Some early
Japanese visitors to Tibet
བོད་དང་ཉི་འོང་དབར་སྔ་མོའི་འབྲེལ་བ།
On the 121st anniversary of Rev Kawaguchi Ekai's reaching Tibet (the actual date: 4/07/1900), I reproduce below the notes I shared with the visiting Japanese university students in Dharamsala in 2004 at Tibet Museum. My respect and appreciation is with the Japanese who visited Tibet in those difficult times, lived with the Tibetans and later told our true story. If possible, I would like to pay respect to the families of these devoted, adventurous, and brave souls.
The talk note is here below:
Like many foreigners, Japanese also
took interest in Tibet, and they ventured into the land in the late 19th
and early 20th century. Tibet remained in self isolation with a view to
preserve its own religious faith, culture, and language. Tibet remained oblivious
to the world wars and the impending danger from the aggressive neighbor in the
east, China.
It is recorded that some ten
Japanese visited Tibet with different objects and motives at same and
different times when Tibet was an independent nation. Some have seen the last days of
Tibetan independence. Their writings and memoirs have become proof of Tibetan
independence. They are known as Nyuzosha, one who had entered Tibet, in Japanese. Here is the brief notes on those determined Japanese and the purpose
of their visit, and what they did in Tibet.
1900: Kawaguchi Ekai (1866-1945), a
student of Sarat Chandra Das, visited Tibet disguised as a Chinese monk. He
reached Lhasa in March 1901. He was inspired to study original translation of
Buddha`s teaching. He studied in Sera monastery, one of the largest monasteries
in Tibet. As he helped the local with his medical knowledge, he was also known
as Sera Amchi. He is said to have informed Sarat Chandra Das about the Russian
influence in Tibet that triggered Young Husband expedition of 1904. He returned
in 1903. His book, "Three Years in Tibet", Chibeto Ryokoki, became
very popular.
1901: Narita Yasutera
(1864-1915), a Buddhist priest and student of Nanjo Bunyo reached Lhasa in Dec
1901. He was earlier with Imperial army, later sent to the USA on a mission,
then to Taiwan. It was not clearly known why he was sent to Tibet. His dairy
"Shin-Zo Nishi" records his travel in Tibet. Black Dragon Society
(Kokukyokai) also has his record in "Senkoku Shinshi Kiden".
Around that time a priest by the
name of Nomi Kan (1868-?), also a student of Nanjo Bunyo, tried entering Tibet. He reached upto Bathang and it is
not clearly known of his fate thereafter.
1905: Teramoto Enga (1872-1940), a
Buddhist priest, stayed briefly in Tibet and later continued to Peking. But his
influence over Japanese – Tibetan relationship was considered substantial. He
sent information to the Japanese government, Nishi Honganji Temple.
In 1903, Count Otani Kozui was the head of the Hongjanji Temple. He had his brother Sonya Otani meet the 13th Dalai Lama at Wataishen and planned student exchange and the
visit of His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama to Japan.
1910: Yajima Yasujiro (1882-1963), a Russo-Japan
war (1904-05) veteran. British took him for a spy. He stayed in Tibet briefly
then left. He visited again in 1912 disguised as a coolie and stayed in Tibet
till 1918. He drew a map and was later given charge of one section of the
Tibetan army, which he trained in Japanese method of warfare. His Holiness the
13th Dalai Lama was said to have been fond of him. He married with a Tibetan
woman, bore a child Ishishin. The boy later died in a war with China.
1912: Aoki Bunkyo (1886-1956),
representative of Count Otani of Nishi Hoganji, stayed in Tibet till 1916.
Although a priest, his activities were mostly secular. It is said the idea of
pan-Buddhism, pan-Asianism, and a Buddhist renaissance was dear to the
nationalist Japanese. Count Otani was in favor of this idea. Aoki translated
Japanese infantry manual into Tibetan, unfortunately, a copy could not be
found. He is said to be in a committee who designed Tibetan flag. He was sent
to buy arms (guns) for Tibetan government.
1913: Tada Tokan (1890-1967), also
a representative of Count Otani, but he confined himself to the study of
Buddhism and was very critical of Aoki Bukyo's activities. He stayed in Tibet
for ten to eleven years. Both Aoki and Tada were said to have been invited by
the Dalai Lama as result of the Dalai Lama`s meeting with Count Otani at Peking
in 1908. Count Otani was said to have fallen from power in 1914. Tada wrote
"Dalai Lama Jusanse" and "Chibtto Taizaiki". H.H. the 13th
Dalai Lama continued correspondence with him with a hope that the Japanese
government would help Tibet in checking Chinese aggressions.
1939: Kimura Hisao (Dawa Sangpo) (1922-1989), a
spy disguised as Mongolian stayed in Tibet for more than a year. Around that
time another spy, Nishikawa Kazumi (1918-2008) also visited Tibet. But it is said
that they were so lost in the way that they reached Tibet only after the war.
Kimura's story is in "Japanese Agent in Tibet" and Nishikawa's story
is in "The Rising Sun in the land of Snow", both by Scott Berry.
1939: Nomoto Jinzo (1917-2014), a Japanese spy,
now 86 years old wrote "Chibetto Senko". He was in Tibet on
information gathering mission. He entered Tibet in 1939.
Above information was compiled for a
talk given to a visiting Japanese University Students at the request of the
Department of Information (DIIR), May 2004 / updated 17/02/2022
Related books and important years:
Three years in Tibet by Kawaguchi
Ekai
Japanese agent in Tibet by Kimura
Hisao and Scott Berry
Monks, Spies and a Soldier of
Fortune: the Japanese in Tibet by Scott Berry
A stranger in Tibet: A Japanese zen
monk by Scott Berry
Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Thupten
Gyatso (1876-1933) by Tada Tokan
Young Husband expedition to Tibet
1904
World War I (1914 - 1918) World War
II (1939-1945)
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