidden, and it was a time when even desertion from a clan, let alone going abroad, was a crime. In 1864, at the age of 21, Neesima finally broke the national ban and boarded an American ship from Hakodate harbor. At the time, escape from the country was punishable by death if discovered. It was a life-threatening decision.

With the help of many people and working as a boy on the ship, Neesima arrived in Boston the following year in 1865. Taylor, the captain of the Wild Rover that brought him to Boston, affectionately called him "Joe," which later became "Jo Neesima. When he arrived in the area, he had no contacts there and did not speak the local language. Mr. and Mrs. Hardy, the owners of the Wild Rover, helped him out. The Hardy's, who were introduced to Neesima by the captain of the ship, were so impressed by the "Statement of Reasons for Leaving the Country" that Neesima, who could not speak English well, wrote all night for two days, that they accepted him like family and took care of all his expenses in the United States. With Hardy's help, Neesima studied English in high school, enrolled at Amherst College, and received his degree in 1870, becoming the first Japanese to graduate from an American university.

Meanwhile, Japan was undergoing major changes: the 265-year Tokugawa Shogunate had fallen, and the Meiji government was established in 1868. 1871, while studying theology at Andover Theological Seminary in Massachusetts, Neesima was visited by Yurei Mori, the Japanese Minister to the United States. He hoped that Neesima, with his knowledge of languages and American education, would serve as a guide for the Iwakura mission. Neesima, who had been a stowaway who was prepared to die, was finally given official status as a "foreign student." Later, he assisted the Iwakura Mission and accompanied them on a tour of Europe. Although he was asked by government officials to return to Japan to cooperate in the establishment of the Japanese educational system, Neesima declined the request because he did not want to be constrained by the authorities. In 1874, just before returning to Japan, Neesima shared his dream of establishing a Christian university in Japan to an audience of about 1,000 people at the American Board's annual conference held at Grace Church, and appealed for donations. Doctors, former governors, and others were moved by Neesima's passionate desire to establish a Christian university in Japan, and one after another, donations of as much as 5,000 dollars were collected. At that moment, the elderly farmer quietly offered the two dollars he had—his entire money for the return train fare. This story is still cherished and passed down today.

Thus, Neesima returned home. Ten years had passed since his departure from Japan. Neesima went to Osaka, where missionaries had already been sent from the U.S., and wanted to open a school there. However, he gave up the idea because the governor of Osaka at the time did not allow the establishment of a Christian school. The next time they approached the governor of Kyoto Prefecture, they received a positive response. Despite various obstacles due to religious reasons, Doshisha Ei Gakko was able to open Doshisha English School in 1875 after receiving the land of the former residence of the Satsuma clan from his brother-in-law, Kakuma Yamamoto, who was a collaborator and benefactor of the school. The present Imadegawa campus is sandwiched between Shokokuji Temple to the north and the Imperial Palace to the south. It was a small start with eight students and two teachers, including Neesima. Neesima continued to work hard to establish women's schools, hospitals, and educational institutions in rural areas, but he died before seeing Doshisha Ei Gakko become a "university," but he never lost sight of his ambition, and the school has grown into a university of over 30,000 students today. However, before his death, Neesima said, "It takes 200 years to complete a university," and according to his words, the university is not yet complete. Doshisha will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2025. What kind of future did Neesima see in his vision?

In closing, I would like to note the words of Neesima's tearful appeal to his students, "Gentlemen, each of you is important." In retracing the footsteps of Neesima, it is clear that rather than being a person who accomplished great deeds through some special ability, Neesima Jo was a person who, through his sincere attitude toward each person in front of him, realized equal dialogue that transcended nationality, status, gender, and religion, and paved the way through all kinds of difficult situations. I feel that he is a person who has opened up all kinds of difficult situations. There are still many more fascinating words and episodes to be found in the life of Jo Neesima. If you are interested, please check them out. Also, the Imadegawa Campus, located a 15-minute walk from our Imadegawa Showroom, is a beautiful campus with many cultural asset buildings, so we hope you will visit there.

Doshisha University lmadegawa Campus
https://maps.app.goo.gl/j4hmbYF3nzWy2XTL7
Imadegawa Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/imadegawa.html

References
https://www.doshisha-ikkan.info/digitalbook/Joe_Neesima_jp/html5m.html#page=1
http://www.doshisha.ed.jp/history/Neesima.html
https://ja.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/新島襄