The Nagasaki home constructed for Thomas Blake Glover remains the oldest Western-style building in Japan today. Arriving in the country in 1859 at age 21, the Scottish merchant became a primary conduit for the industrial technology and weaponry that fueled the transition from the Tokugawa Shogunate to the modernized Meiji era.
Early Career and Move to Japan
Born in 1838 in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Glover was the fifth of eight children born to Thomas Berry Glover, a coastguard officer, and Mary Findlay. Following his education at the Fordyce Academy, he joined the trading firm Jardine Matheson. After working as a shipping clerk in Shanghai starting in 1857, he moved to Nagasaki two years later to begin trading in green tea.
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During the Bakumatsu period, Glover engaged in the high-stakes supply of arms and warships to anti-government factions in Satsuma and Chōshū. These actions frequently violated British-Japanese treaties and local laws. Despite the risks, he facilitated the travel of the Chōshū Five to London in 1863 and assisted fifteen Satsuma trainees in 1865. His efforts played a decisive role in the eventual fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate during the Boshin War.
Industrial Development
Glover introduced significant modern technology to Japan, including the nation's first steam locomotive demonstration in Nagasaki. He oversaw the development of the Hashima Island coal mine and brought the first dry dock to the country. Following his 1870 bankruptcy, he managed the Takashima mine for its Dutch owners. His late-career business activities included helping establish the Japan Brewery Company, the predecessor to the Kirin Brewery Company, and contributing to the formation of the Mitsubishi Corporation.
Legacy and Personal Life
Glover held a long-term common-law relationship with Awajiya Tsuru, with whom he had a daughter, Hana. He also adopted a son, Kuraba Tomisaburō, who became a notable local economic figure. In recognition of his service to Japanese industrialization, the government awarded him the Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd class. Glover died of kidney disease in Tokyo in 1911 and was interred at the Sakamoto International Cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1838, Fraserburgh, Scotland
- Died: 1911, Tokyo, Japan
- Education: Fordyce Academy
- Notable Awards: Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd class
- Primary Occupation: Merchant
- Burial Site: Sakamoto International Cemetery
- Citizenship: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Questions readers ask
What major industries did Glover influence?
He was instrumental in the early development of Japanese coal mining, steam-powered rail transportation, maritime shipbuilding, and the commercial brewing industry.
What was his role in the Meiji Restoration?
Glover supplied essential arms and warships to rebel factions that successfully toppled the Tokugawa Shogunate, later maintaining close ties with the new Meiji government.
Achievements
- Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd class
- Educated at gymnasium and Fordyce Academy
