Munemitsu Mutsu · Kishu
Original
獄中讀史
Munemitsu Mutsu's Chinese-style poem, "獄中讀史夜深偶對歐州史興廢輸贏似奕棋". Read the original Japanese, translation, meaning, and historical background. Mutsu in prison reads the rise and fall of nations through European history.
Person
A Kishu-born figure connected with Sakamoto Ryoma in the Bakumatsu, later a major diplomat of the Meiji era. His poems carry the restlessness of a young activist and the later gaze of a man who would read Japan through the world.
Know This Person
Translation
Late at night in prison I read European history; nations rise and fall like a game of go, and as rain strikes the window and the lamp darkens, I reach Rome’s fall.
Poetic Shape Kanshi draws on a classical Chinese poetic tradition, where restraint, allusion, and moral tension carry much of the weight. The poem sounds formal, but the pressure beneath it is personal.
Reading
Mutsu in prison reads the rise and fall of nations through European history. It crosses distance easily and foreshadows his later diplomatic gaze.
Background
A Chinese poem written by Mutsu in prison after the Risshisha Incident. The experience of a Bakumatsu activist turns into a perspective for reading the modern state. A Kishu-born figure connected with Sakamoto Ryoma in the Bakumatsu, later a major diplomat of the Meiji era.
Source / Transmission Wording and readings may differ by transmission; this page treats the text as one circulated form.
Further Reading
Find related books and places to stay For readers who want more historical context, these links search for related books on external stores.
Affiliate link
