"Where is a hero's home?"
英雄何處是家鄉?
65 X 35cm
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"Where is a hero's home?" (英雄何處是家鄉?)
65 X 35cm in Cursive Script (草書)
Historical information
This phrase is extracted from a calligraphy work scribed by Itō Hirobumi (伊藤 博文, 1841 – 1909) displayed in Ryozen Museum of History, Kyoto, Japan. Itō Hirobumi was the first prime minister of Japan and a key figure in promoting the westernization of Japan during the Meiji Restoration era (1). He was raised in a traditional samurai family as an adopted child and was secretly sent to England to learn western Naval science in 1863 (2). During his stay in England, he recognized the urgent need for Japan to modernize, and so he furthered his studies in currency systems in the United States in 1870. In 1871, he returned to Japan and established Japan's first modern taxation system (3). In 1882, he was sent to Germany to study under constitutional scholars. Through many political struggles, he eventually became the first Prime Minister of Japan in 1885, forming the first Western-styled cabinet in Japan's history (4).
Today, Itō Hirobumi is a controversial historical figure, especially in East Asian communities. As the top Japanese official in his time, he oversaw the first Sino-Japanese war (1894-1895) and the Russo-Japanese war (1904-1905), both of which involved Japanese invasion of her neighbouring countries, including China and Korea. As such, many Chinese and Koreans see Itō Hirobumi as an instigator for invasions of their respective home countries (5). Nonetheless, he is undoubtedly one of the founding fathers of modern Japan by many historians (6).
Text Translation
"Where is a hero's home?"
(translated by KS Vincent Poon Dec. 2015)
Personal Comments
Itō Hirobumi resided and travelled to many countries outside Japan in his lifetime, including England, Germany, United States, Korea and China. Presumably, he wrote this phrase to lament the turbulent times. Raised in a traditional samurai family, it was unconventional (and perhaps even dangerous) for him to acknowledge the Western way, yet he found the courage and the audacity to accept new ideas and reflect on the old samurai system to reform his country. Such an attitude of always looking to improve oneself eventually drove Japan to succeed.
Indeed, a nation that is unwilling to self-reflect and improve has no good prospect.
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