Ryoma: Life of a Renaissance Samurai [Hardcover]

Romulus Hillsborough (Author, Preface)

Editorial Reviews

Review

A magnificent book and painstaking achievement. -- Former Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi

Hillsborough has painted a clear and thorough picture of the times and overlaid it with a compelling story of ingenuity and bravery, supported by 16 years of historical research in Japan. This is definitely one not to be missed by anyone interested in Japanese history, the Meiji restoration or the spirit and determination of the warrior classes of feudal Japan. -- Peter West, British Kendo Association Newsletter, Summer 1999

Many historical biographies written in a literary format are entertaining. Very few are such that you are a different person after you have read them. I cannot recommend Ryoma more highly. -- Adrian Ko, Sword Forum Magazine Online

Ryoma is the first literary biography in English of Sakamoto Ryoma, one of the people principally responsible for the downfall of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Ryoma was the founder of Japan's first modern corporation; a swaggering swordsman who packed a Smith & Wesson revolver; and one of the most colorful figures in 19th century Japanese history. Ryoma is a cultural icon in contemporary Japanese culture and a figure in numerous novels and popular movies. Now biographer Romulus Hillsborough brings to the English speaking audience the definitive and personal history of an amazing and memorable man. Ryoma will be of immense interest to those with an interest in Japanese history, culture, and anyone who enjoys an exceptionally well written biography that adheres to the highest standards of scholarship and literature. -- The Bookwatch, April 1999

With his easily readable and entertaining style, Hillsborough does a great job of elucidating the complex customs that ruled Edo Period life and politics. Since this is more a historical novel than a faithful biography, the author is free to put together lively dialogue and portray the characters from the point of view of an omniscient narrator. This goes a long way toward alleviating the typical dryness of a scholarly work of history. -- John Moore, Japan Times, June 8, 1999

From the Publisher

Ridgeback Press is pleased to announce the publication of Ryoma-Life of a Renaissance Samurai, by Romulus Hillsborough. It is the first literary biography in English of Sakamoto Ryoma, one of the main people responsible for overthrowing the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Ryoma was the founder of Japan's first modern corporation. He was a swaggering swordsman who packed a Smith and Wesson, and one of the most colorful figures in Japanese history. Although basically unknown in the West, this samurai of the mid-19th-century has been idolized, if not deified, among Japan's young and old since the end of WWII.

Asahi Shimbun, one of Japan's leading daily newspapers, recently conducted a survey among executives at 200 Japanese corporations. In answer to the question of who from world history over the past millennium would be most useful in overcoming the economic crisis of today's Japan, Sakamoto Ryoma received the most votes, far ahead of such giants as Thomas Edison, Leonardo da Vinci and the founders of NEC and Honda.

Most major Japanese cities have "Ryoma Societies." Ryoma is depicted in numerous best-selling novels and popular movies. His image appears regularly in media throughout Japan. "Ryoma fans" flock to his grave site in Kyoto, leaving flowers and purchasing Ryoma posters. And all this for a man who has been dead for nearly a century and a half.

Romulus Hillsborough is a native Californian who lived in Japan for over sixteen years, eight of which he spent writing this extensively researched book. It has been his objective to strictly adhere to historical and cultural fact, while maintaining high literary standards. He has felt that in this way he would be able to both edify and delight the minds of his readers. "To edify while delighting the mind is no easy task," the author contends. "It is one which requires significant motivation. My personal motivation came with the realization of the cultural loss on a grand scale that an historical figure of Ryoma's stature has failed to gain the full attention of the Western world for nearly a century and a half." FIRST LITERARY BIOGRAPHY OF JAPAN'S MOST REMARKABLE SAMURAI

The founder of Japan's first modern corporation was a swaggering swordsman who packed a Smith and Wesson, an outlaw who led a band of stalwart samurai to overthrow the shogun, and one of the most colorful figures in Japanese history. His name was Ryoma, which is the title of his first biography in story form to appear in the English language.

The historical importance of Ryoma upon modern Japan, and indeed the rest of Asia, cannot be overlooked. "Without this genius Japan would have lost its independence over a century ago, and been colonized by a European nation," says Tsutomu Ohshima, Chief Instructor of Shotokan Karate of America, the oldest karate organization in the U.S.

"It is a cultural loss that an historical figure of such magnificent stature could have failed to gain the full attention of the Western world for nearly a century and a half," says Romulus Hillsborough, author of Ryoma-Life of a Renaissance Samurai. "It is a tragedy that the general public's sources of information about the era of the samurai have, for the most part, been travesties of Japanese history and culture in the forms of popular fiction and movies." Through his new book, Hillsborough has rectified the situation.

"Of the many heroes who lived and died during the turbulent years leading up to and following the Meiji Restoration, Ryoma was the most deserving of the appellation 'a man for all nations,'" says Saichiro Miyaji, Japan's most distinguished biographer of Sakamoto Ryoma. "I am very pleased to see the ideas and magnificent human stature of Ryoma presented in English to the entire world on the eve of the 21st century."

Hillsborough spent 16 years in Japan, studying the language, history and culture. His extensive research includes forty books about his subject's life, historical period and prominent contemporaries, all of Ryoma's extant letters, of which there are over 120 in publication, numerous other letters written to him by his peers, and articles and other pieces from Japanese history journals. The author traveled to those areas in Japan where Ryoma was most active, including the historical cities of Kyoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Hagi, Ryoma's native Kochi, and the picturesque fishing village of Tomo-no-Ura on the Inland Sea.

"In the present age of economical, political and social turmoil, Japan desperately needs a farsighted leader of Ryoma's caliber," says Tae Moriyama, principal of the prestigious Modern Japanese Language School in Tokyo, and author of several books on Japanese language, and local Japanese history and culture. "Hillsborough has woven the elaborate story of Ryoma with pinpoint accuracy and a profound insight into the most exciting period in Japanese history. The author's infatuation with the life of this leader of men is alive on each page of this truly captivating book."

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 614 pages
• Publisher: Ridgeback Press (December 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966740173
• ISBN-13: 978-0966740172
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,804,271 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A vivid and engaging portrait of an exceptional personality, June 21, 1999

By 

Pierre Weydert (Zurich, Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ryoma: Life of a Renaissance Samurai (Hardcover)

The story of Sakamoto Ryoma is a breathtaking one in almost every respect. That as a lower-rank samurai from Tosa he succeeded in forging a military alliance between Satsuma and Choshu as a means to overthrow the shogun is an achievement that makes the reader raise both eyebrows. And that he goes on to devise a plan which in the end allows the shogun to peacefully relinquish power to the emperor, thus avoiding a possible civil war that might have invited foreign attack, is a feat so fantastic that it makes us bow our heads to this far-sighted man. But above all it is doubtlessly Ryoma's hunger for freedom that is bound to capture our hearts, a hunger that drives him to flee his native han, to envisage the abolition of Japan's feudal clan system, to establish his own trading company and ultimately to conceive a blueprint for a centralized government modelled on American democracy. Sakamoto Ryoma is a giant of Japanese history, and he deserves the Western reader's attention, too.

While there is an abundance of Japanese books on Sakamoto Ryoma, the same cannot be said as for books in the English language, which is why Romulus Hillsborough has to be thanked especially for the pains he took over researching and writing this fascinating portrait of the petty samurai from Tosa. On the whole I consider it a both informative and highly entertaining book, and although one might argue that characters such as Saigo Kichinosuke or Tokugawa Yoshinobu - both of them blessed with a far-sightedness equal to Ryoma's - come off badly, this book is first and above all dedicated to Sakamoto Ryoma, a fact one cannot but acknowledge. I do not regret one single minute I spent on reading this book, and I will readily recommend it to anyone wishing to get to know Sakamoto Ryoma. Indeed, can there be a nicer way to compliment the author on his achievement?

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you are interested in Japanese history, you'll like Ryoma, November 25, 2000

By 

Kenneth C Hoinsky (Derby, CT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ryoma: Life of a Renaissance Samurai (Hardcover)

Ambition and passion are at the heart of Romulus Hillsborough's hefty biography of Sakamoto Ryoma, founder of Japan's first modern corporation and leader of a band of rugged samurai attempting to overthrow the shogun in mid-19th century Japan. Like its central character, this work is exhaustive and compelling, and Hillsborough has done a remarkable job of supplementing the facts with scenes of drama and intrigue. Ryoma reads like a novel. The reader is drawn in by the action, violence, and political battles. Then Hillsborough seamlessly integrates the vast amount of historical information into the plot. Thereby educating as he entertains. Ryoma, so far, is the most detailed analysis of the events in the chaotic period leading up to the Meiji Restoration, in the English language so far. This time period, has been said to be so complicated, that many of the key people involved in restoring Japanese rule to the Emperor did not understand what was going on around them. Ryoma takes the necessary steps, drawn out in every detail, to explain everyone's motives. This is helped by Hillsborough's way of explaining the bizarre customs of the traditional Japanese to an English speaking audience. The fact that the book is 614 large hardcover pages long is not because it is filled with "fluff." Any lesser amount would not have been able to unravel this historical tale. All of these factors thrown together, help to put together the puzzle that is the Meiji Restoration. The book itself is divided into three sections. The first, also the shortest by far, tells the story of Ryoma's birth followed by his training at a fencing dojo in the Tosa Province. The beginning explains Ryoma's lineage and history. It also begins to point out the horrible corruption in Japanese society that make Ryoma want to flee his native domain, and fight to reestablish a healthy Japanese government. Ryoma, upset by the radical xenophobic philosophies of Tosa, decides to leave home. This may not seem like a big deal to western audiences, but in feudal Japan, a samurai fleeing his native Han, or province, makes him a ronin. A ronin is an outlaw, a free samurai, not belonging to any one particular Han. Because Ryoma was constantly saying that he was working for the betterment of Japan as a whole, and not a particular Han, it was important to him that he was not tied down to one. In the second part of the novel, Ryoma begins to demonstrate the skills that will make him go down in history as the most important man in modern Japan. Ryoma, is at a personal low in the beginning Part 2. He has nowhere to go, and no direction other than "cleaning up Japan." It is in this time of reflection that Ryoma comes across his philosophy, the thesis of the novel. On page 87, Ryoma states to one of his future comrades, "The purpose of life is to act, and through action achieve great results." Throughout Ryoma's life, he does not cease to act until he is assassinated in Kyoto on the night of his thirty-second birthday. A corollary to this thesis is that having a sense of timing is just as important as acting. In other words, action means nothing if it is not done at the correct time. Ryoma mentions this an uncountable number of times during the novel. His sense of timing, which may seem trivial to many westerners, was unusual and quite ahead of its time in feudal Japan. One of Ryoma's many other skills was his unrivaled ability to persuade others. He could make even the bitterest of enemies, Choshu and Satsuma, become allies. He could convince the most xenophobic radicals, to call back their attacks on the western warships. This ability to persuade first appears in this section of book. It is discovered and harnessed by the great navy commander himself, Katsu Kaishu. Katsu introduces Ryoma to many of the most important men in Japan at that time. These acquaintances will prove to be crucial in overthrowing the Bakufu, or the Shogun's regime. The third part of the novel, which is also the largest, comprises over half of the book itself. In this part he rallies support for the movement to overthrow the Bakufu. He also starts his shipping company, the Kaientai, which was unprecedented in Japanese history. It starts the idea of free enterprise, later evolving into the Japanese super company known as Mitsubishi. He starts Japanese friendly relationships with the west, and introduces international law to the country. Also he personally fights the Tokugawa Bakufu navy at Choshu. He leads a four-front battle against a fleet ten times the size of his, and wins. Ryoma is able to have many of the most powerful Han in Japan playing nice with one another. Eventually, he is able to persuade the Shogun to relinquish his power, finally toppling the corrupt Japanese government. This peaceful revolution was so critical to Japan because it would keep the western vultures from attacking at Japan's time of weakness. The majority of Japan wanted a bloody civil war, ending the Bakufu once and for all. Ryoma was one of the only men with the keen sense of timing to see that a civil war was not what they needed. Before Sakamoto Ryoma is assassinated, he has time to draft the future government of Japan. The fact that Ryoma accomplished all this is even more incredible when you recall that Ryoma was an outlaw ronin, who was constantly running away from the police, and Tokugawa officials. In Ryoma: Life of a Renaissance Samurai, Romulus Hillsborough creates an historical novel that introduces one of the most important Japanese men of all time to an English speaking audience who had never heard of him before. Ryoma holds more information than most history books contain, yet is as enjoying to read as the best fictional novels about Japan. Ryoma is definitely worth reading if you are interested about the time period prior to the Meiji Restoration, Japan in general, or just enjoy reading a good book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Story of a Renaissance Samurai, April 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Ryoma: Life of a Renaissance Samurai (Hardcover)

Sakamoto Ryoma (1836-1867) was an important historical figure in Japan, leading up to the Meiji Restoration during this exciting and turbulent period of Japanese history. The Tokugawa government was weakening after nearly 3 centuries of rule, and the feudal system was about to become a thing of the past. In an age where most Samurai were concerned of class distinction and lineage, Ryoma Sakamoto looked to the future and realized that Japan had to give up the feudal system of government in order to keep up with world powers such as the United States. His ideas for a new government, influenced by the democratic society of the U.S., were considered to be absurd during his time. However, Ryoma was a man with a dream, and was determined to make his dream come true- even if it meant sacrificing his safety, and ultimately, his very life. Ryoma was a Samurai with a flamboyant personality, a rare man of the Samurai class who knew enough to look to the future and not cling to the past. In this long, 614-page book, Romulus Hillsborough vividly recreates the life of this truly unique Samurai, and the turbulent times of Japan preceding the Meiji Restoration. Ryoma's daring and even somewhat arrogant personality is revealed in the pages of this, the first literary biography of this Japanese historical figure to be written in English. The biography resembles the work of Eiji Yoshikawa's "Taiko," and "Musashi," telling of Sakamoto's life in a "story" format. Sakamoto Ryoma is one of my personal heroes. Not only was he an expert swordsman, but he was one who knew the ways of the world, and proved that even a low ranking Samurai such as he could do something truly great for an entire nation. Although he is one of Japan's most beloved Samurai, Ryoma gained very little attention in the West, and I had regretted that there were such few written works written of him available in the English language. This book therefore, was a pleasant surprise, as I was delighted to read of the life of this extraordinary man in a story format. Sakamoto Ryoma was one who went against the "flow of the crowd" and was able to look beyond matters of little consequence in order to accomplish great things. It is a tragedy that Sakamoto Ryoma was assassinated at the young age of 32. Had he lived to see the Meiji Restoration, there is no doubt that he would have continued to contribute greatly to his country.