Challenger Inoue Enryo

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Kaishū’s daughter and her husband Megata Tanetarō, and Enryō re-ceived their advice in selecting it. It cost 9,908 yen, half of which was covered by donations, leaving a shortfall of 5,305 yen. Enryō revised the rules on donations to the Philosophy Academy and planned to collect five thousand yen over five years for the con-struction of the new building. Fifty-to-one hundred thousand yen would be collected over fifteen years for maintenance costs and the interest on the capital of those maintenance funds would be used to cover operating expenses. At that time the high grounds were scrubland where pheasants would fly about crying out. The lowlands couldn’t be described as either a rice field or a marsh. A student who saw the land was so surprised that he asked, “What are you planning to do after purchas-ing a place like this?” However, Enryō had a clear vision in his mind and replied with a laugh, “That’s for you to find out.” Thus it came to be that the Philosophy Academy would have a new campus in addition to the schoolhouse in Hōraichō and it would go on to establish university courses. Kaishū, who was now seventy-four, agreed with this plan. Well known as a skilled calligrapher, he spearheaded the fundraising for the academy. His daughter com-mented, saying, nated to the Philosophy Academy, and my father hoped that creating calligraphy in this way would support Mr. Inoue’s en-deavors. So, at one time my father was the “loyal shadow writer.” Whenever he was given calligraphy that my father had written, Mr. Inoue would send it as a thank-you gift to those who do-111