23 - Sir Colin John Davidson (1878–1930): Japan Specialist in the British Consular Service

Summary

INTRODUCTION

COLIN DAVIDSON was born on 28 October 1878. His father was John Davidson of Holkham, Norfolk. He was educated at Dulwich College, and later in Dresden. He started his career as a student interpreter in Bangkok, Siam. After a year and a half there his health deteriorated and in August 1903 he was transferred to Japan. He studied Japanese assiduously and passed the language examination in 1906. His exceptional fluency in Japanese and his social skills contributed to his successful career and varied life in Japan over the next quarter of a century. He was praised and admired by many Japanese and British.

CAREER

Sir Claude MacDonald, British ambassador to Japan from 1900 to 1912, reported in 1911 to Sir Edward Grey, Foreign Secretary, that Davidson:

… has shown great zeal and intelligence, and a quite remarkable aptitude for getting on with the Japanese. He has established relations with them, which have been of great use to me personally and this Embassy in general. I am informed by the Japanese Secretary that Davidson’s knowledge of the Japanese language, especially the colloquial, is much above the average of Consular officials of his standing.

Conyngham Greene, MacDonald's successor as British ambassador, similarly appreciated his skills: ‘Davidson has certainly established a reputation here as an excellent Japanese scholar and a most useful member of the Japanese Consular Service. His diligence, indeed, requires no commendation from me…’

Davidson's exceptional language and social skills seem to have been mainly achieved during his early period as a language student, when he mingled with many Japanese of diverse classes and backgrounds. His colleague, Ashton-Gwatkin commented on him in his memoir: ‘More than any of us (Edward Crowe, George Sansom, and himself) he [Davidson] had acquired a degree of friendly intimacy with the Japanese, who included ex-daimyōs and their wives and children…’ and speaking about the funeral of Tokugawa Keiki [the last Shōgun] in 1914 which he attended, ‘My friend, Davidson, who had visited him [Keiki] from time to time, had received from him a souvenir autograph.’

Davidson acquired a wide range of contacts in both Japanese court and military circles. One of Davidson's contacts was Commander Katō Kanji (Hiraharu), Naval attaché in London.

Among his colleagues he was particularly friendly with John Gubbins, Captain Hart-Synnot and Major Roundell Toke, the acting military attaché.