山本五十六攻撃珍珠港之前曾寫信給長岡藩主

Recently the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

　新潟県長岡市出身で、旧海軍連合艦隊司令長官の山本五十六（１８８４～１９４３年）が、真珠湾攻撃の直前、親交のあった長岡藩主牧野家の当主に宛てて出したとみられる手紙の封筒が発見された。

　神奈川県逗子市在住の第１７代当主、牧野忠昌さん（７１）が６日、長岡市のアオーレ長岡で行った「五十六まつり」の講演会で明らかにした。来年同市に開館する「長岡藩主牧野家史料館（仮称）」での公開を検討している。

　牧野さんによると、見つかったのは、当時東京・渋谷にいた父・忠永さん宛てに、五十六が郵送した名刺サイズの封筒。宛先と名前が毛筆で記され、「１６・１２・８」（昭和１６年１２月８日）の「后０―４（正午から午後４時）」と消印が押されている。裏には「山本五十六」の名前とともに、差出人住所の位置に、五十六が真珠湾攻撃を指揮した時の旗艦「長門」の文字が書かれていた。

　牧野さんが４月、史料館開設や今回の講演会に向けて、代々引き継がれてきた家の資料を調べていて発見した。「真珠湾攻撃の日付と旗艦から送られてきた封筒であることに大変驚いた」という。

　封筒の中身は見つかっていないが、当時の郵便事情からみて手紙をしたためたのは開戦前とみられる。牧野さんは「父は毎日のように日記をつけていた。手紙は日記などとともに別の場所に保管された可能性がある」といい、引き続き中身を探す意向を示している。

　講演会は、長岡市の河井継之助記念館の稲川明雄館長との対談形式で行われ、牧野さんは忠永さんが五十六と親しくしていたことを紹介。「五十六元帥はまず平和を考え、国民の生活を考えていた。牧野家も領民を大切にしなければならないという思いを持っていた」と語り、長岡藩の伝統が五十六の思いとつながっていることを強調した。

（2013年5月9日21時33分 読売新聞）

(試譯文)

It was in Nagaoka city of Niigata that the envelope and letter regarded as written by Isoroku Yamamoto (1884-1943) was discovered, he was the commander in chief of the old navy combined fleet; just before the Pearl Harbor attack it was addressed and sent to the intimate family head of a Nagaoka local lord, the Makino family.

Mr. Tadamasa Makino (71) the 17th generation family head that was living in Zushi city of Kanagawa clarified this on the 6th at the lecture meeting for the "Isoroku Festival" held in Aore Nagaoka in Nagaoka. Discussion was held regarding making public "The Nagaoka Local Lord Makino Family Archives (tentative name)", to be opened in the city next year.

     According to Mr. Makino, what was found was a card size envelope which Isoroku mailed to his father and addressed him as Tadanaga who was staying in Shibuya of Tokyo in those days. The address and name were written with a brush and "afternoon 0 - 4 (4:00 p.m. after noon)" and postmark of "16.12.8" (December 8, Showa 16) were printed. At the rerse side, there were the sender's  position and address and the name of "Isoroku Yamamoto"  was written. Also written were the words "Nagato", it was the Isoroku’s flagship when commanding the Pearl Harbor attack.

Mr. Makino in April discovered them when he investigated the data material of the family, which was succeeded from generation to generation, in preparation for the archives establishment and the lecture meeting. It was said that "It is very much a surprise that it is an envelope sent out on the date when the Pearl Harbor attack occurred and from the flagship".

Although the content of the envelope was not found, in view of a mail situation of those days, it was regarded as having written before the outbreak-of-war. Mr. Makino said "my father kept the diary almost every day. There was a possibility that the letter may have been kept somewhere else together with the diary etc."; and he showed the intention of continuing to search for the contents.  

The lecture meeting was held in the form of a talk with Akio Inagawa the superintendent of the Kawai Tsugunosuke Memorial Hall in Nagaoka; Mr. Makino introduced Tadanaga who had become intimate with Isoroku. It was said that "Isoroku marshal considered peace first and also considered people's life. Makino family must also cherish the people under its dominion", and emphasized that the tradition of the Nagaoka dominion was connected with the thought of Isoroku.

It is an interesting story. I hope they can find the letter eventually.