Oman & Japan: Unknown History オマーンと日本－知られざる友好の歴史

2014-02-25

(English is below Japanese.)

「オマーンと日本－知られざる友好の歴史」　遠藤晴男
（２月１８日（木）の産経新聞近畿版夕刊「文化欄」より）

大正期の地理学者であり思想家であった志賀重昂が「知られざる国々」という本でオマーンを紹介したのは大正１４（１９２５）年のことである。昨年森元誠二駐オマーン日本国前大使が出版した本のタイトルも「知られざる国オマーン－激動する中東のオアシス」、９０年経ってもまだオマーンは知られざる国なのである。ＵＡＥやサウジアラビアに比べるとメディアへの露出度が低い。

しかしオマーン王室と日本には知られざる歴史的なきずながある。
今から約１３０年前の明治１３（１８８０）年６月２５日に、古川宣誉陸軍工兵大尉（後に中将に栄進）が日本人として記録上初めて、同７月３日には伊東祐亨海軍中佐（後に元帥に栄進）指揮下の比叡艦がオマーンを訪れた。伊東はトルキー国王に対して２１発の礼砲を放ち、さまざまな贈賜品を拝領し、王宮を訪れ拝謁した。その後国王が比叡艦を訪れ、親書までいただいた。

　それには「貴艦の安着を祝し、将来日本艦船の來泊を希望する。相当の礼をもって対応する」とある。平成２（１９９１）年に湾岸戦争後の掃海任務を終了した海上自衛隊の艦船がマスカット港に戦後初めて寄港して以来、イラク戦争、ソマリア海賊対策等で日本の軍艦のオマーンへの入港が続いている。上記のトルキー国王の心は、一世紀余りの時を経た現在も脈々と生きている。

　この訪問にはもう１つの秘話がある。伊東らは、国王に謁見した際に蒔絵の椅子二脚と伊万里焼の花瓶一対を献上した。この蒔絵椅子らしいものがオマーン国立博物館の一角に由来が分らぬままに収蔵されているのを筆者が発見し、オマーン文化遺産省を通じて依頼した東京国立博物館の竹内奈美子氏の鑑定によって、これが１９世紀後半に日本で作られたもので、比叡艦が国王に献上した蒔絵の椅子である可能性が高いことが判明した。

オマーンではマスカットのアラム王宮の前に新しい国立博物館を建設中であるが、完成の暁にはこの椅子が日本との交流を物語る遺例として博物館の一角を飾る予定である。

　比叡艦から約40年後の大正１３（１９２４）年２月２８日にオマーンを訪問した志賀もタイムール国王に拝謁をした。志賀がイスラム国への旅を思い立ったのは日本の人口増、石油の確保、世界の東西対立への日本の立ち位置を探るためであった。

　そして、国王から「よくもここまでこられた。アラビアも日本も同じアジアではないか。何故日本人はアラビアにこないのか。アラビアに来て商売をし、工業を興し、親交を促進し、アラビアが改善・復興できればお互いのためになるのではないか」との言葉をいただき、志賀は「陛下の言われたことは私がまさに申上げようとしていたことです」、「突然お伺いし拝謁を許されたばかりか、このようなお言葉をいただき、ただただ感激です」と応じ、２人は意気投合した。

　この縁でタイムール国王は退位後の昭和１０（１９３５）年に来日し、翌年再來日して日本人の大山清子さんと結婚して４年間を神戸で過ごした。その間に生まれたのが、いまもマスカットでご健在に過ごされていると仄聞するブサイナ王女である。オマーン王室には、日本人の血が流れているのである。

　平成６（１９９４）年１１月に皇太子殿下と同妃殿下がオマーンを訪問された際、カブース国王は純血アラブ馬の牝馬１頭を贈って、アラブでの友情と敬意の最高の表現をされている。馬の名前は「アハジージュ（歓びの歌の意）」、日オ友好の印としていまも那須の御料牧場で元気に過ごしている。

　オマーンはホルムズ海峡を守り、エネルギー供給国として日本にとって重要な国である。平和な国、歴史のある国、環境や文化遺産の保護に熱心な国、国王をいただく国で日本と価値観を共有している。国民は温和で親切、他人を気遣い日本人によく似ている。来年１月には安倍総理が訪オされると仄聞しているが、これによって両国の友好がいっそう深まることを祈念したい。

“Oman and Japan-Unknown History of Friendship” by Haruo Endo

It was in 1925 that Shigetaka Shiga introduced Oman to Japanese people in his book, entitled “Unknown countries” (Geological Survey Society). The title of the book by HE Seiji Morimoto published in the year before last was also “Unknown Country-Oasis in the Middle East” (Urban Connections).

Is Oman still an unknown country to Japanese almost 90 years after its first introduction?

There certainly have been unknown historical relations between the Royal Family of Oman and Japan.

Nobuharu Furukawa, Captain of the army engineers (promoted later to Lieutenant General of the army engineers ), visited Oman on 25 June 1880 and became the first Japanese man on record to visit. The battleship “Hiei” commanded by Sukeyuki Ito, Navy Commander (promoted later to Admiral of the fleet) entered Muscat port on 3 July, following Furukawa.

Ito fired 21-gun salute to Sultan Turki, was given a variety of gifts by the Sultan and visited the palace for an audience with him. The Sultan later visited the “Hiei” and Ito received his personal letter, reading “Your esteemed letter of this date has been received and what you have written we have understood and we thank you for the sentiment conveyed therein. We were pleased to hear of your arrival and shall be glad if the Emperor’s ship comes here. We shall not fail to extend to them the courtesy which is their due at our hand”. Japanese Maritime Self- Defense Force ships entered into Muscat in 1991 for the first time after the Second World War having finished the duty of minesweeping. Since then Japanese warships have continued to enter into Omani ports to cope with the Iraq War, Somali pirates and so on. Sultan Turki’s patronage has stayed alive for more than a century.

There is an untold story pertinent to Ito’s visit. He presented two gold lacquered chairs and a pair of Japanese Imariyaki vases to the Sultan. The writer of this article lately happened to discover what appeared to be one of the chairs in the corner of the National Museum of Oman. Ms. Namiko Takeuchi of Tokyo Natioanl Museum surveyed the chair at the request of the Ministry of Heritage and Culture of the Sultanate of Oman to find that the chair was indeed made in Japan at the end of 19th Century and that the chair might be the one which was presented by the “Hiei”. Oman is now building new National Museum just in front of the Alam Palace in Muscat. On its completion, this chair will be exhibited in the Museum as a token of cultural exchange between Japan and Oman.

Shigetaka Shiga, who visited Oman on 28 February 1924, about 40 years after the visit by the “Hiei”, also had the honor of audience with Sultan Taimur. The purpose of his trip to Islamic countries was to explore how Japan should cope with the growing Japanese population, procurement of vital petroleum and allying itself to the West or the East.

In the audience, Shiga was told by the Sultan, ““You are most welcome to Oman. Do you not consider Arabia and Japan as both part of Asia? Why should not the Japanese come to Arabia? If you could promote closer friendship and improve and revitalize Arabia by coming here to do business and develop industry here, our peoples could both achieve great things.”
Shiga reciprocated the Sultan’s words as follows:
“What you have just suggested is precisely what I had wished to propose to you and your people on behalf of Japan.” , “I, a foreigner, was granted this audience despite my unexpected appearance is more than I could have dreamed of. I am deeply touched by your warm words.” and they clicked with each other.

Following this audience, the Sultan Taimur came to Japan in 1935 after his abdication. He visited Japan again in the following year, got married to Kiyoko Oyama and spent years inKobe. Princess Bhuthaina, who I understand still lives well in Muscat was born to the Sultan and Kiyoko. So Japanese blood is still part of the Royal family of Oman.

When Their Imperial Highnesses the Crown Prince and Princess of Japan paid a goodwill visit to Oman in November 1994, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos gave a pure bred Arabian mare as a supreme expression of friendship and respect for a royal counterpart. Her name is Ahazeej (Song of Joy in Arabic) and she has lived a healthy life at the Imperial Stock Farm at Nasu as a token of friendship between Japan and Oman ever since. .

Oman is an important country to Japan under the reign of the Sultan both as guardian of the Strait of Hormz and as a supplier of energy. Oman is a peaceful nation, a country with a long history, as an ecology- and culture-friendly country, and shares common values with Japan. Omani people are gentle, kind and extremely considerate to othersand so very similar to the Japanese.

Prime Minister Abe chose Oman as the first country to visit on the leg of his tour to the Middle East and Africa last January,
I sincerely hope friendship between the both countries will be deepened in the future, taking advantage of this visit.

(This article appeared in the evening edition of Sankei Shimbun Kinki Region on February 18, 2014.)