A foreigner hired by the Shogunate to take care of the Shogunate's official money, end of Edo period to early Meiji period.

A foreigner hired by the Shogunate to take care of the Shogunate's official money, end of Edo period to early Meiji period.

In order to understand the role played by Floriherald, it is necessary to consider the international financial environment in which Japan found itself at the end of the Edo period and its immaturity as a nation. Although the shogunate had diplomatic relations with other countries through treaties, it did not have an adequate network of overseas diplomatic missions or a financial system, and it did not have a mechanism for safely and flexibly managing large sums of money overseas. The existence of Floriherald filled this void.

Although he was nominally a consul general, or almost an honorary consul general, his actual responsibilities were more financial than diplomatic. The construction of the Yokosuka ironworks and the purchase of weapons were core projects of modernization for the Shogunate, and the scale of funds required was extraordinary in the eyes of the time. These payments were not made at once, but were divided according to the construction period and delivery date, and were to be paid to the French munitions industry and shipbuilders. Therefore, it was essential to manage all the funds locally and coordinate the timing of payments.

Much of the royalty money brought to Paris by the Shibata-Hinomori delegation was not actually spent immediately, but was deposited in the hands of Florigherardt. He managed these funds, making payments as needed, as well as dealing with exchange and credit issues. This was not merely acting as a treasurer, but as a financial agent carrying the credit of the shogunate, meaning that the Japanese government itself was present in the European financial sphere through him.

The important point here is that the Shogunate had no choice but to fully trust him. At the time, Japan had no bureaucracy or system capable of handling overseas remittances or international settlements. Florigellarte had deep roots in French society and was able to negotiate directly with bankers and traders, and his personal credibility was directly translated into the credibility of the Bakufu. This is why he was more like a financier or investment agent than a diplomat.

This composition clearly illustrates the reality of diplomacy at the end of the Edo period. Diplomacy was not established by treaties and rituals alone, but was supported by who controlled the flow of funds. For a modern nation, diplomacy and finance are inseparable, and Japan at the end of the Edo period had no choice but to leave the junction to individual competence.

The reason that careful consideration was given to Florriherald when he was dismissed after the Meiji Restoration was that he was not merely a foreign hireling, but had supported Japan's foreign credibility in practical terms. His role as the custodian of the Shogunate's royal treasury quietly illustrates how precariously Japan was walking a tightrope in its transition to a modern diplomatic state.