2nd class Sacred Treasure order document issued to Imperial Court Advisor Gentaro Matsumoto in 1923

Interesting document with "double signature". Emperor Hirohito signed it for his father (with his own signature and with his father's signature).
Issued on April 26, 1923 to Imperial Court Advisor Gentaro Matsumoto.

Size 45.72 x 58.42 cm.

Signatures.

 

Gentaro Matsumoto (松本源太郎; March 11, 1859 - October 29 , 1925) was a Japanese educator and Imperial Court Advisor.

He was born in Takefu, Nanjo County, Echizen Province (now Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture) as the eldest son of Bansui Matsumoto, a vassal of the Honda clan, the feudal lord of Takefu Fukui Domain. In 1886 he completed an elective course at the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Letters. In 1887 he became a teacher at the first junior high school. At this time there was no psychology in Japan yet, but nevertheless he was translating English books and giving lectures. In 1889 when Koso Matsudaira, the son of the former lord of Fukui Domain, went to England to study agriculture, he was asked to supervise him and went to England. While in England, he entered Mansfield College, Oxford University , where he met a prominent professor and received a private tutoring session. He studied philosophy with Professor E. Wallis and archaeology with Professor J. Caird. He successively served as a teacher at Daiichi Higher Junior High School, a professor at Daiichi Higher School, a professor at Tokyo Higher Normal School and a principal and professor at Yamaguchi Higher Commercial School. In 1904 he became a professor at Gakushuin and also served as dean of the women's school. In 1918 he retired from Gakushuin and was appointed as an advisor to the Imperial Court. He died in Tokyo in 1925 and rests in Hoenji, Takefu.​