- Daniel Sidney Richardson, circa 1900 in Japan
In a packet of correspondence to members of the family at the time of my grandparents’ engagement, I found the following:
Agricultural and Commercial Department
Tokio, October 18th 1897
My dear Richardson,
Please accept my hearty congratulations on your daughter’s coming marriage of which I have been informed by your last letter. J. R. Mizuno, Councillor of the home affairs will be the passenger of the steamer which will carry the letter, to whom I asked to carry a piece of Japanese crape [sic] as a trifling token of my congratulations on her most auspicious occasion of her life. I have informed this to Marquis Yamaguta and Baron Fumakoshi who will not fail to pay the respective tributes to your family. As my present is dutiable goods, I hope you will be so good enough as to help Mr. Mizuno to pass Customs without molestation, and further he will ask your valuable assistance during his sojourn in your city, for this is the first time he cross [sic] Pacific Ocean and he is entirely ignorant of your customs.
As I informed you previously, I am very disappointed of not being able to accept the post at your city. I am now awaiting my post somewhere in Europe or America and am very desirous to pass ‘Frisco where I wish to meet you again.
With compliments to Mme. & Mlle. Richardson,
I am
Your only tall Jap friend
T. Hazakama
The recipient of this letter was my great-grandfather Daniel Sidney Richardson (1851-1922). For the last 36 years of his life he was Foreign Secretary to the Japanese Consulate in San Francisco and, as part of his duties over the years, he often entertained various Japanese dignitaries – even members of the royal family – at his commodious home in East Oakland.
Dan, as he was called, was thrice decorated by the Japanese emperor and among the keepsakes of the family is the commemorative sword he was given on one of those occasions. He attended the 1921 disarmament conference at Washington, D.C., with the Japanese delegation as a member of the secretariat, and the trip, made against the advice of his physician, was felt to have hastened his death from heart trouble.
I am facinated the Mr. Hazakam referred to himself by a term that I have always considered a perjorative from WWII. What a wonderful family document. Obviously your family is interesting on BOTH sides.