田辺太一蓮舟のつぶやき(twitter) 翁の著書：幕末外交談から(5-1)

私田邉康雄は、NＰＯ法人米欧亜回覧の会の会員です。この会は、明治初期の「岩倉遣米欧使節団」の事跡に興味を持つ人々の私的なあつまりです。
I, Yasuo Tanabe, belong to a Non Profitable Organization called "Study Team of Turn-around trip to U.S.A and Europe".

1871（明治4）年に岩倉具視を団長とした遣米欧使節団が日本を出発しました。この使節が岩倉遣米欧使節です。その目的は、徳川幕府時代に米欧列強諸国と締結した不平等条約の改定でした。この大きな目的は、最初の訪問国アメリカにおいて挫折しました。
In 1871, a negotiation team departed to U.S.A and to Europe in order to positively correct trade treaties therewith, which were considered to be partial to Japan. However, their big ambition was broken at the first visiting country of U.S.A.

使節団の副使、大久保利通や伊藤博文などは、「弱腰の徳川幕府外交に代わって自分たち薩長の強力メンバーが改定を勝ち取って来よう」と意気込んで出発しました。しかし最初の訪問国で頭を叩かれたのです。
Toshimichi Okubo and Hirobumi Ito, both deputy leader of the team, were optimistic to the coming negotiation. They thought, "The negotiators of foreign ministry of Tokugawa Government were very weak. This is the reason that we were forced to conclude partial treaties. Now, this is our turn, we are strong and hard negotiators. We are deferent". And the ambition was broken. This was what happened accutually.

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