Japonica in the archives left after Bronisław Piłsudski in the Scientific Library of the PAAS and the PAS in Cracow (10). Motonaga Murao and his Postcard Message

The tenth installment of the series introducing Japanese documents preserved with Bronisław Piłsudski’s archives in the Scientific Library of the PAAS and the PAS in Cracow focuses on a postcard message written in refined cursive script style labeled草書体 sōshotai (not necessarily correctly translated as ‘grass script’) quite difficult to decipher. When deciphered, the message seemed easy to translate but a reconstruction of possible sequence of events proved necessary. The author of the message and the calligraphy was Motonaga Murao, a high-ranking state servant, formerly working in the Hokkaido Development (~ Colonization) Agency (~Commission) and Hokkaido historian, educator, and author of several fundamental publications on the island and its development, works on the Ainu included. The message itself is doubtlessly a response to Piłsudski’s apparent request to meet – again doubtlessly – to exchange the knowledge and experience concerning the people of interest to both: the Ainu. The installment provides also information on Murao and his accomplishments.

Key words: Bronisław Piłsudski, Motonaga Murao, Ainu, Hokkaido, japonica in Cracow

The tenth installment of the series introducing Japanese documents preserved with Bronisław Piłsudski’s archives in the Scientific Library of the PAAS and the PAS in Cracow focuses on a postcard message written in refined cursive script style labeled草書体 sōshotai (not necessarily correctly translated as ‘grass script’) quite difficult to decipher. When deciphered, the message seemed easy to translate but a reconstruction of possible sequence of events proved necessary. The author of the message and the calligraphy was Motonaga Murao, a high-ranking state servant, formerly working in the Hokkaido Development (~ Colonization) Agency (~Commission) and Hokkaido historian, educator, and author of several fundamental publications on the island and its development, works on the Ainu included. The message itself is doubtlessly a response to Piłsudski’s apparent request to meet – again doubtlessly – to exchange the knowledge and experience concerning the people of interest to both: the Ainu. The installment provides also information on Murao and his accomplishments.