渋沢栄一書翰 ジェームス・ディー・ローマン宛 （1914.01.17） （ジェームス・ディー・ローマン氏所蔵）
(COPY)
Baron E. Shibusawa
Tokyo
Jan. 17th, 1914.
J. D. Lowman, Esq.,
Seattle, Wash.
Dear Sir :
I think you know very well that we, the late Honorary Commercial Commissioners to the United States, are keeping up the custom of holding a reunion once every year, at one of the cities, where the Chamber of Commerce to which any of the late Commissioners belong is situated, the purpose of the gathering being to commemorate the happy relations which were created between us and your countrymen who were so kind to us during that memorable trip.
Besides the above reunion, those of us living in Tokyo and Yokohama are in the habit of holding an annual meeting on the day of our return from your country in 1909; so on the 17th of last December, the fourth annual gathering was held at the Nihonbashi Club, Tokyo. The number of those present at the meeting was seventeen in all, namely ; Baron Kanda, Messrs.
Nakano, Hibiya, Satake, Iwahara, Koike, Machida, Watase, Masuda, Kato, Natori, Tanabe, Uyeda and myself of Tokyo ; and Messrs. Otani, Soda, and Kameda of Yokahama.
We recalled and talked over many happy incidents and experiences relating to the courtesies of your countrymen, to the sights of the cities we visited, to the factories we inspected, and to the sceneries we admired. What we all remembered with feelings of deepest gratitude was the unbounded kindness shown to us by yourself and your colleagues during the whole journey.
Indeed, you were kind enough to accompany us from the beginning of our trip to the end; and that was what we all felt particularly grateful for. We believe that we could never have made such a long and pleasant trip in any other country than in the United States, and we also believe that it was the first great journey ever tried by Japanese through your country.
Mr. Nakano and myself made after-dinner speeches, each referring to your kindness and to the fact that our journey had done much good towards the betterment of the friendly feelings and the commercial relations of both countries, and renewing our mutual vows to do our best in promoting better understanding between the two nations.
Finally, we drank to the health and prosperity of yourself, your family and our other American friends, and after three "Banzais", the most enjoyable gathering broke up. With the kindest wishes, I remain,
Yours ever sincerely,
E. Shibusawa.
（『渋沢栄一伝記資料』第32巻p.473-475掲載）
