原忠順文庫 / Hara Tadayuki Collection

原忠順とは

　原忠順(はらただゆき：1834-1894)は、肥前国鹿島藩（現佐賀県）の出身で、藩主鍋島直彬の側近として鹿島藩家老、大参事を歴任しました。
　沖縄との関りでは、1879(明治12)年4月直彬の初代沖縄県令就任(在任期間1879(明治12)～1881(明治14)）とともに沖縄県少書記官に任ぜられ（1880(明治13)年6月大書記官に昇任）、置県直後の沖縄で鍋島の片腕として活躍し、沖縄県政運営にあたりました。鍋島不在時や1881(明治14)年4月に鍋島が上京して以降は、県政の事実上の最高責任者となりました。同年9月に辞任し、その後は郷里で会社を興し、1890年に貴族院議員に当選しました。1894(明治27)年没。お墓は佐賀県鹿島市の泰智寺（たいちじ）にあります。また、鹿島城跡地でもある旭ヶ岡公園(鹿島市)には、忠順の功績をたたえた「原忠順翁頌徳碑」が建立されています。

琉球大学附属図書館原忠順文庫

　琉球大学附属図書館は、文部省の「沖縄関係文献資料保存事業経費」を受け、1988(昭和63)年に原忠順資料291点を購入しました。
　これ等は、原の日記、鍋島や県政関係者との書簡をはじめとする書簡類、辞令書、典籍、写真等から構成され、原忠順文庫とよばれています。また、一部には「沖縄県」の罫紙が用いられた行政文書も収録するなど、置県直後の政治・社会状況を伝えるたいへん貴重な資料群といえます。資料の傷みのあった3件(9点)については修復も行いました。
　解題は購入した291点中、特に解説が必要だと思われる164点に関して琉球大学附属図書館保存公開係で作成し、デジタルアーカイブに掲載しています。

Who is Hara Tadayuki?

Hara Tadayuki (1834～1894): He was from Bizen no kuni, Kashima clan (Saga prefecture, present-day.) He held prominent position such as Karō (a chief retainer) of Kashima clan or Daisanji (Second to a governor) as a close attendant of Nabeshima Naoyoshi, a domain lord of Kashima clan.

He was appointed to Shō Shokikan (a Junior Secretary) of Okinawa prefecture (term of office: 1879-1881, in June of 1880, he was promoted to Dai Shokikan ((a Senior Executive Secretary)),) when Naoyoshi was formally inaugurated as the first Prefectural Governor of Okinawa Prefecture in April 1879. 
　He had an active career as the right-hand man of Nabeshima immediately after the establishment of Okinawa Prefecture, and conducted prefectural administration. At the time of Nabeshima’s absence, and after Nabeshima had gone to Tokyo in April 1881, Hara served as de facto head of prefectural administration. He resigned in September 1881, then he founded a company in his hometown and in 1890, he won a seat in the House of Peers. He passed away in 1894. He was laid to rest in the cemetery in Taichi temple in Kashima-city, Saga Prefecture. Also, there is a monument of honor of Hara Tadayuki in the Asahigaoka park (Kashima-city), the site of Kashima castle. It was built to praise his achievement after his death. 

Hara Tadayuki collection in the University of the Ryukyus Library-

In 1988, the University of the Ryukyus Library has bought 291 materials of Hara Tadayuki allocated “the budgets for the preservation of Okinawan materials” from the Ministry of Education. This collection is composed of diaries of Hara, letters from/to Nabeshima or related parties of the prefectural government, letters of appointment, books, and pictures, and we call it now “Hara Tadayuki collection.” We can say that this collection is very valuable because there are some administrative documents written on the ruled papers of “Okinawa Prefecture” which tell us the Okinawan society and politic just after the establishment of Okinawa Prefecture. We asked to restore nine materials which had been damaged.

The library staff at Preservation and Exhibits created outlines for 164 materials which are difficult to understand without interpretation among 291 materials which our library has bought. And we open these 164 materials on our Digital Archive.