nntsuzu/KFTT huggingface dataset:
English: When the Ten-year Plan of Development Commissioner was completed in 1882, Hokkaido Development Commissioner was abolished as originally planned, and it was decided that administrative districts called "prefecture" were introduced just as outside Hokkaido and that three prefectures were newly established in accordance with jurisdictions of the government in Sapporo City and two offices in Hakodate and Nemuro Cities which had been administered by Hokkaido Development Commissioner.
Japanese: そして開拓使十年計画の満期を迎えた1882年、当初の計画通り北海道開拓使を廃止し、その当時置かれていた北海道開拓使の札幌市の本庁および函館市・根室市の2支庁のそれぞれの管轄区域に応じて道外と同様に県という行政区域を新たに3つ設定することになった。
English: As for the development project, the three prefectures took over the works in the local level and Hokkaido Works Administration Bureau which was under Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce took over the works in the national level.
Japanese: 開拓事業については、これらの3県と農商務省(日本)管轄の北海道事業管理局とで地方レベル・国レベルを各々分担する形で引き継がれることになった。
English: Though the 'Scandal concerning Disposal of Hokkaido Development Commissioner's Possession' which took place just before abolition of Hokkaido Development Commissioner resulted in a confusion, three prefectures, Sapporo, Hakodate and Nemuro, were established instead of Hokkaido Development Commissioner and Haishi Chiken was completed on February 8, 1882.
Japanese: 北海道開拓使の廃止直前に「開拓使官有物払下げ事件」が起きて混乱が生じたものの、1882年2月8日、予定通り北海道開拓使に代わって札幌県・函館県・根室県の3県が成立し、廃使置県が完成した。
English: With this Haishi Chiken, Hokkaido had a formal administration agency and administrative districts for the first time.
Japanese: この廃使置県によって北海道全体としては初めて正式な行政組織・行政区域を持つことになった。
English: Unlike prefectures outside Hokkaido, no prefectural assembly or county office was formally established in those three prefectures because of continuous tasks as a development commissioner and because of too low population density.
Japanese: なお、道外の県とは異なり、これ以降も続く開拓使的な任務の都合や低過ぎる人口密度などのため、これらの3県に県議会や郡役所が正式に設置されることはなかった。
English: Haishi Chiken resulted in an obstacle to development after all, because the three prefectures and Hokkaido Works Administration Bureau could not align their policy with the others' in connection with development, and because the income stopped growing due to the economic slowdown under the Matsukata finance (also known as the Matsukata deflation, a financial measure to induce deflation to eliminate inflation generated by raising funds for war cost of the Seinan War).
Japanese: 開拓を巡って3県と北海道事業管理局の方針の足並みを揃える事が出来ず、加えて松方財政の影響による不況によって財政収入が伸び悩み、却って開拓の障害となった。
English: Furthermore, while the population of the whole area of Hokkaido was only two hundred sixty-five thousand in 1886 and more than half of the population (one hundred fifty-one thousand) concentrated in Hakodate Prefecture where people had lived in groups since the age of the Matsumae Domain, and Nemeuro Prefecture which consisted mostly of extremely cold undeveloped land had a population of only seventeen thousand, and this posed a problem of an imbalance.
Japanese: また、当時（1886年）の北海道全域の人口は26万5千人に過ぎず、うち半数以上にあたる15万1千人が松前藩時代以来の集住地域である函館県に集中し、逆に極寒の未開拓地が大半を占める根室県はわずか1万7千人という不均衡の問題が生じていた。
English: Thus Sangi (Councillor) Hirobumi ITO sent Kentaro KANEKO, a great secretary of Daijokan (Grand Council of State), to Hokkaido in 1885.
Japanese: そこで参議伊藤博文は1885年に太政官大書記官金子堅太郎を北海道に派遣した。
English: Kaneko made a seventy-day inspection tour of Hokkaido and returning to the capital, reported that the present system of three prefectures did not function.
Japanese: 70日余りの視察を終えて帰京した金子は現行の3県体制が機能していないことを報告した。
English: Based on this report, the three prefectures and Hokkaido Works Administration Bureau were reorganized into the Hokkaido government which was under the Ministry of Home Affairs on January 26, 1886 and the three prefectures went out of existence.
Japanese: この報告を受ける形で1886年1月26日、3県及び北海道事業管理局を統廃合して内務省(日本)管轄の北海道庁に移行する廃県置庁が行われることになり、3県はその役目を終えた。
English: The organization of former Hakodate and Nemuro Prefectures was succeeded by Hakodate and Nemuro offices of the Hokkaido government, and continued until the transition to the subprefecture system on November 5, 1890.
Japanese: なお、旧函館県及び根室県の組織はそのまま北海道庁函館支庁及び根室支庁として、1890年11月5日の支庁制移行まで継続される事になった。
English: The jurisdictional area corresponds to Oshima Province, eight counties of Shiribeshi Province (Kudo County, Okushiri County, Futoro County, Setana County, Suttsu County, Shimamaki County, Utasutsu County and Isoya County) and Yamagoe County of Iburi Province according to ryoseikoku (province).
Japanese: 管轄地域は令制国に従えば、渡島国と後志国の久遠郡・奥尻郡・太櫓郡・瀬棚郡・寿都郡・島牧郡・歌棄郡・磯谷郡の8郡、胆振国山越郡に相当する。
English: The jurisdictional area corresponds to the whole area of Ishikari, Teshio, Tokachi and Hidaka Provinces, four counties of Kitami Province (Soya County, Esashi County, Rishiri County and Rebun County), nine counties of Shiribeshi Province (Otaru County, Takashima County, Oshoro County, Yoichi County, Furubira County, Shakotan County, Bikuni County, Furuu County and Iwanai County), and seven counties of Iburi Province (Abuta County, Usu County, Muroran County, Horobetsu County, Shiraoi County, Yufutsu County and Chitose County), according to ryoseikoku.
Japanese: 管轄地域は令制国に従えば、石狩国・天塩国・十勝国・日高国の全域と北見国の宗谷郡・枝幸郡・利尻郡・礼文郡の4郡、後志国の小樽郡・高島郡・忍路郡・余市郡・古平郡・積丹郡・美国郡・古宇郡・岩内郡の9郡、胆振国の虻田郡・有珠郡・室蘭郡・幌別郡・白老郡・勇払郡・千歳郡の7郡（即ち山越郡以外の全域）に相当する。
English: Geographically the eastern end of Tokachi County of Tokachi Province, Cape Soya (north), Cape Kamui (west) and Cape Erimo (south) were regarded as Shishi (the northern, southern, eastern, and western boundaries of a tract of land).
Japanese: 地理的には十勝国十勝郡の東端と宗谷岬（北）・神威岬（西）・襟裳岬（南）の3つの岬を四至としていた。
English: The seat of the prefectural capital was in Nemuroumegae-cho (renamed Nemuro-cho in 1900 after abolishment of Nemuro Prefecture), former Nemuro County, Nemuro Province.
Japanese: 県庁所在地は旧根室国根室郡の根室梅ヶ枝町（根室県廃止後の1900年に根室町と改称）。
English: The jurisdictional area corresponds to the whole area of Nemuro, Kushiro and Chitose Provinces and four counties of Kitami Province (Monbetsu County, Tokoro County, Abashiri County and Shari County), according to ryoseikoku.
Japanese: 管轄地域は令制国に従えば、根室国・釧路国・千島国の全域と北見国の紋別郡・常呂郡・網走郡・斜里郡の4郡に相当する。
English: Gimin is a person who directly appealed poverty due to heavy pressure of nengu (annual tribute, land tax) to a feudal lord or the bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) as a representative for village communities mainly in Edo period.
Japanese: 主に江戸時代、村落共同体の代表として年貢の重圧による生活の困窮を領主、幕府に直訴した人物。
English: For example, during the Ueda riot in 1761 in which about ten thousand peasants belonged to Urano-gumi unit (present-day Aoki mura, Bessho of Ueda City, Shioda and others in Nagano Prefecture) of Ueda domain (present-day Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture) pushed into the Ueda-jo Castle, Hanbei SHIMIZU and Asanojo NAKAZAWA led the uprising and were executed.
Japanese: 例として、1761年に上田藩（現長野県上田市）浦野組（現長野県青木村上田市別所、塩田など）の農民約一万人が上田城へ押し掛けた上田騒動では、清水半平、中沢浅之丞などが一揆を指導し、死罪に処せられた。
English: Komatsubara Honan is an incident that Nichiren was assaulted and injured in Komatsubara (present-day Kamogawa City, Chiba Prefecture).
Japanese: 小松原法難（こまつばらほうなん）とは、小松原（現千葉県鴨川市）日蓮が襲撃され負傷した事件。
English: Kagenobu TOJO who was a believer of nenbutsu (Buddhist invocation) and had held grudge against Nichiren assaulted him, his disciple Nichigyo KYONINBO and a believer Yoshitaka KUDO were killed and Nichiren was also badly injured, slashed in the forehead, left hand broken.
Japanese: 以前から恨みをもっていた、念仏信者の東条景信が日蓮を襲い、弟子の鏡忍房日暁と信者の工藤吉隆が殺され、日蓮も額を斬られ、左手を骨折、重傷を負う。
English: According to the Katakamuna documents, it is assumed that the civilization had highly sophisticated technology and an original system of philosophy.
Japanese: 極めて高度な科学技術や独自の哲学体系を持っていたことがカタカムナ文献から推測される。
English: However, so far, no other buildings or remains that indicate existence of this civilization have been found.
Japanese: しかし、現在においてこの文明の存在を示す建造物や遺物は、これ以外には見つかっていない。
English: Kogetsu NARASAKI was the first to advocate the existence of the Katakamuna civilization in Japan.
Japanese: 日本で初めてカタカムナ文明の存在を唱えたのは楢崎皐月（ならさき・こうげつ）である。
English: According to his remembrance, Kogetsu met a hunter named Hiratoji whose father was the "Guji (chief of those who serves shrine, controls festivals and general affairs) of Katakamuna Shrine" during his investigation in Kincho-san mountain in Rokkosan in Hyogo Prefecture and he showed him the makimono, the shintai (sacred object) of the shrine.
Japanese: 皐月の述懐によれば、皐月は兵庫県六甲山系の金鳥山中での調査中に父が「カタカムナ神社の宮司」であったと名乗る平十字（ひらとうじ）という猟師と出会い、その神社の御神体である巻物を見せてもらったという。
English: Hiratoji kindly agreed to the request and Kogetsu transferred all characters to the notebook he carried for research.
Japanese: 平十字は快諾し、皐月は研究用に持っていた大学ノートにその文字を全て写し取ったという。
English: The amount of document was not what can be transferred in a day, so Hiratoji visited Kogetsu every day to deliver the makimono for 20 days.
Japanese: その文章量は一日で写し終わるようなものではなく、それから20日間、皐月のところへ巻物を手に平十字が毎日通ったという。
English: Kogetsu often sent postcards to his house to notify his family of his safety, but his daughter remembers that Kogetsu did not send any postcards for a month during this time.
Japanese: 皐月はそれまで度々実家に葉書を送って安否を知らせていたが、このときは一ヶ月間葉書をよこさなかったと皐月の娘は述懐している。
English: Later, Kogetsu succeeded in deciphering this document (commonly called "Katakamuna documents") over five years.
Japanese: 後に皐月は五年をかけてこの文書（通称「カタカムナ文献」）の解読に成功。
English: These characters were called "Katakamuna characters" from the location where they were enshrined and "Katakamuna Civilization" was advocated as the civilization in which the characters were used.
Japanese: この文字はそれが祀られていたとされる場所の名から「カタカムナ文字」と呼ばれ、その文字を使用していた文明として「カタカムナ文明」が提唱されたのである。
English: According to Noboru YAMANOI, a researcher of negative ions, "Plant wave agriculture method" named by Kogetsu NARASAKI is, in fact, "Negative ion agriculture".
Japanese: マイナスイオン研究家の山野井昇によれば、楢崎皐月氏が名づけた「植物波農法」とは実は「マイナスイオン農法」なのだという。
English: With a motif of this civilization (to be precise, the document deciphered by Kogetsu), Alchemist created their original game "Katakana - lost causality".
Japanese: この文明（正確には皐月の解読した文書）をモチーフとして作られたのがアルケミストのオリジナルゲーム「片神名〜喪われた因果律〜」である。
English: The Katakamuna characters are used on the background of the logo and documents considered to be katakamuna documents appear and play very important roles in the story.
Japanese: ロゴの背景にカタカムナ文字が使われ、作中にもカタカムナ文献と思われる文献が登場するなど、非常に重要な役目を果たしている。
English: Jofu is a person in the Edo period who lived permanently in Edo and served seii taishogun (literally, "great general who subdued the barbarians") without performing Sankinkotai (a system under which feudal lords in the Edo period were required to spend every other year in residence in Edo).
Japanese: 定府（じょうふ）とは、江戸時代において参勤交代を行わずに江戸に定住して征夷大将軍に仕える者をいう。
English: Hatamoto (direct retainers of the bakufu, which is a form of Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) and gokenin (immediate vassals of the shogunate) except kotaiyoriai (alternate yoriai, a family status of samurai warriors) who performed Sankinkotai were Jofu because they lived permanently in Edo and served seii taishogun.
Japanese: 参勤交代を行う交代寄合を除く旗本・御家人は、江戸に定住して征夷大将軍に仕えたため定府である。
English: As for all kinds of Daimyo (Japanese feudal lord), Mito Tokugawa family (Mito Domain) who were obligated to live permanently in Edo by Ieyasu TOKUGAWA and lords of domains (mainly fudai daimyo [a daimyo in hereditary vassal to the Tokugawa family]) who held public posts of Edo bakufu including roju (member of shogun's council of elders), wakadoshiyori (a managerial position in Edo bakufu), and jisha-bugyo (magistrate of temples and shrines) and stationed at Edo-jo Castle were of course Jofu because they needed to live permanently in Edo.
Japanese: 諸大名にあっては、徳川家康によって江戸定住が定められていた水戸徳川家（水戸藩）と、老中・若年寄・寺社奉行など江戸幕府の公職にあって江戸城に詰めている藩主（主に譜代大名）は、江戸に定住する必要性があったので、当然に定府となる。
English: And, as for feudal retainers of domains (baishin [indirect vassal] of shogun), someone who worked at edohantei (residence maintained by a daimyo in Edo) on a full-time basis (or someone whose family member worked in Edo on a full-time basis) was called jofu.
Japanese: また、諸藩の藩士（将軍の陪臣）は、その江戸藩邸に常勤している者（あるいは江戸常勤の家柄の者）を定府と呼んだ。
English: Many of jofu feudal retainers of domains had families and bodai-ji or danna-dera (family temples) in Edo, and if they died in Edo, their bodies and cremains were not brought back to their hometowns.
Japanese: 定府の藩士の多くは、江戸に家族と菩提寺・檀那寺を持ち、江戸で亡くなっても遺骸や遺骨などを在所に持ち帰らない。
English: On the other hand, someone who returned to his hometown when the lord of domain performed Sankinkotai was called Edo-zume (working in Edo) and distinguished from jofu.
Japanese: これに対して、藩主の参勤交代と共に、在所に帰還する者は、江戸詰めと呼ばれ、定府とは分けて考えられた。
English: Ezochishimao Kasha (or called Ezochishimao Kahi or Ezochishimao Kayu) refers to the name of person who sent an envoy in 1482 to request the Yi Dynasty Korea for Tripitaka Koreana.
Japanese: 夷千島王遐叉（えぞちしまおうかしゃ又はえぞがちしまおうかひ、えぞがちしまおうカユーとも）とは、1482年に李氏朝鮮に対して高麗八萬大蔵経を求める使者を送った名義人である。
English: "Korea Dynasties Fact Record" mentioned that in April 1482, Kunaikyo (Minister of the Sovereign's Household) sent by Ezochishimao visited Korea along with the envoy sent to Seongjang (King of Korea) by the King of Japan (Yoshimasa ASHIKAGA).
Japanese: 『朝鮮王朝実録』によると、1482年（文明(日本)14年、成宗(朝鮮王)13年）4月、朝鮮国王成宗(朝鮮王)に対し送られた日本国王（足利義政）使に同行して夷千島王使宮内卿が訪朝した。
English: He brought hosho (letter) which started with the phrase of '南閻浮州東海路夷千島王遐叉呈上朝鮮殿下' (Nanenbushu Tokairo Esochishimao Kasha Teijo Chosen Denka: To Royal Highness of Korea from Kasha, King of Ezochishima located on the east sea), and told that about 300 years had passed after the trading with Japan had brought Buddhism to Ezochishimakoku (Ezochishima country) where there had not been Buddhism conventionally, Ezochishima sought Daizo-kyo Sutra (the Tripitaka) because there was no such Sutra also in Japan, and Ezochishima could conquer Orangkai located in the remote region of Korea when Orangkai rebelled against the King of Korea because Ezochishimakoku bordered on Orangkai in the west.
Japanese: 「南閻浮州東海路夷千島王遐叉呈上朝鮮殿下」で始まる奉書を持参し、夷千島国が従来仏教を知らなかったのが日本と通交するようになって以降仏教が伝来し三百年余りとなったこと、大蔵経が日本にもないので欲しいこと、夷千島国は西辺で朝鮮辺境の野老浦と接しているので野老浦が朝鮮王に反逆した際は征伐できること等を伝えた。
English: It was recorded that 'one bakaku, one nishiki (brocade), one nerinuki (silk fabric), one rose pink twill fabric, 200 kins (unit of weight) of seaweed kelp' were gifted.
Japanese: 進物は「馬角一丁、錦一匹、練貫一匹、紅桃色綾一匹、紺布一匹、海草昆布二百斤」となっている。
English: Over the identity of Ezochishimao Kasha, in the wake of theory put forward by Kimiaki TAKAHASHI in 1981 that Ezochishimao Kasha was a chief of Ainu tribe, new theories were released actively.
Japanese: 夷千島王遐叉の正体を巡っては、高橋公明が1981年、アイヌの部族長説を唱えたことを契機に活発に新説が発表された。
English: At present, a theory by Mineo KAIHO and Iwao ENDO that Ezochishimao Kasha was the Ando clan, a theory by Shosuke MURAI, Kimiaki TAKAHASHI and others that the envoy was fake on the premise of existence of the Ando clan, and a theory by Setsuko OSA that a fake envoy was sent by people of Tsushima Island exist concurrently.
Japanese: 現在は海保嶺夫、遠藤巌の安東氏説、村井章介、高橋公明らによる安東氏の存在を前提とした偽使説、長節子による対馬島人による偽使説が並立している。
English: Here, in "Railway opening in Japan," the background to the official opening of Japan's first railway line between Shiodome Station (Japanese National Railways) and Sakuragicho Station on October 14, 1872 is described.
Japanese: 日本の鉄道開業（にっぽんのてつどうかいぎょう）では、日本初の鉄道路線である汐留駅(国鉄)～桜木町駅間が、1872年（明治5年）9月12日(旧暦)（天保暦、翌年から採用されたグレゴリオ暦では10月14日）の正式開業を迎えるまでについて記す。
English: In Britain, operation of the steam locomotive railway for freight transport was started between Stockton and Darlington in 1825, and in 1830, passenger railway service was also started between Liverpool and Manchester.
Japanese: 1825年（文政8年）、イギリスのストックトン-ダーリントン間で蒸気機関車を用いた貨物鉄道の運行が開始され、1830年（文政13年）にはリヴァプール-マンチェスター間に旅客鉄道も開業する。
English: However, it is said that not until the 1840s did Japanese people know these things.
Japanese: しかし、日本人がこれらのことを知ったのは1840年代（天保年間）であるといわれる。
English: The first known Japanese to ride a railway train is said to be John Manjiro (Manjiro NAKANOHAMA), who had been saved by the American vessel while adrift in the Pacific Ocean and taken to America, in 1845.
Japanese: また、日本人で鉄道に乗ったことが分かっている最初の人物は、太平洋で漂流しアメリカ合衆国の船に救われ、現地へ向かったジョン万次郎（中浜万次郎）であるとされ、1845年（弘化2年）のこととされる。
English: Then in 1853, a Russian named Evfimiy Vasil'evich Putyatin arrived Nagasaki by sea.
Japanese: その後、1853年（嘉永6年）にはロシアのエフィム・プチャーチンが長崎市に来航した。
English: He showed Japanese model railways of steam locomotives on the ship and explained about them in detail in order to display the power of Western countries.
Japanese: 彼は船の上で蒸気機関車の鉄道模型を日本人に見せ、欧米の力を見せるべく、詳しい解説をおこなった。
English: Among other things, he presented to the bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) a model of live steam trains that ran by steam power in the same way as a real steam locomotive and was able to carry people.
Japanese: 彼が幕府に献上した品物の中に人を乗せて走ることができるほどのライブスチーム（本物の蒸気機関車同様、蒸気動力で動く鉄道模型）があった。
English: It was recorded that the model carried Hachinosuke KAWADA, a Japanese government official, on the roof and ran at the speed of about 20 miles (32km) per hour.
Japanese: この模型は、日本の役人河田八之助を屋根に乗せて時速約20マイル（32km）のスピードで走ったと記録されている。
English: He told that it was a very pleasant ride; however, according to a foreigner who was at the scene, he was clinging onto the train tremblingly.
Japanese: なお、当人は極めて快適であったと述べているが、それを見ていた外国人の方は日本人は震えながら機関車にしがみついていたと伝えている。
English: Those from Saga Domain especially showed a strong interest in the model; in 1855, an about-27cm-long model locomotive ran by alcohol fuel was completed by the hands of senior vassals and people at hanko (domain school) of Saga Domain.
Japanese: また佐賀藩ではこの模型に特に興味を示し、1855年（安政2年）には重臣や藩校の者の手によって、全長約27cmほどのアルコール燃料で動作する模型機関車を完成させている。
English: Furthermore, in 1858, a real 762-mm-gauge steam locomotive, which Britain had originally planned to use for the railway in China, was brought in Nagasaki.
Japanese: さらに1858年（安政5年）には、イギリスが中国の鉄道で使用する予定であった762mm軌間の本物の蒸気機関車が長崎へ持ち込まれた。
English: In 1869, a coal-mine railway (Kayanuma coal-mine railway) started running in the Kayanuma coal mine in Hokkaido.
Japanese: 1869年（明治2年）には、北海道茅沼炭鉱にて、炭鉱軌道（茅沼炭鉱軌道）が運行を開始した。
English: Although it was referred as "a railway," it was no more than wooden rails reinforced with iron plates, whose coach ran by oxen or horses.
Japanese: 鉄道とはいっても、鉄板で補強した木のレールを使用し、牛馬で運行していたものであった。
English: Under the circumstances described above, some railroad projects were already being drawn up in some places, such as Satsuma Domain, Saga Domain and Edo, in the end of the Edo period.
Japanese: 鉄道の敷設計画は上記の影響を受け、幕末には既に薩摩藩や佐賀藩、江戸幕府などを中心にいくらか出てきた。
English: At that time, Asian regions were being colonized at high pace by Western powers, except few countries such as Japan and the Kingdom of Thailand.
Japanese: 当時アジアでは日本やタイ王国等の一部を除いて欧米列強諸国による植民地化が進んでいた。
English: In order to avoid the colonization, the Meiji government aimed to build a modern state by promoting fukoku kyohei (fortifying the country, strengthening the military).
Japanese: 明治政府ではそれを回避するために富国強兵を推し進めて近代国家を整備することを掲げていた。
English: However, in the first year of Meiji, such movement might have antagonized some Japanese.
Japanese: しかし明治初年においてその動きは、ともすればすくなからぬ日本人の反感を買うおそれがあった。
English: Therefore, in order to visually show Japanese people what modernization modeled after Western countries would be like, Shigenobu OKUMA, Hirobumi ITO and others decided to construct a railway.
Japanese: そこで、日本人に西洋を範とした近代化を目に見える形とするため、大隈重信・伊藤博文らは鉄道の建設を行う事にした。
English: Although seaborne traffic (marine transport) had been developed in Japan, transport of men and freight was increasing.
Japanese: また、元々日本では海上交通（海運）が栄えていたものの、貨物・人員の輸送量が増えていた。
English: Accordingly a demand to improve the efficiency in overland traffic was recognized, which served as a spur for the railway construction.
Japanese: そのため、陸上交通においても効率化を図る必要があるとされたことも、追い風になった。
English: Originally, it was planned to construct two routes: the route which connects Tokyo City to Kyoto City, Osaka City and Kobe City, namely the route to connect three urban prefectures which would support Japan chiefly; and the route from Tokyo to Tsuruga City, a trading city on the Japan Sea side, diverging from Maibara City.
Japanese: 当初は東京市と京都市・大阪市・神戸市の間、すなわち日本の屋台骨となる三府を結ぶ路線と、日本海側の貿易都市である敦賀市へ米原市から分岐して至る路線を敷設しようとしていた。
English: However, the budget was not allowed for the construction since at the time the government needed to assume all domains' debt, which amounted about 24 million ryo (about 560 billion yen in the present value), in accordance with the return of lands and people to the emperor and Haihan-chiken (abolition of feudal domains and establishment of prefectures).
Japanese: しかし、この頃は版籍奉還～廃藩置県に伴い、政府が約2400万両（現在の価値でおよそ5600億円）もの各藩負債を肩代わりすることになったため、建設予算が下りなかった。
English: Moreover, military personnel such as Takamori SAIGO opposed the project, insisting that armaments should be strengthened first.
Japanese: また軍隊からは、先にそちらの強化をおこなうべきだとして、西郷隆盛などを中心に反対の声も上がっていた。
English: Then, some insisted that it should be constructed even with some private capital, but also they thought that they needed to show people an actual railway in order to attract capital.
Japanese: そのため、民間からの資本を入れてでも建設をおこなうべきだという声が出たが、実際に鉄道を見せないことにはそれすら進まないと考えた。
English: Finally, in 1869, a 29-kilometer railroad construction between Tokyo, the capital of Japan, and Yokohama City, where a port was located, was decided as a model section.
Japanese: とりあえずモデルケースになる区間として、首都東京と港がある横浜市の間、29kmの敷設を行う事が1869年（明治2年）に決定した。
English: Meanwhile, 'a railway construction permit between Edo and Yokohama' (Japanese would provide the land only) had been issued in 1867 by Nagamichi OGASAWARA, a roju (senior councillor) of the Edo bakufu, to Portman, an American legation attaché, and after the Meiji Restoration Portman pressed to the new government for its implementation.
Japanese: なお、1867年（慶応3年）にはアメリカ合衆国公使館員のポートマンに対し、江戸幕府の小笠原長行老中が「江戸・横浜間鉄道敷設免許」（日本人は土地のみ提供）を出しており、明治維新後の新政府に対してその履行を迫った。
English: However, the Meiji government dismissed it for "the bakufu signed the document after the inauguration of the new government in Kyoto; therefore it does not have diplomatic authority."
Japanese: しかし、明治政府は「この書面の幕府側の署名は、京都の新政府発足後のもので、外交的権限を有しないもの」である旨をもって、却下している。
English: Also when the railway construction mentioned above was decided, some capitalists residing in Japan, such as a British capitalist Canfer, had proposed the government "they would provide funds and construction in exchange for the management right."
Japanese: 前述した鉄道敷設が決定した時も、イギリス人のカンフェルなどといった駐日資本家からは、「経営権をこちらが持つ代わりに資本と建設を提供する」という提案が政府に出されていた。
English: However, OKUMA and others thought that it could become the preliminaries for Britain to colonize Japan as did the railway in India, so they rejected this.
Japanese: が、大隈らはインドの鉄道のように植民地化の布石になりかねないと考え、これを拒絶している。
English: Since Japan could not construct it by its own in those days, Britain was selected for a technical and financial assist.
Japanese: 当時の日本では自力での建設は無理なので、技術や資金を援助する国としてイギリスを選定した。
English: The choice was made not only because technical capabilities of Britain, the birthplace of railways, was highly evaluated but also because Harry Parkes, the Biritish minister in Japan, had presented constructive proposals on a railway in Japan.
Japanese: これは鉄道発祥国イギリスの技術力を評価したことと、日本の鉄道について建設的な提言を行っていた、駐日公使ハリー・パークスの存在も大きかった。
English: The following year, in 1870, Edmund Morel from Britain assumed the chief engineer and the full-scale construction started.
Japanese: 翌1870年（明治3年）、イギリスからエドモンド・モレルが建築師長に着任し、本格的工事が始まった。
English: As for the Japanese side, Masaru INOUE (known as the father of Japanese railways as well as an advocate of the nationalization of railways) became the head of mining and railways in 1871 and was involved in the construction.
Japanese: 日本側では1871年（明治4年）に井上勝（日本の鉄道の父。鉄道国有論者としても著名）が鉱山頭兼鉄道頭に就任し、建設に携わった。
English: Surveying for the railway construction started in 1870, and the construction work started within the same year.
Japanese: 1870年（明治3年）、鉄道敷設のための測量が開始され、同年中には着工された。
English: However, the plan was changed because the employed foreigner Edmund Morel suggested using Japanese lumber, which was easier to process hence a better choice for future railway construction and also preferable in terms of the budgetary issue.
Japanese: しかし、お雇い外国人であるエドモンド・モレルの発案により、予算の問題や今後の鉄道敷設のことを考えると、加工しやすい国産の木材を用いたほうがよいということになり、変更された。