Copped and cropped from Ono Collection

Tokyo nichinichi shinbun
No. 736   1874-7-7? (1874-9)
Native carries Kishida

Story in brief

Kishida Ginko (1833-1905) traveled to Taiwan with Saigo Tsugumichi's army as a news investigator (shinbun tanbo) for Tokyo nichinichi shinbun. This makes him not only the first overseas correspondent in the history of Japanese journalism, but also the first "embedded" reporter.

Kishida spent about two months in Taiwan, and after the surrender of the various savages (shoban) he visited the Botan wild savages (Botan seiban). Here he is shown being carried on the back of a "Taiwan native" (Taiwan dojin) who ported him across a stream so he didn't have to take off his shoes. The stream was near the Rockgate (J. Sekimon, C. Shihmen) pass in the Botan (C. Mutan) mountains where the army fought a skirmish with the Botan (Paiwan) tribe -- though the "wild savage woman" (seiban fujin) in the background doesn't look very fearsome. (WW)