John Reddie Black

Modern Japanese newspaper was greatly influenced by newspapers in English in the middle of the 19th century. Among the newspapers were The Nagasaki Shipping List and Advertiser (1861), The Japan Herald (1861), The Daily Japan Herald (1863) and The Japan Gazette (1867)

John R Black, chief editor of The Japan Herald published The Japan Gazette in Yokohama after the death of Hasard, president of The Japan Herald.

Then about 500 foreigners lived in a foreign settlement there, and those who were interested in newspapers were limited in number .The Japan Herald had only the circulation of 200 copies.

John R Black with military and business career was not an ordinary businessman but a man of rich sensibility for different civilization and a sharp criticism of the world history and international situations.

He went to China on business in 1864, when the army of the Ch' ing dynasty army recaptured Nanking at the Taiping Rebellion. He became acquainted with Hansard and became chief editor of the Japan Herald. In those days there were only a few Japanese subscribers to the newspaper.

In those days the Japan Express and the Japan Commercial News have been issued but the Japan Herald had advantage over them referring to management and contents. Charles Rickerby, manager of the Yokohama First Bank bought the Japan Commercial News, which was reissued under the new title of the Japan Times. After Hasard' death in 1867, Black became independent from the Japan Herald and published the Japan Gazette (evening paper) in cooperation with B.N.Hegt in Yokohama in 1867.

Black recalled that time in his memoir of "Young Japan"," Our writers said that they could publish by filling space with the news and articles excerpting from overseas press.

One of the reasons why Black published the Japan Gazette was to support the Shogun Yoshinobu Tokugawa, accoding to Junjiro Hosokawa of clansman of Tosa.

S. Cocking, one of the writers said that he was an well-educated gentleman of splendid physique and also bohemian.

For some reason, Black resigned from the publisher of the Japan Gazette and passed the paper into another possession. At the end of 1870 he started the Far East (fortnightly English paper), which not only published editorial, news and entertainment but also articles with pictures for the household. The coverage was Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan and other countries in the Far East. Black wanted Japanese people, foreigners in the settlements in the Far East and home readers to read the newspaper.

When the Japan Gazette was on the track, Black decided to publish the Nishinshinjishi(Japanese newspaper).Black called the paper "The Reliable Daily News". It was on March 17,1872 that the first issue had been published. The paper was in a position to hold the monopoly of the Government publications anticipating other press,and served a role of the Purveyor of the Government to achieve the freedom of press and Japanese modernization.

Black put up the lantern hung on poles which patronization of the purveyor to Sain( an organ of the Cabinet ) was written on in front of the newspaper office and pasted the printed off issue on the wall of the building. They started to sell the paper at the newspaper stands of Shinbashi station and Yokohama next year. Black showed Japanese people how the standpoint of newspaper should be by his paper. There were all kinds of news home and abroad and editorial including the readers' column on the paper.

Taisuke Itagaki(former vice minister) advocated that we should establish the parliament by the representatives elected by the people on January 18, 1874. Newspapers supported by the people's right and the Government authority insisted the pros and cons of the proposal on the newspapers.

The Nishinshinjishi supported by the people's right became gradually political. In 1973 The Cabinet issued the provisions of Articles 18 of publishing newspaper, which prohibited the interference of national law and the leakage of national secrets. But there was no provisions to punish those who broke the law .

The law was made by the proposal of the Ministry of Justice and Junjiro Hosokawa.

As Black was protected by extraterritoriality, it was impossible for the Government to punish him even if he published the articles in danger of breaking the law.

Newspapers were so expensive that people could not subscribe to them. They could read newspaper only at the newspaper reading room set up in Tokyo and other cities.

As postal service was established, newspaper was delivered to the remote places and people could enjoy reading newspapers.

After Black was hired as an official in the Government, the Nishinshinjishi was published in the name of a Japanese and stopped issuing in less than one year. After that Black was discharged from the service in August, 1875 but Black did not disclose the truth in detail even in his memoir, "Young Japan" in the Far East (English language paper). The office of the Nishinshinjishi was transferred to the Choyashinbun.

In January 1876 Black published the Bankokushinbun(evening paper) in the settlement of Tsukigi ,Tokyo. Then the Japanese Government refused the publication because the paper was against the Newspaper Article. The Minister of Foreign Ministery,Munenori Terashima discussed the problem of the publication with Harry S.Parkes, British Minister to Japan. Parkes explained the right of Black to the Japanese side but after all Black did not continue to publish his paper any more.

Black went to Shanghai to publish the New Series of the Far East, English monthly (July of 1876 - November of '78 )and issued The Shanghai Mercury in cooperation with J.Clark and C.Rivington.

Black was forced to return to Japan because of his sickness. If he had not fallen ill, he could not have had an unpleasant experience with Japan. He planned to stay for ten days in Yokohama at first but he was advised to take a longer rest by his doctor because of his serious sickness. Black died of cerebral hemorrhage unnoticed to his family on June 10,1880. He was 53.He was buried at the Yokohama Foreign Cemetery.

Black was survived by his wife, sons and a daughter.

His wife devoted herself to take after Black for 30 years after their marriage and gave English lesson to Japanese people including the Fukuzawa family. She also did missionary work as a member of Church of England and died at the age of 90 at Hirogane, Minato ward, Tokyo.

Black' first son, Henry married a Japanese daughter called Ishii to divorce a year later, and became a hanashika(Japanese tale-teller) professionally known as Kairakutei Ishi Black and was popular among people and died unhappy at Meguro ward, Tokyo at the age of 66.

Black left his footprint on Japanese journalism to be the pioneer. He has been one of unforgettable people to Japan.

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