As a Naturalist

Exhibition 4: As a Naturalist

The first few years after homecoming

The cryptogams that Kumagusu had collected in the Wakayama region during his first year back home amounted to 1,277 species, mostly fungi. In addition, he collected a total of 2,533 specimens of fungi and 852 of algae in his three years’ research in the Kumano Mountains.

After moving to Nachi, he collected insects as well as plants, made microscope slides and colored illustrated manuals, and read an extensive number of books. He completed the final draft for ’Hojoki: The Ten Square Feet Hut,’ the English translation of the Japanese classic, co-authored with Frederick V. Dickins, and proofread ‘Primal Text of Japan’ also written by Dickins. He also resumed writing theses to ‘Nature’ and ‘Notes and Queries.’

It was in this period that he actively participated in heated debates on nature and life, including religious one with Horyu Toki. He also completed ‘The Origin of the Swallow-Stone Myth (Ensekiko),’ which is considered as the pinnacle of his research presented in English.

In October 1904 he moved to Tanabe City. He worked energetically to collect slime molds and other specimens in the neighborhood and to classify them.

In the fall of 1905 Kumagusu donated 46 specimens of slime molds to the British Museum. Arthur Lister, president of the British Mycological Society, had them introduced in the Journal of Botany, vol. 49. The article, which also led him to a new world of friendship with Lister and his daughter Gulielma, was a milestone in his career towards a world-class slime molds researcher who later gave a lecture to Emperor Hirohito.

Discovery of a new genus of slime mold

Minakatella longifila Lister

From around 1910 onwards Kumagusu conducted his botanical research in his backyard more often than before as he received more visitors and got busier writing articles at home.

In April 1916 Kumagusu obtained a large property, now the Minakata residence, under the ownership of Tsunegusu. The spacious garden turned to be his open-air laboratory to observe plants, frogs and turtles. The study was the place for writing and microscopic research on plants. The godown was organized into the stacks containing a number of books and materials.

It was in this period that he discovered the famous Minakatella longifila Lister, a new genus of slime mold named by Gulielma Lister, president of the British Mycological Society, from a persimmon tree in his backyard.

Emperor Hirohito and Kumagusu

Emperor Hirohito, also a biologist, had shown a strong interest in slime molds since he was the Prince Regent. As the Prince, he had read ‘A Monograph of the Slime Molds’ written by Gulielma Lister and expressed Dr. Hirotaro Hattori of the National Biological Research Institute his wish to see the specimens. Having learned the rumor, Shiro Koaze approached Kumagusu and his friends from Tokyo University. In November 1926 the team prepared and presented Prince Hirohito with a collection of 90 specimens of 37 genera of Japanese slime molds. It bore the signatures of Koaze as the presenter and Kumagusu as the selector.

The monument
on Kashima Island

In March 1929, all of a sudden, Dr. Hattori secretly visited and requested Kumagusu to give a lecturer on slime molds to Hirohito, then Emperor, in his future royal visit to the Wakayama region. Kumagusu telegraphed his acceptance. With no precedent for a commoner giving an imperial lecture, he soon became the center of the public attention and extremely busy preparing specimens.

On the first of June 1929 the rain had started in the morning. Kumagusu headed for the Kashima Island in a frock coat he had bought in America and kept for years. After taking the Emperor for a walk in the woods on the island, Kumagusu, while showing specimens, gave a 25-minute lecture, on board the royal ship Nagato, on slime molds and marine life to His Majesty. He also presented the Emperor with gifts including 110 specimens of slime molds kept in empty taffy boxes. A chamberlain recalled: “Rumors of his eccentricity had made me doubt about his capability but my worry turned out to be utterly groundless when I met this well-mannered and polite man. He was a gentleman who had experience of living abroad as well as a traditional Japanese who showed a respect for the Imperial Family.”

It was the most glorious day in his life. In the afternoon Kumagusu took pictures of him and Matsue in their finest attire at a studio and shared the happiest moment with his relatives and close friends by giving sweets he had received from the Imperial Household.

Next year, in commemoration of the Emperor’s visit to Kashima, a monument was erected on the edge of a dense wood near the point where His Majesty had landed. Inscribed on the monument is a poem Kumagusu wrote hoping that the island would be protected forever by the benevolence and the power of the Emperor:

In May 1962, more than 30 years later, Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress visited southern Wakayama again. Inspired by a view of Kashima from a hotel room on the Shirahama Beach the Emperor composed a poem:

Through the rain I see the dim figure of Kashima in the distance

Which reminds me of Kumagusu who was born in Wakayama

The poem is inscribed on the monument erected in front of the Minakata Kumagusu Museum overlooking the Kashima Island.

Year	Age	Period	Personal Events	Histrical Events
1901	34	Years in Nachi	Met Sun Yat-sen again in Wakayama City.
			Conducted biological research and collected specimens in Nachi Katsu’ura.
1904	37			Outbreak of Russo-Japanese War
1905	38	Years in Tanabe	Co-translated ’Hojoki: The Ten Square Feet Hut’ with Frederick V. Dickins.
1906	39		Married Matsue Tamura.
1907	40		Launched a campaign to protest against the shrine-consolidation regulations.
1915	48		Went to Kashima Island with Dr. Walton T. Swingle; declined his offer to work in US.	Outbreak of WWI
1917	50		Discovered a new genus of slime mold Minakatella longifila Lister from a persimmon tree in his backyard.
1921	54		Upon completion of the prospectus for the Minakata Botanical Institute project, came to Tokyo for fundraising.	Great Kanto Earthquake
1925	58		Sent a lengthy resume to Yoshio Yabuki.
1929	62		Gave a special lecture to Emperor Hirohito on board the royal ship Nagato; presented him with 110 specimens of slime molds put in empty taffy boxes. (Jun 1)	Outbreak of Manchurian Incident

Friends and Allies

As a Folklorist

Minakata Kumagusu Museum Foundation
Banshoyama 3601-1 Shirahama-cho, Nishimuro-gun,
Wakayama Prefecture, Japan 649-2211
TEL/FAX 0739-42-2872